Land Is a Diminishing Resource

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Introduction This paper is an essay which looks at the topic “land is a diminishing resource”. To achieve the objective of this essay, the first part of the paper will provide the definition of the term land, the second part will briefly state the uses of land, the main body will elaborate on land being a diminishing resource, and a conclusion will be provided. Land is a term widely used throughout the world but definitions are not frequently given by many users of the word. Generally, many scholars have come to agree that land is defined from a broader perspective. According to FAO (n.d), land is not regarded simply in terms of soils and surface topography, but encompasses such features as underlying superficial deposits, climate and water resources, and also the plant and animal communities which have developed as a result of the interaction of these physical conditions. FAO/UNEP (1997) states that land refers to a delineable area of the earth's terrestrial surface, encompassing all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or below this surface, including those of the near-surface climate, the soil and terrain forms, the surface hydrology including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps, the near-surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater and geohydrological reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and physical results of past and present human activity. It therefore follows that Land can be defined as to include the earth’s surface as well as its various resources, including water, forests and fisheries. Also natural gas and minerals are usually included as land related natural resources. Land is a resource that has various uses on which every individual depends. Without land, no animal can survive as also without access to it no animal can labour. Land provides food for man, shelter and a source of income. The

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