The Natural Resources of Nepal are described below in different parts like the forest, soil, minerals, and water. Reference notes of Grade 7.

Natural Resources of Nepal:

Nepal is a small and beautiful country full of natural resources. Natural resources are the gift of nature found on the earth. It can’t exhaust from the world. It plays a vital role in human and animal life.

Nepal is rich in various natural resources. Some of them are as follows:

1. Forest
2. Soil
3. Mineral
4. Water

1. Forest

The forest is a gift of nature. Green forest is the wealth of Nepal. It occupies about 39.6% of the total land of Nepal. We can’t survive in this world without it. It is a very important resource of Nepal to help in the economic development of Nepal. It provides wood, fuel, herbs, timber, etc. Its features are based on its altitude, climatic condition, and landforms. Nepal has a tropical forest climate in the south and a temperate and alpine climate in the north. According to the climatic conditions, the types of forest varies from place to place. Some of them are given below:

Subtropical Evergreen Forest:

These types of forest are found in the Terai plains and the broad flat valleys found between the hills. Evergreen forests are found in an altitude from 150 m to 1200 m above sea level. This forest mainly comprises of the Sal (Shorea Robusta), Khair-Sisou (A catechu/Sisou), Semal (Bombax Malabricum) forest, grasses, etc. These types of forests are very rich in the wildlife in the country. Some of them are tigers, rhinos, bears, leopards, elephants, etc.

Deciduous Monsoon Forest:

These types of forest are found in the lower temperate region of the Himalayan range which is called the Mahabharat range. This range reaches the higher hills up to 2100 m above sea level. These consist of broad-leaved with dotted plant species. Castenopis Indica, Schma Wallichii, Alnus Nepalensis, Acer Oblongum, Oak, Rhododendron etc are common flora of this forest. Barking deers, serows, gorals, bears, leopards, etc. are common animals found here. Many species of birds are also found here.

Coniferous Evergreen Forest:

These are the alpine forests found in the Himalayan region. These types of forests are found from 3100 m to 3300 m above sea level. The region features rhododendron, juniper scrub, and woody vegetations. The animal species in this region are Himalayan marmots, mouse hares, musk deers, snow leopards, etc. These are very useful for the match, paper, and furniture industries.

2. Soil

The soil is another natural resource of Nepal. In the context of Nepal, most people are dependent on soil for agriculture. It consists of water, dead leaves, roots, worms, bacteria, minerals, and humus. The soil is the base for living beings and non-living things. On the basis of types, there are five types of soil in Nepal.

Alluvial Soil

Alluvial soil is formed by a mixture of materials deposited by rivers and decayed vegetation. It is very fertile to grow crops. It is especially found in Terai and rivers basins. It consists of particles of various organic and inorganic substances. It is suitable for growing paddy, wheat, jute, oilseed, tobacco, sugarcane, etc.

Sandy and Stony Soil:

Sandy and stony soil are made up of a mixture of sand, rocks, and other rough, loose particles deposited by the river. It contains less humus in it. So, it is not suitable for agriculture. The maximum part of these types of soil is covered by the forest of Sal, Sisso, etc.

Rocky Soil:

The broken rocks are mixed with decayed vegetation in hills and mountains and form rocky soil. The parent rock is disintegrated through continuous weathering. This soil contains less nitrogen, phosphorous calcium, etc. In spite of less humus, millet, tea, potato, maize, etc. are grown in it.

Glacial Soil:

It is formed by boulders, sand, and stone deposited by the glaciers. This type of soil is found in the mountain region. The fertility of this soil is minimum as the climate is too cold and the deepness of the soil is less. It is suitable for the cultivation of specific plants such as barley, millet, potato, buckwheat, etc.

Lacustrine Soil:

The soil is made by the drying of lakes in the basins and valleys is known as Lacustrine soil. It is the very fertile soil in black color. It contains a huge amount of hummus for cultivation. Kathmandu valley has this type of soil where varieties of vegetables and crops can be grown easily.

3. Minerals

Minerals are the chemical elements found in the earth’s crust. Nepal is quite rich in mineral resources. It is very important for industrial development. Mineral deposits such as gold, diamond, mica, limestone, iron ore, copper, petroleum, uranium, etc. are found in the different parts of Nepal. Because of financial constraints, lack of technical and skilled manpower, adequate progress in the field of mining mineral resources of Nepal has not been achieved. The areas where minerals are found in Nepal are as follow:

4. Water

Water is the basic component for the survival of human life. Nepal is rich in water resources. Nepal can generate more than 43000 MW of hydroelectricity from the possible volume of hydropower generation of 83000 MW. But due to a lack of possible manpower, we are able to generate only 600 MW hydroelectricity.
According to the report of the study, Nepal is the second richest country in the water resources after

Brazil. Water is one of the main natural resources of Nepal. Water resources are found in two forms. They are as follows:

Surface water:

Surface water is found on the surface of the earth's crust. Rivers, lakes, streams, springs, etc. are the main sources of surface water.

Underground water:

Underground water is found beneath the earth's surface. They are available in the valley and Terai region. Well is an example of it.

Hydro Electricity in Nepal