Page 167 - Social Studies 7

Forests give shelter to many wild animals like tigers, rhinos, deer, leopards,
ghorals, monkeys, musk, deer, golden langur, red pandas, wild boars, snakes,
etc. It helps in bringing rain and provide timbers, fodder, fuel as firewood and
medicinal herbs. It is also the source of tourist attraction. In the past, there was
greenery everywhere, the saying was very popular as 'Nepal Ko Dhan Hariyo
Ban'. But due to rampant use of forest resources it has decreased and limited
up to 29% land area of Nepal (Source: imnepal.com).Therefore, it is essential to
protect the forest.

Minerals

Minerals are very important natural resources to develop industries. There are
various types of minerals available in Nepal. Copper, Iron, Mica, coal, limestone,
petroleum, natural gas, lead, etc. found in Nepal. It is said that iron, copper,
glass, etc. found in Nepal are far better quality than that of utilization. Still they
cannot be benefited. The reasons are lack of capital, advanced technology, good
infrastructures and skilled manpower.

Nature has given us plenty of resources but it cannot be utilized as per our needs
and necessities. So, the time has come to think seriously about the uses of natural
resources for the benefit of people.

Key Words

perennial : lasting or doing something for a very long time
rampant : flourishing or spreading in an uncontrolled way
indispensable : inseparable

167 Dynamic Social Studies and Population Education - Book VII