Lecturer- Eyid Abbas Abdalltef

Department of Agricultural Economics

For most of the ancient economists, natural resources meant (the surface of the earth), and therefore they focused on that they are authentic and do not perish. However, contemporary economic thought looks at natural resources in a more general and comprehensive view, defining them as material things that have an economic value that humans have no direct income in creating. Minerals and the availability of forests, as well as the climate, terrain, waterfalls, and geographical location are all things that have an impact on the national wealth, without the human being directly involved in creating them.

The concept of natural resources is that they are a gift from God Almighty that He created and harnessed to him to turn them into economic resources that he uses to produce the goods and services he needs to satisfy his desires. It includes land, water, forests, pastures, animals, sun, air, climate and location, and they are closely related to each other “on the earth various dwellings and facilities are built, forests and pastures grow, animals live and they need sunlight, water and air, and in the ground there are minerals and fuels of all kinds... Natural resources are of paramount importance For humans they are the source of materials.

A resource does not become a resource “in the correct sense until after a person exploits it for his benefit, and its benefit may exceed the immediate benefit of the present person and extend to the person of the future. A benefit or to satisfy a certain desire in a certain way and a certain value, directly or indirectly, and the economic resource is linked to a certain cost. Natural resources that have not been used yet are not considered economic resources. Hence, the science of economics of natural resources is one of the branches that specialize in the applications of economic foundations and theories to natural resources, and it is included as one of the fields of applied economics.

The importance of the reasons for studying the economics of natural resources and the environment stems from economic and social considerations, including: -

 (1) The need to preserve the available community resources and make optimal use of them to achieve the maximum possible output from their exploitation or reduce the cost of alternative opportunities. The non-optimal use of natural resources leads to waste and reduces the gross domestic product, which negatively affects economic growth.

(2) Discovering the link between man and nature around him, which spreads in all the earth's coverings such as water and earth covers, and identifying the benefits available through natural resources.

(3) The consumption or exploitation of natural and environmental resources often leads to associated outputs called external effects or infringements, and they are called so because they are not generally intended, but are produced accompanying the use of resources, and they have negative effects that affect the economic well-being of society, whose effects should be corrected. with the right economic policies.

(4) The population proble