Natural Resource Management (NRM) is a concept and a set of practices focused on the sustainable utilisation, conservation, and protection of natural resources like land, water, forests, and minerals. The core objective is to ensure these resources meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations.
The modern framework for NRM in India gained momentum following the Stockholm Declaration of 1972, which led to the establishment of the National Council for Environmental Policy and Planning in 1972. While resource management has roots in ancient Indian texts and colonial-era laws like the Indian Forest Act of 1927, the post-1972 period addressed the problem of resource degradation caused by increased human activities and industrialisation. The National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) was established in 1983 for integrated management.
NRM works through a comprehensive legislative mechanism, including the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the umbrella Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. For instance, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, prohibits the de-reservation of forest land or its use for non-forest purposes without prior Central government approval.
This concept is intrinsically connected to the principle of Sustainable Development and is enforced by institutions like the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT enforces legal rights related to the environment and provides relief for damages under the key environmental laws.
Recently, the framework has seen significant amendments, notably the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023, which has been criticised for potentially diluting safeguards. The amendment exempts certain projects, such as those for border security and infrastructure within 100 km of international boundaries, from forest clearances. Other recent changes include the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023.