Environment And Its Resources Notes, Quizzes & Revision

1. What is the Environment?

The environment includes everything around us: air, water, soil, plants, animals, buildings and people. It gives us the resources we need to live — such as food, water, wood, and energy. These notes focus on the environment and its resources in the Kenyan context and are written for learners aged age_replace.

2. Types of Environmental Resources

3. Examples from Kenya (local context)

• Mount Kenya and forests: water catchments, timber, habitat for wildlife.
• Mau Forest & Aberdares: important for rivers that supply water to towns and farms.
• Rift Valley (Olkaria): geothermal energy used for electricity.
• Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana: fish resources and livelihoods for local communities.
• Minerals: soda ash at Lake Magadi, titanium deposits on the coast, and small-scale gold mining in parts of western Kenya.
• Agricultural soils: fertile areas in the highlands (e.g., Central, Rift Valley) for tea, coffee, maize and vegetables.

4. How People Use Resources

People use the environment to meet daily needs. Common uses in Kenya:

• Farming and grazing livestock for food.
• Collecting firewood and charcoal for cooking (household energy).
• Fishing in lakes and rivers for food and income.
• Mining minerals for industry and export.
• Using water for drinking, irrigation and industry.

5. Problems Caused by Unsustainable Use

6. Caring for the Environment — Ways to Use Resources Sustainably

Simple actions that learners and communities can take:

• Plant trees: join school or community tree-planting days. Trees protect soil and water sources.
• Save water: fix leaks, collect rainwater, and use water carefully when watering gardens.
• Use energy wisely: practise cooking on efficient stoves, switch off lights, and support renewable energy (solar panels, geothermal where available).
• Practice sustainable farming: crop rotation, terracing on slopes, agroforestry (growing trees with crops).
• Reduce, reuse, recycle: reduce waste, reuse containers, and separate organic waste for compost.
• Protect wildlife: avoid bushmeat and support community conservancies and national parks (KWS work).
• Report pollution: tell local leaders or NEMA if factories or dumps pollute water or air.

7. Who Helps Protect Our Environment?

Everyone has a role. Common actors in Kenya:

• Individuals and households: adopt good habits (tree planting, saving water, proper waste disposal).
• Schools and youth groups: environmental clubs, tree nurseries and clean-up days.
• Community groups and conservancies: manage grazing, protect forests and wildlife.
• Government agencies: NEMA (environment), KFS (forests), KWS (wildlife) and county governments make rules and protect resources.
• NGOs and businesses: support projects like clean energy, reforestation and sustainable fishing.

8. Quick Activities and Questions (for class or at home)

1. Make a list of 5 natural resources used in your home or school.
2. Visit a local water source (river, spring or borehole) and note how people use it and how it is protected.
3. Describe two ways your household can save water or energy this week.
4. Why is planting trees important for soil and water? Explain in 3 sentences.
5. Draw a simple picture showing how a tree prevents soil erosion (small diagram space below).

9. Glossary (Simple Terms)

Environment

All the things around us — living and non-living.

Resource

Something we use from the environment, like water, wood or soil.

Renewable

Can be replaced naturally (e.g., trees, water, sunlight).

Non-renewable

Cannot be easily replaced (e.g., many minerals, fossil fuels).

Conservation

Protecting and using resources carefully so they last longer.

10. Final Note

Our environment gives us what we need. By learning local examples from Kenya and practising simple everyday actions, learners aged age_replace can help protect resources for the future. Ask your teacher or community how you can join a tree-planting or clean-up day this term.