Natural resource depletion is the sum of net forest depletion, energy depletion, and mineral depletion. Resource depletion is the consumption of a resource faster than it can be replenished. Natural resources can be renewable or non-renewable. Consumption at a speed greater than their production or formation leads to depletion. Resource depletion is usually identified with water, land, forests, minerals and energy.

One of the main factors behind resource depletion is rising population. The other major reason is lack of understanding that resources are finite and failing to recognize the importance of conserving them.

Water: Overuse of water in UAE and Middle Eastern countries has led to groundwater table to drop about 1 meter/year over the last 30 years. Depletion happens due to large-scale irrigation, pollution etc. If this depletion is not arrested, UAE will deplete its natural freshwater resources in about 50 years.

Land and forests: Finite land resources are overstretched due to rapid urbanization. Due to the rise in population, deforestation happens, estimated at 18 million acres of forests destroyed every year. Forests also give way to agricultural lands for meeting the food needs. It is estimated that 70% more food will be required by 2050 to feed the world's population. Deforestation further causes soil erosion, global warming and loss of biodiversity.

Oil: Despite the Middle Eastern countries having major oil reserves in the world and UAE possessing nearly 10 % of the world's total reserves, the rate of consumption will cause the oil to be fully depleted in a few more decades.

Mineral reserves: These are also depleting quickly. In 2011, UNEP reported that if nothing changes from current practices, humanity will consume three times more minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass every year by 2050.

The urgent need of the hour is to manage economic growth in a sustainable manner and rely more and more on renewable sources.

The future:

The people need to be taught to reduce consumption and recycle more. The UAE based Emirates Environmental Group conducts a Neighborhood Recycling project where I have actively participated over the past 8 years and I have interacted with many families in my community to collect recyclable materials and send them to EEG. The project also helps to educate many people towards reduction, reuse and recycling.

Another very important need of the ME region is to focus on food waste. Food waste leads to waste of precious resources including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change.

Environmentalists say that when food rots, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas, which the U.S. EPA says is 21 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide. Food is the least recycled material and is second largest contributor to global warming.

Productivity improvements in the future are likely to reduce 30% of demand for resources by 2030.