生かす
いかす · ikasu · JLPT N1 · verb-godan
to make use of
🌱 生 (life) + かす causative = make live: keep alive, then make use of
Built from 生きる (to live) with the causative かす, so it means 'make live'. Keeping a plant or person alive fits, and so does making a resource live on by putting it to use.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.