Geography Chapter 1

ResouRces and development

Resource
Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is
technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as ‘Resource’.

Human beings themselves are essential components of resources. They transform materials available in
our environment into resources and use them.
Classification of Resources
1) On the basis of Origin: Biotic and Abiotic
2) On the basis of Exhaustibility: Renewable and Non-Renewable
3) On the basis of Ownership: Individual, Community, National and International
4) On the basis of Status of Development: Potential, Developed, stock and Reserves.

Potential Resources: Resources which are found in a region but have not been utilized. (wind/solar
energy resource in Rajasthan)
Developed Resources: Resources which have been surveyed and their quality and quantity have been
determined for utilization. The development of resources depends on technology and level of feasibility.
c) Stock: Materials in our environment which has the potential to satisfy human needs but humans does
not have the appropriate technology to access. Eg.. Oxygen in Water – H2O
Reserves: These are the subset of stock which can be put into use. (Ready to use; eg; Oil reserve)
DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES
Development of Resources
Resources are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining the quality of life. Human being used
them indiscriminately and this has led to many problems such as:
Why is resource planning essential?
i. Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals.
ii. Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into two segments
i.e., rich, and poor or haves and have not.
iii. Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution, and land degradation.
iv. If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues, the
future of our planet is in danger.
v. Resource planning is essential for the sustainable existence of all forms of life.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
Sustainable development means the development of the present without damaging the needs and
aspiration of the future generation.
Sustainable economic development means ‘development should take place without damaging the
environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future
generations.
Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 & Agenda 21
In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first International
Earth Summit. The Summit was convened for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection
and socioeconomic development at the global level.
Agenda 21 is the declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims at achieving
global sustainable development.

RESOURCE PLANNING: It is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources.
Why is Resource planning important in India?
India has enormous diversity in the availability of resources. There are regions which are rich in certain
types of resources but are deficient in some others.
The states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits.
Arunachal Pradesh has an abundance of water resources but lacks infrastructural development. The
state of Rajasthan is very well endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks water resources. The cold
desert of Ladakh is relatively isolated from the rest of the country. It has a very rich cultural heritage, but
it is deficient in water, infrastructure, and some vital minerals. This calls for balanced resource planning
at the national, state, regional and local levels.
Stages of resource Planning
Resource planning is a complex process which involves: (i) identification and inventory of resources
across the regions of the country. This involves surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative
estimation and measurement of the resources. (ii) Evolving a planning structure endowed with
appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.
(iii) Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.
Conservation of Resources
There is enough for everybody’s need and not for any body’s greed.” – Gandhiji: Resources are vital for
any developmental activity. But irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources may lead to
socio-economic and environmental problems. To overcome these problems, resource conservation at
various levels is important.
LAND RESOURCES
LAND UTILISATION: 1. Forests 2. Land not available for cultivation (a) Barren and waste land (b) Land
put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land) (a) Permanent pastures and grazing land, (b) Land
under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area), (c) Cultruable waste land (left
uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
4. Fallow lands (a) Current fallow-(left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year), (b)
Other than current fallow-(left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years).
5. Net sown area the physical extent of land on which crops are sown harvested is known as net sown
area. Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as gross cropped
area or Gross Sown Area.
LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA
The use of land is determined both by physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types as well as
human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture and traditions etc.

LAND DEGRADATION AND CONSERVATION MEASURES

Some human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and quarrying too have contributed
significantly in land degradation.

• Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha - deforestation due to mining

• Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra - overgrazing
• Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh - over irrigation.
In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land and water pollution in
many parts of the country.
Measures to check land degradation.

• Afforestation and proper management of grazing.

• Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on over grazing,
• Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes (arid areas.)
• Proper management of waste lands, control of mining activities, proper discharge and disposal
of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can reduce land and water degradation in
industrial and suburban areas.

SOIL AS A RESOURCE- Classification of soils.

On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation, colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical and
physical properties, the soils of India are classified in different types.
Alluvial Soils: This is the most widely spread and important soil. The entire northern plains are made of
this soil.
This soil has been deposited by three important river systems: the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra.
Alluvial soil consists of sand, silt, and clay. Alluvial is a very fertile soil. Ideal for the cultivation of rice,
wheat and sugar cane
According to their age alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar).
Black Soils: These soils are black in color and is also known as regur soil or black cotton soil. It is ideal for
growing cotton. This soil is made up of lava flows.
The black soil is made up of extremely fine i.e., clay material. They are well known for their capacity to
hold moisture and are rich in soil nutrients.
Black soil is generally poor in phosphoric contents. They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which
helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
This soil is sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after the first shower or
during the pre-monsoon period.
Red and Yellow Soils: Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in area of low rainfall in the eastern
and southern part of Deccan plateau.
These soils develop a reddish color due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks
Yellow when it occurs in hydrated form.
Laterite Soils: The laterite soil develops in the area with high temperature and heavy rainfall.
The humus content of the soil is low because most of the microorganisms get destroyed due to the
temperature. The top layer soil is eroded due to heavy run off water.
Arid Soils: Arid soils range from red to brown in color. They are generally Sandy in texture and Saline in
nature. Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and
moisture.
Forest Soils: These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are
available.
SOIL EROSION
What is soil erosion? Denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is known as soil
erosion.
Causes of soil erosion:
1. Due to human activities like deforestation, overgrazing, construction and mining, etc.
2. Natural forces like wind, glacier and water leads to soil erosion.
3. The running water cuts through clayey soils and makes deep channels as ‘gullies’. The land
becomes unfit for cultivation, this process is called gully erosion and the land is called bad land
or ravines in the Chambal basin (Madya Pradesh)
4. Sometimes, water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. It leads to the washing away
of the top soil. This process is called sheet erosion.
5. Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land, and it is called wind erosion.

Methods of soil conservation

1. Contour ploughing: Ploughing along the contour lines can check the flow of water down the
slopes. It is called contour ploughing. It can be practised on the hills.
2. Terrace cultivation: Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. It restricts soil erosion. It
is practiced in western and central Himalayas.
3. Strip cropping: Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow between the
crops. This breaks up the force of wind. This method is called strip cropping.
4. Planting of shelter belts: Planting lines of trees to create shelter also checks the soil erosion.
Rows of such trees are called Shelter Belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to
the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India.