CHAPTER-1

Resources and
Development

GEOGRAPHY CLASS 10 NCERT

"There is enough for
everybody's need and
not for everybody's
greed"
:-MAHATMA GANDHI
 RESOURCES

► Everything in our environment which

can be used to satisfy our needs and
is technologically accessible,
economically feasible and culturally
acceptable is termed a ‘Resource’.
► Human beings themselves are
essential components of
resources.

► They transform material available

in the environment into
resources and use them.
Class

Classification of Resources
(a) On the Basis of Origin – Biotic
and Abiotic
► Biotic Resources
► obtained from the biosphere and have
life.

► Eg: Human beings, flora and fauna,

fisheries, livestock etc.
► Abiotic Resources:

► All those things which are composed of

non-living things are called abiotic
resources.

► Eg: rocks and metals.

(b) On the Basis of Exhaustibility –

Renewable

Non-Renewable
Renewable or Replenishable
Resources
► The resources which can be renewed or
reproduced by physical, chemical or
mechanical processes are known as Renewable
or Replenishable Resources.
► The renewable resource may further be divided
into continuous or flow.
► Eg: Solar and wind energy, water, forests and
wildlife, etc.
Non-Renewable Resources
► Non-Renewable Resources occur over a very long geological
time.

► These resources take millions of years in their formation.

► Some of the resources, like metals, are recyclable and some,

like fossil fuels, cannot be recycled and get exhausted with
their use.

► Eg: Minerals and fossil fuels.

(c) On the Basis of Ownership
– Individual,
Community,
National and International
 Individual Resources

► Are owned privately by individuals. In

villages, people own lands, whereas
in urban areas, people own plots, houses
and other properties.

► Eg: Plantation, pasture lands, ponds, water

in wells etc.
Community Owned Resources

► Are accessible to all the members

of the community.

► Eg: Grazing grounds, burial grounds,

public parks, picnic spots, playgrounds
etc.
 National Resources
► Are owned by a nation or country.

► All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife,

land within the political boundaries and oceanic
area up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the
coast are termed territorial water, and resources
therein belong to the nation.

► Eg: Roads, canals, railways etc.

 International Resources

► Are regulated by international institutions.

► The oceanic resources beyond 200
nautical miles of the Exclusive
Economic Zone belong to open ocean
and no individual country can utilise these
without the concurrence of international
institutions.
(d) On the Basis of the Status of
Development –

Potential,

Developed Stock ,

Reserves
 Potential Resources

► Are the resources which are found in a region

but have not been utilised.

► Eg: Rajasthan and Gujarat have enormous

potential for the development of wind and
solar energy, but so far, these have not been
developed properly.
 Developed Resources:

► Resources which are surveyed and their quality

and quantity have been determined for utilisation.
The development of resources depends on
technology and the level of their feasibility.

► Eg: Hydrogen can be used as a rich source of

energy. But we do not have advanced technology
to use it.
 Reserves
► Are the subset of the stock, which can be put into
use with the help of existing technical ‘know-how’,
but their use has not been started.

► These can be used to meet future requirements.

► Eg: Water in the dams, forests etc. is a reserve

which can be used in the future.
Development of Resources

► Resources have been used

by human beings
indiscriminately and this has led
to the following major problems.
1) Depletion of resources to satisfy the greed of a few
individuals.

2) Accumulation of resources in a few hands, which, in

turn, divided the society into two segments i.e., rich and
poor.

3) It has led to global ecological crises such as global

warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental
pollution and land degradation.
► Resource planning is essential for the
sustainable existence of all forms of life.

► Sustainable Economic
Development means “development
should take place without damaging the
environment, and development in the
present should not compromise with the
needs of future generations.”
Resource Planning

► In India, there are some regions which can be

considered self-sufficient in terms of the availability
of resources and there are some regions which
have an acute shortage of some vital resources.

► This calls for balanced resource planning at the

national, state, regional and local levels.
►
Resource Planning in India

► 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.
►
► Resources can contribute to development only
when they are accompanied by appropriate
technological development and institutional
changes.

► India has made concerted efforts towards

achieving the goals of resource planning right
from the First Five Year Plan launched after
Independence.

► To overcome irrational consumption and

over-utilisation of resources, resource
conservation at various levels is important.
Land Resources

► Land is a natural resource of utmost

importance. It supports natural vegetation,
wildlife, human life, economic activities,
transport and communication systems.

► India has land under a variety of relief

features, namely; mountains, plateaus,
plains and islands
Land Utilisation

1)Land resources are used for the following

purposes:
Forests
2) Land not available for cultivation
a) Barren and wasteland
b) Land put to non-agricultural uses
3) Fallow lands

4) Other uncultivated lands (excluding

fallow land)

5) Net sown area

 Land Use Pattern in India

► The use of land is determined

► Physical factors: such as topography, climate, soil types

► Human factors: such as population density, technological

capability and culture and traditions etc.
The data below represents the land use pattern in India.
Waste land
► It is the land put to other non-agricultural uses which
include rocky, arid and desert areas, roads, railways,
industry etc.

► Continuous use of land over a long period of time

without taking appropriate measures to conserve and
manage it, has resulted in land degradation.
►
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

► Human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mining and

quarrying have contributed significantly to land degradation.

► Mining sites leave deep scars and traces of overburdening the

land.

► In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a

major source of land and water pollution in many parts of the
country.
►
Some of the ways through which
we can solve the problems of land
degradation are:

1) Afforestation and proper management of

grazing.

2) Planting of shelter belts of plants.

3) Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny

bushes.
3) Proper management of wastelands.

4) Control of mining activities.

5) Proper discharge and disposal of

industrial effluents and wastes after
treatment.
Soil as a Resource

► Soil is the most important renewable

natural resource.

► It is the medium of plant growth and

supports different types of living organisms
on the earth.
1)It takes millions of years to form soil up to a few cms in
depth. Various forces of nature, such as changes in
temperature, actions of running water, wind and
glaciers, activities of decomposers, etc., contribute to
the formation of soil.

2)Parent rock or bedrock, climate, vegetation and

other forms of life and time are important factors in the
formation of soil.
3)Chemical and organic changes which take
place in the soil play an important role.

4)Soil also consists of organic (humus) and

inorganic materials.
Classification of Soils

► On the basis of the factors responsible for soil

formation, colour, thickness, texture, age,
and chemical and physical properties, the
soils of India are classified into different
types,
Alluvial Soils
► The entire northern plains are made of alluvial
soil.

► The Alluvial Soil is deposited by 3 important

Himalayan river systems – the Indus, the Ganga
and the Brahmaputra.

► It is also found in Rajasthan, Gujarat and eastern

coastal plains, particularly in the deltas of the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the
Kaveri rivers.
► The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt
and clay. As we move inland towards the river valleys, soil
particles appear to be bigger in size whereas in the upper
side of the river valley, the soils are coarse.

► Alluvial soils are very fertile. These soils contain an adequate

proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime, which are
ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other
cereal and pulse crops.
Based on age, Alluvial soils can be classified
as:

► Old Alluvial (Bangar): The Bangar soil has a

higher concentration of kanker nodules
than the Khadar.

► New Alluvial (Khadar): It has more fine

particles and is more fertile than the
Bangar.
BLACK SOIL
Black Soil

► This soil is black in colour and is also known

as regur soil. Climatic conditions, along with
the parent rock material are the important
factors for the formation of black soil.

► The soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also

known as black cotton soil.
►
► This type of soil is typical of the Deccan
trap (Basalt) region spread over the
northwest Deccan plateau and is made
up of lava flows.

► The soil covers the plateaus of

Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and extends in
the southeast direction along the
Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
► The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e.
clayey material and are well-known for their
capacity to hold moisture.

► Black soil is nutrients rich and contains calcium

carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.

► The 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

► This type of soil develops on crystalline

igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the
eastern and southern parts of the Deccan
plateau.
► These soils develop a reddish colour due to the
diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic
rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a
hydrated form.

► Found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern

parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the
Piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
LATERITE SOIL
Laterite Soil

► The laterite soil develops under tropical

and subtropical climates with the
alternate wet and dry season.

► This soil is the result of intense leaching due

to heavy rain.
► Lateritic soils are acidic (pH<6.0) in nature and
generally deficient in plant nutrients. This type of soil is
found mostly in Southern states, Western Ghats
region of Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of West
Bengal and the northeast regions.

► The soil supports deciduous and evergreen forests

but humus poor.

► This soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.

ARID SOIL
Arid Soils

► Arid soils range from red to brown in

colour.

► This soil is generally sandy in texture and

saline in nature. In some areas, the salt
content is very high and common salt is
obtained by evaporating the water.
► Arid soil lacks humus and moisture.

► The lower horizons of the soil are occupied

by Kankar because of the increasing calcium content
downwards.

► The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons

restrict the infiltration of water.
 Forest Soils
► These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas.

► The soil texture is loamy and silty on the valley sides and
coarse-grained on the upper slopes.

► In the snow-covered areas of the Himalayas, these soils

experience denudation and are acidic with low humus
content. The soil is fertile on the river terraces and alluvial
fans.
 Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
► The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described
as soil erosion.

► The soil erosion is caused due to human activities like deforestation,

over-grazing, construction and mining etc.

► Also, there are some natural forces like wind, glacier and water which lead to
soil erosion.

► Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming.

SOIL EROSION
► The running water cuts through the clayey soils and
makes deep channels as gullies. The land becomes
unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land.

► When water flows as a sheet over large areas down

a slope and the topsoil is washed away, it is known
as sheet erosion.

► The wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land,

known as wind erosion.
►
GULLY EROSION
Different Ways for Soil Conservation

► Ploughing along the contour lines decelerate

the flow of water down the slopes. This is called
Contour Ploughing.

► Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. This type of

agriculture practice is done in the Western and
Central Himalayas.
► When a large field is divided into strips and strips
of grass are left to grow between the crops.
Then, this breaks up the force of the wind. This
method is known as Strip Cropping.

► Planting lines of trees to create shelter helps in

the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising
the desert in western India. Rows of such trees
are called Shelter Belts.
►