GEOGRAPHY

LESSON – 1

RESOURCES AND

DEVELOPEMNT
 Everything or anything 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.
 The process of transformation of things in nature
involves an interactive relationship between nature,
technology and
technology andcreate institutions
institutions. Human beings interact
towith nature through
accelerate their economic
development.
Do you think that resources are free gifts of nature as

is assumed by many people ? They are not.

1. Resources are a function of human activities.

2. Human beings themselves are essential

components of

resources.

3. They transform material available in our

environment into
Classification of resources
Development of Resources.

The Efficient and optimum utilization of resources. Resources

are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining the

quality of life. It was believed that resources are free gifts of

nature.

‘Indiscriminate use of resources has led to numerous

problems’.

1. Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few

individuals.

2. Accumulation of resources in few hands divided the society

into two
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• An equitable distribution of resources has
become
essential for a sustained quality of life and
global
peace.
• Sustainable economic development means
‘development should take place without
damaging
the environment and development in the
It is essential to have resource planning.
1. If the present trend of resource depletion by a few
individuals
continues, the future of our planet is in danger.
2. Resource planning is essential for sustainable existence
of all forms
of life.
3. Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global
ecological
crises.
Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992
1. The first international Earth Summit was held in June
1992, in Brazil in
which 100 heads of states met.
The principles of Agenda 21 adopted in Rio de Janeiro
Earth Summit, 1992.
1. Declaration signed by world leaders at the United Nations
Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED).
2. To combat environmental damage, poverty, disease
through global
co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and
shared
responsibilities.
3. Every local government should draw its own local Agenda
21.
4. To achieve sustainable development in the 21st century.
Resource planning is so important in a country like India.
1) 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 other
resources.
2) There are some regions which can be considered self-sufficient in
terms of the
availability of resources and there are some regions which have
acute
shortage of some vital resources.
3) For example: the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya
Pradesh are
rich in minerals and coal deposits. Arunachal Pradesh has
abundance of water
resources but lacks in infrastructural development. The state of
The three stages of resource planning in India.
1) Identification and inventory of resources across the
regions of the
country that involves surveying, mapping and qualitative
and
quantitative estimation and measurement of the
resources.
2) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate
technology,
skill and institutional set up for implementing resource
development
plans.
3) Matching the resource development plans with overall
national
The availability of resources is a necessary condition for the
development of any region, but mere availability of
resources in the absence of corresponding changes in
technology and institution may hinder development.
The main causes for colonization of the countries of
Asia and Africa by foreign invaders.
1. There are many regions in our country that are rich in
resources but
these regions are economically backward.
2. The higher level of technological development of the
colonizing
countries helped them to exploit resources of other
regions and
establish their supremacy over the colonies.
3. Therefore, resources can contribute to development only
CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES - It means wise and
judicious use of resources.
The factors that lead to socio-economic and
environmental problems.
• Irrational (unreasonable) and over-utilization of resources.
• Gandhiji voiced his concern about resource conservation -
“There is
enough for everybody’s need and not for any body’s
greed.”
• He placed the greedy and selfish individuals and
exploitative nature of
modern technology as root cause for resource depletion at
the global
level.
The different steps taken for the conservation of
resources at the global level.
• 1968 - At international level, the Club of Rome
advocated
resource conservation for the first time in a more
systematic
way.
• 1974 - Gandhian philosophy was presented by
Schumacher in
his book Small is Beautiful.
• 1987 - Brundtland Commission Report introduced
the concept
of ‘Sustainable Development’ as a means for
‘Land is a natural resource of utmost

importance’.

a) We live on land, we perform our economic activities on

land and we

use it in different ways.

b) It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life,

economic

activities, transport and communication systems.

c) It is an asset of a finite magnitude.

LAND RESOURCES
India has land under a variety of relief features.

1) Plains 43% which provides facilities for agriculture and

industry.

2) Mountains 30% of the total surface area of the country

and

ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for

tourism and ecological

aspects.

3) Plateaus 27% of the area

of the country. It provides

LAND UTILISATION
Land resources are used for the following purposes:
1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation
– Barren and waste land (Barren land – cannot produce any vegetation).
– Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)
– Permanent pastures and grazing land.
– Land under miscellaneous tree, crops and groves (not included in net
sown area).
– Cultivable waste land (land left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural
years).
Agricultural year – The time period between one harvest to the next
harvest of an
agricultural produce.
4. Fallow lands
– Current fallow - (land left without cultivation for one or less than one
agricultural year).
– Other than current fallow - (land left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5
 LAND USE PATTERN

The use of Land is determined both by

• Physical factors - like topography, climate

and soil

types.

• Human factors - like population density,

technological capability,
Land use pattern in
India
Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq km. • Land use
data is available only for 93 per cent of the area. Because: • Land
use report for North-eastern states except Assam is not done fully. •
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and China have also not been
surveyed.

LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA

• The land under permanent pasture has also decreased that leads
to intensive
grazing on the limited land which lead to soil erosion, Land
degradation,
desertification (unproductive land) and famine, etc.
• Most of the other than the current fallow lands are either of poor
quality or has
high cost of cultivation (require more fertilizers and other inputs).
Hence, these
lands are cultivated once or twice in about two to three years
• India’s Forest area is far lower than the desired 33% of

geographical area. It was outlined in the National Forest

Policy (1952).

• Forests are essential because

a) For maintenance of the ecological balance.

b) The livelihood of millions of people who live near

forests depend on

it.

• A part of the land is termed as waste land and put to other

non-agricultural uses like settlements, roads, railways,

industry, etc.
Land degradation means rendering land unfit for cultivation.
The factors responsible for land degradation.
• Human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and
quarrying, etc.
• Deforestation due to mining caused severe land degradation in
states like
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
• Overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation in
Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Over irrigation is responsible for land degradation in Punjab,
Haryana, western
Uttar Pradesh. Due to water logging leads to increase in salinity
and
alkalinity in the soil.
• Grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and
The steps to check land degradation
• Afforestation and Proper management of grazing.

• Planting of shelter belts of plants.

• Control on over grazing.

• Stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny

bushes.

• Proper management of waste lands.

• Control of mining activities.

• Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents

and
Soil - The loose materials on the top layer of the earth's crust

where

plants grow. Soil is the most important renewable

natural

resource.

Why is soil considered as a important resource ?

1. It is the most important renewable natural resource.

2. It is used to satisfy our needs.

3. It is the medium of plant growth.

4. It supports different types of living organisms on the Earth.

5. It is the base of our life.

Explain the factors responsible for soil formation.

1. The parent rock is the first factor which provides the basic
material for

the formation of soil.

2. Climate breaks the parent rock into small pieces.

3. Vegetation: Plant and animal organisms help in the

weathering of the

rocks slowly but continuously.

4. Various forces of nature such as change in temperature,

actions of

running water, wind and glaciers, activities of decomposers,

Soil Profile

SOIL AS A RESOURCE
Soil also consists of
organic (humus) and
inorganic materials.
 CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN INDIA

On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation,

colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical and physical

properties, the soils are classified as

1. Alluvial soil.

2. Black soil.

3. Red and yellow soil.

4. Laterite soil.

5. Arid soil.

6. Forest soil.
ALLUVIAL SOIL
The features of alluvial
soil.
1. It is the most widely
spread
and important soil.
2. The entire northern
plains
river systems – the Indus, the Gangaare
andmade of alluvial
the Brahmaputra.
soil.and Gujarat through a
4. These soils also extend in Rajasthan
narrow 3. They are deposited by
corridor. three important
Himalayan
5. It is also found in the eastern coastal plains like in the
deltas of the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
7. Regions of alluvial are intensely cultivated and densely

populated

due to its high fertility.

8. Alluvial soil contains adequate proportion of potash,

phosphoric acid

and lime which are ideal for growth of rice, wheat,

sugarcane, etc.

9. In the inlands of the river valleys - soil particles appear

bigger in size. 10. In the upper reaches of the river valley

near the break of slope – the

soils are coarse. Such soils are more common in

 Old alluvial soil is found along both sides of the river
bank.

New alluvial soil is found in the middle of the flood plains of

the river.
According to their age, alluvial soils can be classified as
Khadar (New alluvial) Bangar (Old alluvial)
1. It is new alluvial soil. 1. It is old alluvial soil.
2. Lower concentration of 2. Higher concentration of
Kankar
Kankar nodules. nodules.
3. It has more fine particles.3. It has less fine particles.
4. It is more fertile. 4. It is less fertile.
 The features of ‘regur’ (black)
soil.
1. Regur soil is also known as black
soil.

2. It is ideal for growing cotton, so it

is also

known as ‘black cotton soil’.

3. It is made up of extremely fine

clayey soil.

4. region
6. Typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) It is rich in northwest
in the soil nutrients like
Deccan
plateau calcium

and is made up of lava flows. carbonate, magnesium, potash and

lime.
7. It is found in the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa,
Madhya 5. Climatic condition and parent rock
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and along the Godavari
material are and the Krishna
the important factors
 The main features of Red
and Yellow soil.
1. It develops a reddish
colour
due to diffusion of iron
in
2. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated
crystalline and form.
3. This type of soil develops metamorphic
on crystalline igneous
rocks in rocks.
areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern
parts of the
Deccan plateau.
4. It is found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
southern parts of
 LATERITE SOIL
The features of Laterite soil.
1. Laterite has been derived
from
the Latin word ‘later’
which
means brick.
2. It develops under tropical
alternate wet and dry season. It is useful for growing tea
and
and coffee.
sub-tropical climate with
3. It is formed due to intense leaching where there is heavy
rain.
[Leaching - Removal of organic matter (humus) from the soil
horizon].
4. Lateritic soils are acidic (pH <6.0) in nature and generally
 Characteristics of ‘Arid
soils’.
1. Arid soils range from red
to
brown in colour.
2. Sandy in texture and
saline in
nature.
3. Evaporation is faster, soil
lacks
humus and moisture.
4. The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by
Kankar
because of the increasing calcium content
downwards.

5. After proper irrigation these soils become

cultivable as in
western Rajasthan.
 The features of forest
soils.
1. They are Found in the
hilly
and mountainous areas
where sufficient rain
forests
environment where they are formed.
are available.
3. They are loamy and silty in valley
2. sides andtexture
The soils coarse varies
grained in the according to the
upper slopes. mountain
4. In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils
experience
denudation (erosion) and are acidic with low humus
content.
River terrace - bench or step that extends along the

side of a

valley.

Alluvial fans - Alluvial fans are triangular-shaped

deposits of water-transported material, often referred

to as alluvium.

Soil Erosion – The denudation of the soil cover and

subsequent washing down.

The processes of soil formation and erosion, go on

simultaneously and generally there is a balance

The factors responsible for soil erosion.
1. Human activities - deforestation, over-grazing,
construction and
mining, etc.
2. Natural forces - wind, glacier and running water.
3. Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of
farming and
wrong way of ploughing.
Types of erosion.
1. Gullies: The running water cuts
through the clayey soil and
makes deep channels as gullies.
The land becomes unfit for
cultivation and is known as bad
land. In the Chambal basin such
2. Sheet erosion:
Sometimes
water flows as a sheet
over
large areas down a slope
washing away top soil.

3. Wind erosion: Wind

blows
 The steps that can be taken to control soil
erosion.
1. Contour Ploughing – Ploughing along the contour
lines can
decelerate the flow of water down the slopes.
 2. Terrace Cultivation –
Steps
can be cut out on the
slopes
making terraces. Terrace
cultivation restricts
erosion.
3. Strip cropping –
Popular in Western and
Large
central Himalayas.
fields can be divided
into
strips. Strips of grass
are
left to grow between
 4. Shelter belts –
Planting lines of
trees. Rows of
such
trees are called
shelter belts.

5. These shelter belts

helped in
stabilization of sand
dunes
and in stabilizing the
desert
THANK YOU…