Chapter 1(GEOGRAPHY)
Resources and Development
Resources
Substances available in our environment that can be used for specific purposes and are
technologically accessible, economically viable and culturally acceptable are referred to as
resources.
Classification of Resources
Resources can be classified on the basis of
1.Origin: Biotic and abiotic
a. Biotic Resources: Having life.E.g.Humans, Trees, Animals
b. Abiotic Resources: Non-living.E.g. Stones, Water, Mountains
2. Exhaustibility: Renewable and non-renewable
a. Renewable Resources: Can be reproduced or replenished.E.g.Solar energy, Wind energy,
Forest,Water
b. Non-renewable Resources: Cannot be reproduced or replenished. They take millionsof years
to form.
E.g. Metals, fossils fuels, minerals etc.
3. Ownership:Individual, community-owned, national and international
a. Individual Resources
Privately owned by individuals
E.g. Individual ownership of land in the form of houses and agricultural fields
b.Community Owned Resources
Accessible to all members of a community
E.g.Village ponds, public parks, burial grounds etc.
c. National Resources
Those resources that exist within the territory of a nation.
E.g All minerals, water bodies, forests, wildlife etc. within the country and within 12
nautical miles from the sea coast are called national resources.
d. International Resources
Those oceanic resources that do not lie within the Exclusive Economic Zone of any
nation.
They are managed by international institutions and each country has an equal right
to access these resources.
4. Status of Development: Potential developed and stock
a. Developed Resources
Those resources that have been surveyed and are ready for utilization
b. Potential Resources
Though they are in existence, they are not being completely utilized.
E.g. Potential of wind and solar energy in Rajasthan
c. Reserves
They are those resources for whose utilization man has the technical know-how but has not
started using them.
E.g. Use of river water for generating electricity
d. Stock
Resources that exist but have not been utilized owing to lack of technical expertise.
E.g. making hydrogen and oxygen from water
Resources Development and Related Problems
Resources developments are vital for human survival as well as for maintain the quality of life.
a. Depletion of resources due to over-utilization.
b. Accumulation in few hands.
c. Indiscriminate exploitation of resources resulting in ecological imbalances.
Sustainable Development
-It refers to that development which is lasting enough to be used by the future generations.
Development should be such that it does not compromise with the needs of the coming
generations.
-An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and
global peace
Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992
-United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
-Held at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
-First ever International Earth Summit.
-Aimed at addressing the problem of environmental degradation and finding ways of
-protecting the environment and socio-economic development at a global level.
-The declaration on global climatic change and biodiversity was signed.
-The Global Forest Principles were adopted.
AGENDA 21 was formulated.
-Aims at achieving global sustainable development.
- For combating environmental damage, poverty and diseases through globalcooperation.
-Every country is supposed to formulate its own Agenda 21.
Resource Planning
It is necessary for making maximum utilization of the available resources, especially a country
like India with its enormous diversity and availability.
It involves
- Identification of resources through surveys, mapping and measurement.
- Evolving a structure for utilizing resources by means of appropriatetechnology and skills.
-Synchronizing the resource development plans with the nationaldevelopment goals.
Resource planning in India is done through the Five Year Plans.
Conservation of Resources
- Resources need to be conserved as they are vital for development.
-Over-utilization and irrational consumption of resources creates ecological imbalance and
socio-economic problems.
-Gandhi’s voice on conservation “there is enough for everyones need not for anyones greed”.
He was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the production by the masses.
-He placed greed and selfish individual and exploitive nature of modern technology are the
reasons.
-Club of Rome advocated resource conservation in systematic way at international level.
-Schumacher and his book ‘small is beautiful’
-Brundtland Commission Report of 1987 introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable
-Development’ that focused on the conservation of resources for the future, which was
subsequently published in book ‘our common future’
-Earth summit at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
Land Resources
Land is the basic and most important natural resource on which all other resources exist.
India’s total land area: 3.28 million sq. km.
Plains: 43%
Mountains: 30%
Plateaus: 27%
Uses of Land and classification
a.Forests
b. Net sown area
c.Fallow land
d.Land use for Housing, Roads, factories andBarren and waste land.
e.Culturable waste land, Pastures andArea under miscellaneous trees, crops and groves
National Forest Policy (1932) envisages 33% of the land area under forests in
India. However, it is only 22%.
Land Use Pattern in India
Total geographical area is 3.28 millionSq. Km
Land use data is available only for 93% of the total area of because the land use of North East
states has not done fully, except Assam.
Some part of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan also not surveyed and included.
Permeant pasture land has decreased.
Fallow has become poor quality one
More net sown area is in Punjab and Haryana
Less net sown area in North- East states with Andaman islands
Forest land has come down than the desirable 33%
Continues use of land over long period of time without appropriate measures resulted in land
degradation.
Land Degradation- Causes
a.Deforestation
b. Over-grazing
c. Mining and quarrying
d. Over-irrigation
e. Mineral processing
f.Industrial effluents
-Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa are the states where deforestation,
owing to mining activities, has resulted in the degradation of land.
-In Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the main cause of land degradation is over-grazing.
Methods for Stopping Land Degradation
a.Afforestation
b. Proper management of grazing
c.Stabilization of sand dunes
d. Control of mining activities
e. Proper discharge of industrial effluents
Soil formation and important factors and forces
-Soil is a renewable natural resource.
-It takes millions of years to form.
-Factors like Relief, parent rock and bed rock, climate, vegetation, other forms of life and time.
-It is also formed by the action of temperature, running water, wind and glacier.
Classification of soils in India
1. Alluvial soil
Fertile and widespread soil found in northern plains and river basins.
It consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. Rich in humus, coarse soil.
Ideal for the growth of Wheat, rice, sugar cane, etc.
Bangar
Old alluvial, calcareous soil
Khadar
New alluvial, fine soil
2. Black soil
-Black in color also called regur soil.
-Ideal for growing cotton.
-Found in Deccan trap (MH,MP,Chattisgarh, saurashtra,etc.)
-Made in lava flows and clayey material.
-Can hold moisture
- Rich in soil nutrients. But get sticky when watered.
3. Red and yellow soil
-Found in southern parts of Deccan plateau.
-Formed on crystalline igneous rock in low rainfall areas.
-Iron content gives red colour, it becomes yellow while hydrated
4. Lateritesoil
-Found in areas of heavy rainfall and high temperature.
-Derived from Latin word ‘LATER’ means brick.
-Low in humus content.
- Found in Karnataka, Kerala, T.N., M.P and Orissa.
-Tea, cashew and coffee can be grown
5. Arid soil
-Red and brown in colour
-Sandy in texture.
-Saline soil hence suitable in extraction of salt
-Lack in humus and moisture.
-Lower horizons are occupied by Kankar
- Found in regions of Gujarat and Rajastan.
6. Forest soil
-Found in hilly and mountainous region.
-Loamy and silty in valley sides.
-Coarse grained in the upper slopes.
-Acidic in nature.
-Low humus content.
Soil Erosion
The washing away of the top layer of soil by the action of wind and water is called soil erosion.
Soil formation and soil erosion are simultaneous processes and a balance exists between the
two.
Activities causing soil erosion
a.Deforestation
b. Over-grazing
c. Mining
d. Construction
e. Wrong methods of cultivation
Increase the rate of soil erosion and disturb the natural balance.
Types of erosion-Gully Erosion and Sheet Erosion
-Deep channels called gullies are formed when fast running water cuts through the soft clayey
soil making deep ravines.
-This type of land becomes unfit for cultivation and is called badland.
E.g. Chambal basin in Madhya Pradesh
Sheet Erosion: It is caused when water flows as a sheet down a slope and washes- off the top
layer of soil. Winds can also blow-off the top layer of soil.
Methods of Soil Conservation
a. Ploughing along the contour lines of slopes
b. Terrace farming
c. Planting strips of grass between crops restricts the flow of water and breaks wind speed. This
is called strip cropping.
d. Planting lines of trees creates a shelter from the fast moving winds and prevents erosion.
These are called shelter belts.
MAP WOTRK-TYPES OF SOILS IN INDIA
