Resources and
Development
We
read….
INTRODUCTION:
Technologically
Accessible
• Resource :
Available in
environment and Culturally Acceptable
Economically feasible satisfy our needs
Introduction
• Resources are a function
of human activities.
• Human beings____
• Essential component
of resources
• Transform material
into resource and use
them
Classification of Resources:
Continuous
Natural
Renewable
Vegetation
Biological
Natural Wild life
Recyclable
Non-
Resources Renewable
Non-
Recyclable
Structures and
Institutions
Human
Quality and
Quantity
Development of
Resources
• Resources are vital for human survival and
maintaining quality of life.
• Indiscriminate use of resources led to the
problem of____
• Depletion of resources
• Accumulation of resources in few hands
• Occurrence of Global ecological crises
(Global warming, ozone layer depletion
etc.)
• So, equitable distribution of resources is
essential for global peace.
• Hence, resource planning is important for
sustainable existence.
Sustainable
Development
• 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
• June-1992, in Brazil • Aims at achieving global
• United Nations Conference on sustainable Development
Environment Development(UNCED)
• For addressing urgent problems of
environmental protection and • Agenda to combat environmental
socioeconomic development at the damage, poverty, disease
global level
through global co-operation
• Signed the Declaration on Global • One major objective of the Agenda
Climatic Change and Biological
Diversity. 21 is that every local government
should draw its own local
• Endorsed the Global Forest Principles Agenda 21.
and adopted Agenda 21
• Planning is needed for judicious use of resources.
Resource • In a country with enormous diversity, like India, planning is
even more important.
Planning
S.No State(s) Rich in Poor in
1 Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Mineral and coal deposits Infrastructure
Madhya Pradesh
2 Arunachal Pradesh Water resources Infrastructure
3 Rajasthan Wind and Solar Energy Water Resources
4 Ladakh Cultural Heritage Water, infrastructure and
minerals
Resource Planning in India
• Resource planning involves____
Identification and • Finding all the available resources across the country
Inventory of • Surveying, mapping of resources
• Quality and Quantity of the resource found
resources
Evolving a planning • With appropriate technology, skill and infrastructure
structure
• Need to match the resource development plan with national
Aim of National development plans.
Development • Ex: A country aiming to zero its carbon emissions can’t go for
coal mineral exploration.
Resource development and utilization
depends upon the technology available.
• The technological advancement of the foreign
invaders helped to exploit the resources in their
Resource colonies.
Planning in Hence, resource development depends
India on _____
• Availability of the resource
• Technology
• Quality of the human resources
• Historical experience of the people
Conservation of
Resources
• Over-utilisation of resources may lead to
socio-economic and environmental
problems.
• To avoid these problems, conservation is
necessary.
• “There is enough for everybody’s need
and not for any body’s greed.”
• Gandhiji was against mass production and
advocated production by masses
Resource Conservation efforts at the
international level
• Club of Rome – First advocated resource conservation in 1968
• E.F. Schumacher – wrote Small is Beautiful (1974) – include Gandhian
philosophy
• Brundtland Commission Report – 1987
• Official name: The World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD)
• Chairman: Gro Harlem Brundtland (Former PM of Norway)
• Introduced the concept of “Sustainable Development”
• Book Published: “Our Common Future”
Land Resources
• Land is an asset of finite magnitude. It supports all the activities.
Plateaus
27%
Forests, Minerals&
Fossil fuels Plains
43%
Agri and
Industry
Mountains
30%
Rivers and Tourism
INDIA’S LAND
Land utilization
Use of Land
Resources
Land not available Other
Forests Fallow lands Net Sown Area
for cultivation Uncultivated land
Permanent Current fallow (without
Barren and waste
pastures and cultivation for =/< 1
land
grazing land Year)
Land put to non- Other than current fallow
agri uses; roads, Tree crops groves (without cultivation for >1
factories etc. year & <5 years)
Culturable waste
land (left fallow
for >5 years)
Net Sown Area Vs Gross Cropped Area
• Net Sown Area: The Physical extent
of area on which the crops are sown
harvested.
Field A:2 Acres, Field B: 2 Acres,
• Eg: 8 Acres Cultivated Cultivated twice in
once in a year a year
• Gross Cropped Area:
Field C:2 Acres, Field D: 2 Acres,
• Area sown more than once in an Cultivated twice Cultivated once in
agricultural year + NSA in a year a year
• Eg: 8 Acres + 4 Acres = 12 Acres
Land use
pattern in India
• Land use depends upon
physical (Climate, soil &
topography) and human
factors (Population
density, technological
capability etc).
Land use pattern in India
• Observations:
• Land under Permanent pastures
• Barren and unculturable waste land
• Area under non-agricultural uses
• Current Fallow lands
• Culturable Waste land
• Net Sown Area
• Fallow other than current fallow
• Forest land is lower than the desired 33% of geographical area (National
Forest Policy, 1952).
Land degradation and Conservation measures
• Reasons:
• Deforestation
• Over-grazing
• Mining and Quarrying
S No States Reason for Land
Degradation
1 Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh & Madhya Deforestation due to mining
Pradesh
2 Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Over-grazing
Maharashtra
3 Punjab, Haryana & Western UP Over-irrigation
Land degradation and Conservation measures
• Over-irrigation Promotes Water logging Increases Salinity and
Alkalinity in soil
Land Degradation
• Mineral processing Produces Dust in the Stops infiltration
atmosphere of water
• Measures for Conservation of Resources:
• Afforestation
• Proper management of grazing
• Stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes
• Controlling mining activities
• Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents
Soil as a Resource
• Soil:
• A renewable natural resource
• A living system
• Supports plants and living organisms
• Contains organic and inorganic materials
• Important factors in the formation of soil:
• Relief
• Parent Rock/Bed Rock
• Climate
• Vegetation and other forms of life
• Time
Soil
Profile
Classification of Soils
• Based on - factors of soil formation, color,
thickness, texture, age, physical and
chemical properties – the soils of India are
classified into__
• Alluvial Soils
• Black Soil
• Red and Yellow Soils
• Laterite Soil
• Arid Soils
• Forest Soils
• Most widely spread
• Deposited by 3 Himalayan
rivers – The Indus, The
Ganga & The Brahmaputra
• Extent: Northern plains,
Rajasthan and Gujarat
through a narrow corridor,
deltas of Krishna, Godavari,
Mahanadi and Kaveri.
Alluvial Soil
In the piedmont plains of Duars, Chos and Terai, the
Alluvial Soils are coarse.
Duars - The alluvial floodplains in eastern-
northeastern India that lie south of the outer foothills of
the Himalayas and north of the Brahmaputra River basin.
Chos - There are parts or slopes of the Shiwalik range
which are completely lack forest cover.
Terai - A belt of marshy jungle lying between the lower
foothills of the Himalayas and the plains.
Alluvial Soils
• According to the age, these soils can be classified into____
• Bangar – Old Alluvial Soil – Concentration of Kankar nodules is high.
• Khadar – New Alluvial Soil – More finer particles are present and more fertile.
Bhangar Khadar River Course/Valley Khadar Bhangar
• These soils have adequate Potash, phosphoric acid and lime.
• Ideal for Sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
• Highly cultivated and highly populated regions.
• In the drier areas, they are more alkaline.
Black Soil
• Also called as Regur(Rich black loam)
Soils/Black cotton Soils.
• Ideal for growing cotton
• Typically found in the Deccan
trap(Basalt region) over northwest
Deccan plateau(made up of lava flows).
• Cover Maharashtra,
Saurashtra(Peninsular region of
Gujarat), Malwa(region of west central
India)
Black Soil
• Made up of Clayey Material
• Have high capacity to hold moisture
• Rich in soil nutrients like Calcium
carbonate, Magnesium, Potash and Lime.
• Poor in Phosphoric content
• Develop deep cracks in hot weather
• Tilling is mandatory immediately after first
shower to work on these soils, otherwise
they become sticky.
Red and Yellow Soils
• Spread: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Southern parts of
middle Ganga plains & piedmont zone of western
ghats.
• Develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of
low rainfall
• Reddish color due to diffusion of iron in crystalline
and metamorphic rocks.
• Appear yellow when diffusion of iron occurs in a
hydrated form.
Laterite Soil
• Later (Latin Word) = “Brick”
• Develops in Tropical and subtropical climate with alternate wet and dry
seasons.
• Forms due to intense leaching ( drain away from soil, ash, or similar
material by the action especially rainwater) due to heavy rains.
• Generally poor in humus and deficient in plant nutrients
• Mostly deep to very deep and acidic in nature
• Spread: Western Ghats region of Maharashtra, Odisha and some parts of
West Bengal and North-east India
• Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu – useful for growing Tea and Coffee.
• Red Laterite soils in AP and TN – Cashew nut can be grown
Arid Soils
• Sandy in texture and saline in nature
• Red to brown in color
• Common salt is obtained by
evaporating the water.
• Lacks humus and moisture
• Lower levels of the soil occupied by
Kankar (as calcium content increases
downwards). This Kankar restricts the
infiltration of water
• With proper irrigation, these soils are
cultivable.
• Ex: Western Rajasthan.
Forest Soils
• Found in hilly and mountainous areas
where sufficient rain forests are present
• Texture of soil depends on the area of
formation
• Loamy and silty in valley sides; coarse in
upper slopes
• In the snow-covered areas – soil is acidic
with low humus content
• Soils on river terraces and alluvial fans are
fertile.
Soil Erosion and Conservation
• Soil Erosion: The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent
erosion.
• Natural forces like Wind, glacier and water lead to soil erosion.
• Running water cuts through clayey soils and makes deep Channels
In Chambal basin,
they are called Land with Gullies Gullies
Bad Land
Ravines
• Sheet erosion: Water flows as a sheet over large areas and washes
topsoil.
• Wind erosion: Wind blows loose soil off flat land
• Ploughing in a wrong way also causes soil erosion
Soil Conservation
• Contour Ploughing: Ploughing along the
contour lines(drawn based on slope and
altitude)
• Terrace farming – Faming on the steps cut out
on the slopes
• Ex: In Western and Central Himalayas
• Strip cropping: Growing Strips of grass to
reduce the intensity of the wind
• Shelter belts: Planting rows of trees to reduce
the force of the wind
• Ex: In Western India, shelter belts
contributed to stabilize the sand dunes.
