1.

Resource and Development

Resources

• 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’.

Classification of Resources

• The resources can be classified as:

→ On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic

→ On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable and non-renewable

→ On the basis of ownership – individual, community, national and international

→ On the basis of status of development – potential, developed stock and reserves.

Development of Resources

• Resources are vital for human survival.

• It was believed that resources are free gifts of nature so, human beings used them
indiscriminately and this has led to the following major problems:

→ Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals.

→ Accumulation of resources in few hands which divides the society into rich and poor.

→ Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.

• For a sustained quality of life and global peace, an equitable distribution of resources has

become essential.

• For using resources judiciously, we need to adopt sustainable economic 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.

The 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, officially the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED), was a pivotal event for global environmental governance. Held from
June 3-14, 1992, it brought together representatives from 178 countries and over 100 heads of
state to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development. The summit
resulted in the adoption of several key agreements, including Agenda 21, a comprehensive
action plan for sustainable development, and the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

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.

Land Resources

Land is a natural resource of utmost importance.

→ It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport and
communication systems.

• Land is present in limited size so we must use them effectively.

Land Resources in India

• About 43 percent of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.

• About 30 percent of the total surface area of the country are mountains which ensure
perennial flow of some rivers and provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.

About 27 per cent of the area of the country is the plateau region that possesses rich reserves

of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.

Land Use Pattern in India

• The use of land is determined by:

→ Physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types

→ Human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture and traditions
etc.

• Land use data, however, is available only for 93 per cent of the total geographical area because
the land use reporting for most of the north-east states except Assam has not been done fully.

→ Also, some areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have also not been
surveyed.

Land Degradation and Conservation measures

• Human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and quarrying contributed in land
degradation.

• Measures to control land degradation:

→ Afforestation

→ Planting of shelter belts of plants

→ control on over grazing

→ stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes

→ Proper management of waste lands

→ control of mining activities

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.

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 can be classified in different types:

• Alluvial Soils:

→ Entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil.

→ Also found in the eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.

Fertile soil therefore, fit for agriculture purpose.

Regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

→ Rich in potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy,
wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.

• Black Soil:

→ Black in colour and are also known as regur soils.

→ Found in the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
also along the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.

→ Made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material.

→ Well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.

→ Rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.

• Red and Yellow Soils:

→ Found in the areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.

→ Also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and
along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.

→ Develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.

• Laterite Soils:

→ Develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall.

→ Found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Odisha and
Assam.

→ Suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers.

→ Low Humus content because decomposers, like bacteria, get destroyed due to high
temperature.

• Arid Soils:

→ Found in the western parts of Rajasthan.

→ After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable.

→ Lacks humus and moisture because dry climate, high temperature make evaporation faster.

→ Salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.

• Forest Soils:

→ Found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are available.

→ Feature differs based on location.

→ Loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
→ Silt in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and alluvial fans are
fertile.

Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

• Natural ways of Soil erosion: Wind, glacier and water lead to soil erosion.

• Human activities: Deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc., contributes in soil
erosion.

• Measures to control Soil erosion:

→ Strip cropping

→ Planting shelter belts

→ In the hilly areas, using contour ploughing and terrace farming.