Resources and Development
1. What are Resources?
● Anything in our environment that satisfies human needs, and is technologically
accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable is called a resource.
● Resources are not free gifts of nature. They become resources only when humans
use technology and institutions to make them useful.
Classification of Resources
1. By origin: Biotic (living, e.g. plants, animals), Abiotic (non-living, e.g. minerals,
metals).
2. By exhaustibility: Renewable (e.g. forests, water, soil), Non-renewable (e.g. coal,
petroleum).
3. By ownership: Individual, Community, National, International.
4. By development status: Potential (not fully used), Developed, Stock (available but
not usable with current technology), Reserves (usable but kept for future).
2. Development of Resources
● Resources are vital for survival and quality of life.
● Indiscriminate use has caused problems:
○ Depletion of resources.
○ Unequal distribution → rich & poor divide.
○ Environmental problems → global warming, ozone depletion, land
degradation.
● Need for sustainable development: development that meets present needs without
harming future generations.
Sustainable Development
● Concept introduced in Brundtland Report (1987).
● Emphasized at Rio Earth Summit (1992).
Agenda 21
● Action plan by world leaders in 1992.
● Aims to fight environmental damage, poverty, disease.
● Encourages every local government to prepare its own local Agenda 21.
3. Resource Planning
● Why needed? Because resources are unevenly distributed in India:
1. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh → mineral rich but economically backward.
2. Rajasthan → solar & wind energy, but lacks water.
3. Arunachal Pradesh → water resources but poor infrastructure.
● Process of Resource Planning:
1. Identify and map resources.
2. Plan structures with technology and institutions.
3. Match with overall national development plans.
● Resource conservation is essential (Gandhiji: “There is enough for everybody’s need,
not for anybody’s greed”).
4. Land Resources in India
● Relief features:
○ Plains (43%) → agriculture, industries.
○ Mountains (30%) → rivers, tourism, forests.
○ Plateaus (27%) → minerals, forests, fossil fuels.
Land Utilisation
1. Forests.
2. Land not available for cultivation (barren, non-agricultural use).
3. Other uncultivated land (pastures, tree crops, culturable waste).
4. Fallow land (left uncultivated for short or long time).
5. Net sown area (land used for crops).
● Gross cropped area = Net sown area + Area sown more than once.
Land Use Pattern in India
● Controlled by physical factors (soil, climate, relief) and human factors (population,
technology).
● Net sown area highest in Punjab & Haryana (>80%), lowest in north-eastern states
and islands (<10%).
● Forest cover much below target of 33%.
5. Land Degradation and Conservation
● Causes of land degradation:
○ Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, quarrying.
○ Over-irrigation (waterlogging, salinity).
○ Industrial waste and pollution.
● Conservation measures:
○ Afforestation, controlled grazing, shelter belts.
○ Stabilisation of sand dunes, proper mining practices.
○ Proper waste management and effluent treatment.
6. Soil as a Resource
● Soil = renewable natural resource, medium for plant growth.
● Formation depends on relief, parent rock, climate, vegetation, and time.
● Takes millions of years to form a few cm.
Major Soil Types in India
1. Alluvial Soil:
○ Found in northern plains, deltas.
○ Very fertile, good for paddy, wheat, sugarcane.
○ Classified into Bangar (old) and Khadar (new, more fertile).
2. Black Soil:
○ Found in Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh).
○ Also called regur soil, ideal for cotton.
○ Holds moisture, rich in lime, iron, potash.
3. Red and Yellow Soil:
○ Found in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern Ganga plain.
○ Red due to iron; turns yellow when hydrated.
4. Laterite Soil:
○ Found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra.
○ Poor in nutrients, but suitable for tea, coffee, cashew with treatment.
5. Arid Soil:
○ Found in Rajasthan.
○ Sandy, saline, less humus and moisture.
○ Becomes cultivable with irrigation.
6. Forest Soil:
○ Found in hilly and mountainous regions.
○ Fertile in valleys, less humus in snow-covered areas.
7. Soil Erosion and Conservation
● Soil erosion: Wearing away of soil by wind, water, human activity.
● Types:
○ Gully erosion (deep cuts, badlands).
○ Sheet erosion (thin layers washed away).
○ Wind erosion (soil blown away).
● Conservation methods:
○ Contour ploughing, terrace farming, strip cropping.
○ Shelter belts (rows of trees to stop wind).
8. Key Takeaways
● Resources are not free gifts; they require planning.
● Sustainable development is essential.
● India has varied land and soil resources, but misuse causes degradation.
● Conservation of land and soil ensures future survival.
Exercises (Practice)
1. Cause of land degradation in Punjab → Over-irrigation.
2. Terrace cultivation practised in → Uttarakhand.
3. Black soil found mainly in → Maharashtra.
4. Steps to control soil erosion in hills → Terrace farming, afforestation, contour
ploughing.
5. Land under forest hasn’t increased since 1960–61 due to increasing demand for land
for agriculture, industry, and settlements.