GEOGRAPHY
Chapter-1
Resources and Development
[Link]: 1 What do you mean by Sustainable development ?
Answer:
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.’
[Link]: 2
Describe the importance of an equitable distribution of resources in the society?
Answer:
• For a sustained quality of life
• To eliminate the difference between rich and poor in the society
• To reduce poverty
• To maintain Global Peace
• To prevent our planet from danger.
[Link]: 3
Why was the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 held?
Answer:
• In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the
first International Earth Summit.
• It was held for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection and socio
economic development at the global level.
• This convention adopted Agenda 21 for achieving Sustainable Development in the 21st
century.
[Link]: 4
What were the aims of Agenda 21 to achieve Global Sustainable Development?
Answer:
• It aimed at achieving global sustainable development.
• The agenda was to combat environmental damage, poverty, diseases.
• It can be achieved through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs
and shared responsibilities.
[Link]: 5
“Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources”. Explain the
statement?
Answer:
The Statement highlights the importance of planning for the efficient and equitable use
of resources, especially in a diverse country like India. Different regions have varying resource
availability, such as minerals, water, energy or infrastructure. For example, Arunachal
Pradesh has abundant water resources but lacks infrastructure, while Rajasthan has solar
and wind energy but lacks water. Effective planning ensures that resources are used where
they are most needed, minimising wastage and promoting sustainable development.
[Link]: 6
Describe the different steps of Resource Planning?
Answer:
(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.
[Link]: 7
What efforts were made for resource planning in the First Five Year Plan?
Answer:
• The availability of resources is a necessary condition for the development of any
region. But technological knowledge is an important prerequisite for it.
• There are many regions in our country that are rich in resources but are economically
backward; whereas there are some regions which have a poor resource base but are
economically developed.
• Resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by
appropriate technological development.
• In India, development or resource development does not only mean the availability of
resources but also the technology, quality of human resources and the historical
experiences of the people.
[Link]: 8
Can you name some resource rich but economically backward regions and some
resource poor but economically developed regions? Give reasons for such a situation.
(Textual Question Page No: 3)
Answer:
• Resource rich but economically backward regions include Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and
Madhya Pradesh which have abundant minerals and coal deposits but remain
economically under developed.
• Resource poor but economically developed regions include Punjab and Haryana which
have limited mineral resources but are agriculturally prosperous and industrially
developed.
The reasons for this situation are :
1. Lack of technological advancement and infrastructure in resource rich regions hinders
effective resource utilization.
2. Poor institutional and governance structure delay development.
3. Resource poor regions may have better irrigation, fertile soil and access to markets.
4. Historical factors and human capital also influence economic development.
Thus availability of resources alone does not guarantee economic prosperity.
[Link]: 9
How are resources associated with colonialism?
Answer:
• The history of colonisation reveals that rich resources in colonies were the main
attraction for the foreign invaders.
• It was primarily the higher level of technological development of the imperial powers,
that helped them exploit the resources of the colonies.
[Link]: 10
"The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the
greed of even one person." How is this statement relevant to the discussion of
development? Discuss.
Answer:
Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern about resource conservation.
(i) He said there is enough for everybody's needs and not for anybody's greed.
(ii) He regarded the greedy and selfish individuals and the exploitative nature of modern
technology as the root cause for resource depletion at the global level.
(iii) He was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the production by the
masses.
[Link]: 11
Why do we need to conserve resources?
Answer:
• The availability of resources is a necessary condition for the development of any
region.
• Resources are vital for any developmental activity.
• But irrational consumption and over utilisation of resources may lead to
socioeconomic and environmental problems.
• To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.
• If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries
continues the future of our planet is in danger.
Therefore, we need to conserve resources for sustainable existence of all forms of life.
[Link]: 12
For what purposes are land resources used?
Answer:
Land resources are used for the following purposes
• Forests
• Land not available for cultivation: Barren and waste land, land used for buildings,
roads,
• Other uncultivated land: Permanent pastures and grazing lands.
• Fallow land: Left fallow for regaining the fertility of the soil
• Net sown area: Where actual cultivation takes place
[Link]: 13
Which factors affect the land use pattern of India?
Answer:
i. The Land use pattern is determined by certain physical factors of the country such as
topography, climate and soil types. The availability of geographical area determines its
uses by the country. In India, we have various forms of land like plans, plateaus,
mountains, etc which are kept in mind before planning the land use patterns.
ii. There are certain human factors also affecting the land use pattern. They include
population density of the country, technological capability, culture and traditions of the
country, etc. The economic development of the country depends on the technological
development of the country thus leading to the planning of land use patterns.
[Link]: 14
What are the causes of land degradation? What are the ways to solve this problem?
Answer:
Causes of land degradation:
(i) Mining sites are abandoned after the excavation work is done, leaving deep scars of
overburdening. In states like Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh. Chhattisgarh,
deforestation due to mining has caused severe land degradation.
(ii) Overgrazing in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra is
one of the main reasons behind land degradation.
(iii) Over irrigation and waterlogging lead to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the states
of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, thereby leading to land degradation.
(iv) Mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and
soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantities of dust in the atmosphere. It
stops the infiltration of water in the soil.
(v) Industrial effluents as wastes have become a major source of land and water pollution
in many parts of the country.
Ways to check land degradation:
(i) Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to check land degradation.
(ii) Planting of shelter belts help in checking the sand causing land degradation near the
deserts.
(iii) Overgrazing can be checked and avoided.
(iv) Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes can also check land degradation.
(v) Proper management of wasteland can be taken up.
(vi) Control on mining activities, so that mining does not affect the land and by refilling the
scars.
(vii) Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment
can reduce land and water degradation in industrial areas.
[Link]: 15
"Consequences of Environmental degradation do not respect national or state
boundaries." Justify the statement.
Answer:
• The increase in pollution of land, water, air, oose and resulting in degradation of the
environment cannot be overlooked.
• Pollution of river waters affects all as most of the rivers pass through different states.
• Air pollution caused by the presence of high proportion of undesirable gases adversely
affects human health and atmosphere as a whole.
• Thermal pollution of river water affects the aquatic life irrespective of state and national
[Link]: 16
What is the importance of Soil as a resource?
Answer:
• Soil is the most important natural resource.
• It is the medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on
the earth.
• Soil helps in providing food to this earth.
[Link]: 17
List the four layers of soils accordingly.
Answer:
1) Top soil- the upper sol layer
(2) Subsoil weathered rocks sand and silt clay
(3) Unweathered parent rock.
(4) Substratum weathered parent rock material
[Link]: 18
Classify four major soil types of India.
Answer:
Formation / Characteristics Regions Major Crops
Soil Type
Origin Found
Alluvial Soil Deposited by - Very Northern plains, Rice, wheat,
rivers (Indus, fertile - Mix of coastal deltas sugarcane,
Ganga, sand, silt, clay pulses
Brahmaputra) - Contains
potash, lime
Black Soil - Black in colour Maharashtra,
Formed from - High moisture
(Regur) MP, Gujarat, Cotton,
lava rocks retention - Deccan Plateau sugarcane
(Deccan Trap) Clayey
Red & Yellow Formed from - Red due Millets, pulses,
Soil crystalline rocks to iron groundnut
- Less
Southern &
fertile
eastern India
- Turns
yellow when
hydrated
Laterite Soil - Acidic - Western Ghats, Tea, coffee,
Formed due to Poor in cashew
Kerala,
heavy rainfall & nutrients - Karnataka
leaching Rich in iron
Arid Soil - Sandy Rajasthan, Bajra, wheat
Formed in dry
- Saline Gujarat (with irrigation)
desert climate
- Low humus
Forest Soil Formed in - Varies (loamy Himalayas, hilly
mountainous to coarse) - regions Fruits, tea,
regions Acidic in higher spices
areas
[Link]: 19
What is soil erosion? What are the main causes of soil erosion?
Answer:
Denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down as known as soil erosion.
Causes of soil erosion:
(i) Due to human activities like deforestation, overgrazing, construction and mining, etc (ii)
Natural fortes like wind, glaciers and water lead to soil erosion.
(iii) The running water cuts through clayey soils and makes deep channels as "gullies. The
land becomes unfit for cultivation, thus process is called gulls erosion and the land is
called bad land or ravines in the Chambal basin.
(iv) Sometimes, water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. It leads to the
washing away of the topsoil. This process is called sheet erosion.
(v) Wind blows loose sol off flat or sloping land, and is called wind erosion.
(vi) Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming.
[Link]: 20
What are the various methods of soil conservation?
Answer:
Methods of soil conservation:
(i) Contour ploughing: Ploughing along the contour lines can check the flow of water
down the dopes. It is called contour ploughing. It can be practised on the hills.
(ii) Terrace cultivation: Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. It restricts
soil erosion. It is practised, in western and central Himalayas
(ii) Strip cropping: Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow
between the crops. This breaks up the force of wind. This method is called strip cropping
(iv) Planting of shelter belts: Planting lines of trees to create shelter also checks the soil
erosion Rows of such trees are called Shelter Belts. These shelter belts have contributed
significantly to the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India.