What are Resources?

A resource is anything in our environment that can satisfy our needs. It must be technologically
reachable, economically viable, and culturally acceptable. Humans are crucial components of resources;
they change materials into usable resources.

How is the Classification of Resources done?

Resources are classified in several ways:

●​ Origin: Biotic and Abiotic

●​ Exhaustibility: Renewable and Non-Renewable

●​ Ownership: Individual, Community, National, and International

●​ Status of Development: Potential, Developed Stock, and Reserves
On the Basis of Origin

●​ Biotic Resources: These come from the biosphere and have life. Examples include humans,
plants, animals, and fish.
●​ Abiotic Resources: These consist of non-living things. Examples include rocks and metals.
On the Basis of Exhaustibility

●​ Renewable Resources: These can be replenished or reproduced by natural processes.

Examples are solar energy, wind energy, water, forests, and wildlife.
●​ Non-Renewable Resources: These form over millions of years. Some, like metals, can be
recycled. Others, like fossil fuels, cannot be recycled and get used up.
On the Basis of Ownership

●​ Individual Resources: These are owned privately. Examples are personal land, houses, and
wells.
 ●​ Community Owned Resources: These are available to all community members. Examples
include grazing grounds, public parks, and picnic spots.
●​ National Resources: These belong to a nation. All resources within a country's political
borders, including territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles, are national resources.
Examples include roads, canals, and railways.
●​ International Resources: These are managed by international organizations. Oceanic
resources beyond 200 nautical miles need international agreement for use.
On the Basis of the Status of Development

●​ Potential Resources: These exist in a region but have not been used. For example, wind and
solar energy in Rajasthan.
●​ Developed Resources: These are surveyed, and their quantity and quality are known for
use. Their development depends on technology.
●​ Stock: Materials with the potential to meet human needs, but without suitable technology
to access them. Hydrogen for energy is an example.
●​ Reserves: These are a part of the stock that can be used with current technology. Their
use has not started yet. Examples include water in dams or forest resources for future
needs.
Development of Resources

Humans have overused resources, causing problems. These include depletion for a few greedy individuals,
wealth accumulation leading to social divisions, and global issues like global warming and pollution.
Sustainable economic development is crucial. This means development without harming the
environment, ensuring future generations also have resources.

Resource Planning

Resource planning is vital for sustainable life. India has regions rich in some resources and poor in
others. This requires balanced planning at national, state, and local levels.

Resource Planning in India

This complex process involves:

1.​ Identifying and inventorying resources through surveys, mapping, and measurement.
2.​ Developing a planning structure with proper technology, skills, and institutions.
3.​ Matching resource development with overall national development plans.
Resource conservation is important to overcome misuse and over-utilisation.
Land Resources

Land is a very important natural resource. It supports vegetation, wildlife, human life, and economic
activities. India has diverse land features like mountains, plateaus, and plains.

Land Utilisation

Land is used for:

●​ Forests
●​ Barren and wasteland
●​ Non-agricultural uses (buildings, roads)
●​ Fallow lands
●​ Other uncultivated lands
●​ Net sown area
Land Use Pattern in India

Land use is shaped by physical factors like topography, climate, and soil, and human factors like
population and technology. Continuous land use without proper management causes land degradation.

Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

Human activities like deforestation, overgrazing, mining, and industrial waste contribute to land
degradation.

Conservation measures include:

 1.​ Afforestation and better grazing management.
2.​ Planting shelter belts.
3.​ Stabilizing sand dunes with thorny bushes.
4.​ Managing wastelands effectively.
5.​ Controlling mining activities.
6.​ Treating and disposing industrial waste properly.
Soil as a Resource

Soil is a key renewable natural resource. It supports plant growth and various life forms. Soil formation
takes millions of years, influenced by temperature changes, water, wind, glaciers, and organisms. Parent
rock, climate, and vegetation are important factors. Soil contains organic (humus) and inorganic
materials.

Classification of Soils

Soils in India are classified based on formation factors, color, thickness, texture, age, and chemical
properties.

●​ Found across the northern plains by Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra rivers. Also
Alluvial Soils:

in eastern coastal plains. Very fertile, ideal for sugarcane, paddy, wheat. Old alluvial is
'Bangar' (more Kanker nodules), New alluvial is 'Khadar' (finer, more fertile).
●​ Black Soil: Also called regur soil, black in color. Ideal for growing cotton (black cotton
soil). Typical of the Deccan trap region. Made of fine, clayey material, known for moisture
retention. Rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime.
●​ Red and Yellow Soils: Develop on crystalline igneous rocks in low rainfall areas of the
Deccan plateau. Red color from iron diffusion. Yellow when hydrated. Found in Odisha,
Chhattisgarh, and parts of Western Ghats.
 ●​ Forms in tropical and subtropical climates with wet and dry seasons. Result
Laterite Soil:

of intense leaching from heavy rain. Acidic and low in plant nutrients. Good for tea and
coffee. Found in Southern states and parts of Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, and
northeast regions.
●​ Arid Soils: Range from red to brown, generally sandy and saline. High salt content in some
areas. Lacks humus and moisture. Lower layers have Kankar due to increasing calcium.
●​ Forest Soils: Found in hilly and mountainous areas. Loamy and silty on valley sides, coarse
on upper slopes. Acidic with low humus in snow-covered areas. Fertile on river terraces.
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

Soil erosion is the removal and washing away of topsoil. It occurs due to human actions like
deforestation, over-grazing, construction, mining, and natural forces like wind and water. Defective
farming methods also contribute.

Running water creates deep channels called gullies, making land unusable ('bad land'). When water flows
as a sheet over slopes, washing away topsoil, it is 'sheet erosion'. Wind blowing loose soil is 'wind erosion'.

Key Mechanisms of Soil Conservation

Contour Ploughing

Ploughing along the contour lines of a slope slows down water flow, reducing erosion.​
Terrace Cultivation ​
Building terraces on hillsides restricts soil erosion. This is common in the Himalayas.

Strip Cropping ​
Large fields are divided into strips. Grass strips are grown between crop strips to break the force of the
wind.

Shelter Belts

Planting rows of trees creates shelter. This helps stabilize sand dunes and checks desert spread in
western India.