1. Resources and Development
Concept and Sub-Concept Areas
1.
The
Framework of Resources
o
Functional
Definition and Essential Components
o
The Interactive
Relationship: Nature, Technology, and Institutions
2.
Classification
of Resources
o
By Origin: Biotic
and Abiotic
o
By Exhaustibility:
Renewable and Non-renewable
o
By Ownership:
Individual, Community, National, and International
o
By Status of
Development: Potential, Developed Stock, and Reserves
3.
Sustainable
Development and Global Initiatives
o
Problems arising
from Indiscriminate Use
o
The Rio de Janeiro
Earth Summit (1992) and Agenda 21
4.
Resource
Planning and Conservation
o
Complexity and
Process of Planning in India
o
The Role of
Technology and Historical Context
o
Gandhian
Philosophy on Resource Conservation
5.
Land
Resources in India
o
Relief Features
and Land Utilization Categories
o
Changing Land Use
Patterns and the National Forest Policy
6.
Land
Degradation and Remedial Measures
o
Regional Causes:
Mining, Overgrazing, and Over-irrigation
o
Strategies for
Conservation
7.
Soil as a
Living System
o
Factors of Soil
Formation and the Soil Profile
o
Comprehensive
Classification of Indian Soils
8.
Soil Erosion
and Technical Conservation
o
Types of Erosion:
Gully, Sheet, and Wind
o Farming Techniques for Conservation
1. The Framework of Resources
A resource is
defined as anything in the environment that satisfies human needs, provided it
meets three critical criteria: it must be technologically accessible, economically
feasible, and culturally acceptable. Resources are not
simply free gifts of nature but are a function of human activities.
- Interactive Relationship: Human beings transform environmental materials
into resources through an interactive triangle involving Nature, Technology,
and Institutions.
2. Classification of Resources
Resources are
categorized to facilitate better management and study:
- Origin: Biotic (living organisms like
flora/fauna) and Abiotic (non-living things like
rocks/metals).
- Exhaustibility: Renewable (can be replenished,
e.g., solar, wind) and Non-renewable (take millions of
years to form and cannot be easily replaced, e.g., fossil fuels).
- Ownership:
- Individual: Private property (e.g., farm plots).
- Community: Accessible to all members (e.g., grazing
grounds).
- National: All resources within political boundaries and
up to 12 nautical miles into the sea.
- International: Oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles,
regulated by international institutions.
- Status of Development:
- Potential: Found in a region but not fully utilized
(e.g., solar power in Rajasthan).
- Developed: Surveyed for quality and quantity for
immediate use.
- Stock: Materials that could satisfy needs but
currently lack the technology to be extracted.
- Reserves: A subset of "stock" that can be
used with existing technology but is kept for future needs.
3. Sustainable Development and Global Initiatives
Indiscriminate use
of resources has led to their depletion to satisfy individual greed, wealth
accumulation in few hands, and global ecological crises like global
warming and land degradation.
- Sustainable Development: Development that does not damage the
environment and meets present needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet theirs.
- Rio Earth Summit (1992): The first International Earth Summit where
leaders signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change.
- Agenda 21: An agenda adopted at Rio to achieve global
sustainable development by combating environmental damage, poverty, and
disease through international cooperation.
4. Resource Planning and Conservation
Planning is
essential in a diverse country like India, where some regions (like Jharkhand)
are rich in minerals but lack infrastructure, while others (like Ladakh) have
rich heritage but lack vital minerals.
- Process in India: Involves identification and inventory
(surveying/mapping), evolving a structure with proper technology and
skills, and matching regional plans with national goals.
- Gandhian View: Gandhiji identified "the greedy and
selfish individuals" and the "exploitative nature of modern
technology" as the root causes of global resource depletion. He
famously stated, "There is enough for everybody's need and
not for any body's greed".
5. Land Resources in India
Land is a finite
asset supporting all life and economic systems.
- Relief Features: 43% Plains (agriculture/industry), 30%
Mountains (perennial rivers/tourism), and 27% Plateaus (minerals/forests).
- Utilization: Categories include forests, barren land,
permanent pastures, and the Net Sown Area (NSA).
- Forest Cover: The National Forest Policy (1952) set a
desired goal of 33% forest cover for ecological balance, though the
current reality remains lower.
6. Land Degradation and Remedial Measures
Over 95% of basic
human needs are met by land, yet human activities have severely degraded it.
- Causes: Mining (Jharkhand/Odisha), overgrazing
(Gujarat/Maharashtra), and over-irrigation (Punjab/Haryana) leading to
soil salinity and alkalinity.
- Solutions: Afforestation, stabilization of sand dunes
with thorny bushes, and proper treatment of industrial effluents.
7. Soil as a Living System
Soil takes
millions of years to form and is influenced by relief, parent rock, climate,
and biological factors.
- Major Soil Types in
India:
- Alluvial: Most widespread; deposited by the Indus,
Ganga, and Brahmaputra. Contains potash and lime, ideal for
sugarcane and wheat.
- Black (Regur): Ideal for cotton; found in the Deccan Trap
(lava-based). Known for high moisture retention.
- Red and Yellow: Red due to iron diffusion in crystalline
rocks; yellow when hydrated.
- Laterite: Formed by intense leaching in heavy rain
areas; acidic and low in nutrients but good for tea, coffee, and cashew
nuts.
- Arid: Sandy, saline, and lacking in humus; can be
cultivable with proper irrigation (e.g., Western Rajasthan).
- Forest: Found in mountainous regions; loamy in
valleys but acidic in snow-covered areas.
8. Soil Erosion and Technical Conservation
Soil erosion
occurs when topsoil is washed or blown away.
- Types: Gully erosion (deep channels cut
by running water), sheet erosion (top layer washed away
over large areas), and wind erosion.
- Conservation Methods:
- Contour Ploughing: Ploughing along contour lines to slow water
flow.
- Terrace Farming: Cutting steps into slopes to restrict erosion
(common in the Himalayas).
- Strip Cropping: Growing strips of grass between crops to
break wind force.
- Shelter Belts: Planting rows of trees to stabilize sand
dunes in deserts.
***********
EXERCISE
1. Multiple Choice Questions
- (i) Which one of
the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab?
- Answer: (c)
Over irrigation
- (ii) In which one
of the following states is terrace cultivation practised?
- Answer: (d)
Uttarakhand (Terrace farming is common in hilly areas like the Himalayas)
- (iii) In which of
the following states is black soil predominantly found?
- Answer: (b)
Maharashtra
2. Short Answer Questions (About 30 Words)
- (i) Name three
states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it.
- Answer: The
three states where black soil is predominantly found are Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. This soil is ideal for growing cotton,
which is why it is also known as "black cotton soil".
- (ii) What type of
soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main
features of this type of soil.
- Answer: Alluvial
soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast (Mahanadi,
Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri). Three main features include:
1. It is
highly fertile and contains adequate proportions of potash, phosphoric acid,
and lime.
2. It
consists of varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay.
3. It can
be classified by age into old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar).
- (iii) What steps
can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?
- Answer: Key
steps include:
1. Contour
Ploughing: Ploughing along contour lines to decelerate water flow.
2. Terrace
Farming: Cutting out steps on slopes to restrict erosion.
3. Afforestation: Planting
trees to bind the soil.
3. Long Answer Questions (About 120 Words)
- (i) Explain land
use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not increased much
since 1960-61?
- Answer: India's
land use is determined by physical factors like topography and climate,
and human factors like population density. About 43% of the land is
plains (used for agriculture), 30% is mountains, and 27% is plateaus.
Despite the National Forest Policy (1952) aiming for 33% forest cover for
ecological balance, the actual area has increased only marginally. This
is due to several factors:
1. Industrialization
and Urbanization: Increasing demand for land for roads, settlements, and
factories.
2. Agricultural
Expansion: To feed a growing population, more land is brought under
cultivation.
3. Degradation: Continuous
use without conservation has led to land being termed "waste land".
- (ii) How have
technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources?
- Answer: Technical
and economic development are deeply linked to increased resource
consumption in several ways:
1. Exploitation: Higher
technology levels allow countries to better access and exploit resources that
were previously unreachable.
2. Transformation: Technology
helps transform raw environmental materials into usable resources, increasing
their demand.
3. Economic
Growth: Economic development leads to higher standards of living, which in
turn leads to "mass production" and greater consumption of energy and
minerals.
4. Institutional
Setup: The creation of advanced institutions facilitates faster economic
development, further accelerating resource utilization.
4. Puzzle/Hidden Answers
- (i) Natural
endowments (land, water, etc.): Resources
- (ii) A type of
non-renewable resource: Minerals
- (iii) Soil with
high water retaining capacity: Black Soil
- (iv) Intensively
leached soils of monsoon climate: Laterite
- (v) Plantation of
trees on a large scale: Afforestation
- (vi) Soils making up the Great Plains: Alluvial
NOTE 2
Class-X : Geography
Chapter- 1 : Resources and Development
Topics in the
Chapter
• Resources
• Classification of Resources
→ On the basis of origin
→ On the Basis of Exhaustibility
→ On the Basis of Ownership
→ On the Basis of the Status of Development
• Development of Resources
• Resource Planning
• Land Resources
→ Land Resources in India
• Land Use Pattern in India
• Land Degradation and Conservation measures
• Soil as a Resource
• Classification of Soils
→ Alluvial Soils
→ Black Soil
→ Red and Yellow Soils
→ Laterite Soils
→ Arid Soils
→ Forest Soils
• Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
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.
On the Basis of Origin
• Biotic Resources: These are obtained from biosphere and have life such as human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.
• Abiotic Resources: All those things which are composed
of non-living things are called abiotic resources. For example, rocks and
metals.
On the Basis of Exhaustibility
• Renewable Resources: The resources which can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes are known as renewable resources. For example, solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife, etc.
• Non-Renewable Resources: The resources once consumed
cannot be replaced are known as non-renewable resources. These resources take
millions of years in their formation.For example: Oil, Coal etc.
On the Basis of Ownership
• Individual Resources: The resources owned privately by individuals are called Individual resources. For example: Plot, houses etc. owned by a person.
• Community Owned Resources: The resources which are accessible to all the members of the community. For example: Public parks, picnic spots owned by a community.
• National Resources: The resources which come under nation are known as National Resources. Technically, all the resources belong to the nation.
• International Resources: The resources lying beyond 200
kms of Exclusive Economic Zone in the oceans are called International
Resources. No one can use these resources without the permission
of international institutions.
On the Basis of the Status of Development
• Potential Resources: Resources which are found in a
region, but have not been utilised. For example: the regions Rajasthan and
Gujarat have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy.
• Developed Resources: Resources which are surveyed and their quality and
quantity have been determined for utilisation.
• Stock: The resources that have been surveyed, but
cannot be used due a lack of technology. For example: water is a compound of
two inflammable gases; hydrogen and oxygen, which can be used as a rich source
of energy but we don't have technical know-how to use them.
• Reserves: The resources that have been surveyed and we can use them with
present technology but their use has not been started are known as Reserves.
For example: the water in the dams, forests etc.
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.
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.
→ Ideal for growing cotton and
is also known as black cotton soil.
→ 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.