Resources and Development

1. Resource:- Everything which is available in our environment/nature and which can be

technologically and economically exploited/accessible for satisfying human wants are known as
resource.

2. Resources can be classified on the basis of

(i) Origin Biotic and abiotic Biotic resources: These resources are obtained from
nature and have life. Examples: Humans, forests,
fisheries, livestock.
Abiotic resources: These resources are obtained from
nature but are made of non-living things. Examples:
Metals, air, soil
(ii) Exhaustibility Renewable and Renewable resources: These resources are available in
non-renewable plenty in nature and can be replenished. Examples:
Sunlight, wind, water.
Non-renewable resources: These resources are
present in nature and are formed after millions of
years. They can be exhausted or depleted after a
particular period of time. Examples: Coal, petroleum
(iii) Ownership Individual, Individual resources are owned privately by a person
community such as farmlands and houses.
owned, national Community owned resources are owned by a
and international community and are accessible to the members of that
resources community such as grazing lands and burial grounds.
National resources belong to a nation. Examples:
Water resources, forests, minerals
International resources are regulated by international
laws and regulations. Example: Oceanic resources
beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic
Zone
(iv) Status of Potential Potential resources: These resources are available in
Development resources, the region but are not fully used such as wind energy
developed and solar energy.
resources, stock Developed resources: These resources are surveyed
and reserves and their quantity and quality are known. Examples:
Coal mines, oil wells
Stock: These resources can satisfy human needs but
humans do not have the required technology to access
and harness them. Examples: Geothermal power,
hydrogen fuel
Reserves: The use of such resources has not been fully
started and they are used only up to a limited extent.
Example: Nuclear Energy.

3. Use of resource leads to following problem:-

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

ii. Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into two
segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
iii. Indiscriminate exploitation of resources lead to global problems such as, global warming,
ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.
4. Sustainable 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.

Gandhiji said related to resource conservation – “There is enough for everybody’s need and not for
any body’s greed.”

5. Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992:- In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil, for the first International Earth Summit. Agenda 21 was signed for achieving
Sustainable Development in the 21st century. It is an agenda to combat Global climate change,
environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual
needs and shared responsibilities.

6. Resource Planning in India

Resource planning in India involves the following processes:

i. To identify and make a list of existing resources across the country by surveying and
mapping.
ii. To frame a planning structure with the estimates of the level of technology, skill sets and
institutions which are required for harnessing these resources.
iii. To map the resource development plans with the national development plans.

7. Land Degradation:- Land Degradation means reduction in the quality of soil which affects its
fertility. Land degradation is due to mining, deforestation, over grazing, etc.

Following are the reason of land degradation in India:-

i. Mining:- After mining is completed, the waste products of mining are left in their original
location. This results in significant land degradation and pollution in nearby areas.
ii. Overgrazing:- Overgrazing of land by animals results in removal of grass over a large area
making it easy for wind and water to remove the soil.
iii. Heavy Winds:- During dry weather, soil particles are carried away by wind lead to soil
degradation.
iv. Water Logging:- Over irrigation of land is also responsible for land degradation, water
logging, increases salinity and alkalinity in soil making it unfit for cultivation.
v. Industrialisation: Industrial waste also leads to water and land degradation.
vi. Deforestation:- Due to deforestation, soil is free to wash away with water lead to land
degradation.

Some of the ways through which we can solve the problems of land degradation are:

i. Afforestation and proper management of grazing.

ii. Planting of shelter belts of plants.
iii. Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes.
iv. Proper management of waste lands.
v. Control of mining activities.
vi. Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment.

8. Soil Resource:- Soil is a renewable natural resource. It supports various living organisms and is a
medium of plant growth. Topsoil is the uppermost layer of the Earth. It consists of humus. Factors
such as variation of temperature, parent rock, decomposers and running water affect the formation
of soil.

9. Classification of Soil
 i. Alluvial Soil:- : It is the most widely spread
soil in India. It has been deposited by three
Himalayan river systems—Ganga, Indus
and Brahmaputra. The entire North Indian
Plains are made of this soil. The soil is
suitable for the cultivation of paddy,
wheat, sugarcane and other cereal and
pulse crops.
On the basis of age, soil can be classified as bangar and khadar soils.
Bangar Soil Khadar Soil
(i) Bangar is older than Khadar. (i) Khadar is younger in age than bangar.
(ii) Bangar have kankar nodules. (ii) Khadar have fine particles.
(iii) Bangar is not renewed frequently. (iii) Khadar is renewed frequently and is
Hence, it is less fertile. more fertile.
(iv) Bangar is found away from the river. (iv) Khadar is found near to the river.

ii. Black Soil:-

a. This soil is black in colour and is also known as regur soil.
This soil is ideal for growing cotton, it is also known as black
cotton soil.
b. This soil is found in the plateau regions of Saurashtra,
Maharashtra, Malwa and Chhattisgarh.
c. The soil is made of fine clayey material and is known for
holding moisture.
d. Black soil is rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash
and lime but poor in phosphoric contents.
e. Black soil develop deep cracks during hot weather.
iii. Red and Yellow Soil:-
a. This soil is found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
southern parts of middle Gangetic plains and some
parts of Western Ghats.
b. This soil develop a reddish colour due to diffusion
of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It
looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.
iv. Laterite Soil:-
a. The laterite soil develops under tropical and
subtropical climate with alternate wet and dry season.
b. This soil is the result of intense leaching due to heavy
rain.
c. This soil is found in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Madhya Pradesh and hilly regions of Assam.
d. This soils support deciduous and evergreen forests.
e. This soil is suitable for growing tea and coffee. Cashew
nuts are grown in red laterite soils of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala
v. Arid Soil:-
 a. These soils are sandy in texture and saline in nature.
They are found in areas of high temperature and dry
climate.
b. Because of dry climate, the moisture and humus
content of the soil is very low. In some areas, common
salt is obtained by evaporating the water from the soil.
c. These soils are not fertile but can become fertile after
adequate irrigation of the soil.
d. The arid soil is found in Rajasthan and in the north western parts of Gujarat.
vi. Forest Soil:-
a. These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests
are available.
b. The soils texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are
formed. These are loamy(silt and clay) in valley sides. Coarse grained(gravels and
sand) in the upper slopes. In the snow covered areas, these soils experience
denudation (wash away of soil).
c. The forest soil found in the lower parts of the Himalayas is fertile.

10. Soil Erosion:- Soil erosion is a form of soil degradation where upper layer of soil is washed away
by water or carried away by wind.
 Types of Erosion are as follows:-

i. Gully Erosion:- This occurs when running water cuts through the soil making deep channels.
The land thus becomes unsuitable for cultivation and is known as bad land.
ii. Sheet Erosion:- The washing away of the topsoil because of the flowing of water as a sheet
over large areas is known as sheet erosion.
iii. Wind Erosion:- When the wind blows away the topsoil, it is known as wind erosion.

Gully Erosion Sheet Erosion Wind erosion

Soil Conservation

Soil can be conserved in the following ways:

i. Contour Ploughing: When one ploughs along the contour lines, it is called contour
ploughing. It decreases the flow of water down the slopes and thus helps in soil
conservation.
ii. Terrace Farming: When steps are cut out on the slopes of the hills making terraces, it
reduces soil erosion.
iii. Strip Cropping: When strips of grass are grown between the strips of crops, it is known as
strip cropping. It breaks down the speed of winds.
iv. Shelter Belts: When trees are planted in a row, it breaks the force of winds. This method has
proved very useful in destabilising the sand dunes in the deserts of western India.

Contour Ploughing Terrance farming Strip Cropping Shelter Belts

11. Land Resource:- India has land under a variety of relief

features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains and islands.
About 43 per cent of the land area is plain, which provides
facilities for agriculture and industry. Mountains account
for 30 per cent of the total surface area of the country and
ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for
tourism and ecological aspects. About 27 per cent of the
area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich
reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.
12. Land Utilisation

i. Forests:- The forest cover of the country is less than the prescribed 33% of the total
country’s land. Forests occupy about 23.81% of the total land surface in India.
ii. Land not available for cultivation
a. Barren and waste land- Barren and Waste land are the land which is infertile for
growing plants due to very low fertility.
b. Land put to non-agricultural uses means land used for infrastructure development.
e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
iii. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)
a. Permanent pastures and grazing land- Land covered with grass suitable for grazing
by animals.
b. Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area)- Plants
which grow own their own.
c. Culturable waste land- Land which is left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural
years).
iv. Fallow lands
a. Current fallow- Land left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural
year.
b. Other than current fallow- Land left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural
years.
v. Net sown area- land on which crops are sown harvested is known as net sown area.