LESSON - 1

Resources and Development

Definition of a ‘Resource’: Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs is called resource. It should be technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable. Only then it can be termed as ‘Resource’.

Two examples are minerals and forests.

1. Classification of Resources






1.1 BIOTIC RESOURCES:
These are obtained from Biosphere and have life.
Eg. Human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.

1.2 ABIOTIC RESOURCES:
All Those things which are composed of non – living things are called abiotic resources.
Eg. Rocks and metals.

1.3 RENEWABLE RESOURCES
The Resources which can be renewed of reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes are known as renewable or replenishable resources.
Eg. Solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife etc.

1.4 NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES:
They occur over a very long geological time. These resources take millions of years in their formation.
Eg. Metals, fossil fuels, etc.

1.5 INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES:
These are owned privately by individuals.
Eg. Many farmers own land
Many urban people own plots, houses.

1.6 COMMUNITY OWNED RESOURCES:
These resources which are accessible to all the member of the community.
Eg. Grazing grounds, burial grounds, village ponds, parks, picnic points, etc.

1.7 NATIONAL RESOURCES:
Technically all the resources are available in a country belong to that nation are called National resources.
Eg. All the mineral water resources, forests, wild life, land etc.

1.8 INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES:
There are international institutions which regulate some resources. The oceanic resources beyond 200 km of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to open ocean and no individual country can utilize these without the concurrences of international institutions.

1.9 POTENTIAL RESOURCES:
Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilized.
Eg. Gujrat & Rajasthan have potential for the development of wind & solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly.

1.10 DEVELOPED RESOURCES:
Resources which are surveyed and their quality & quantity have been determined for
utilization.

1.11 STOCK:
Materials in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but
human beings do not have the appropriate technology to access these.
Eg. Water is a compound of two inflammable gases, hydrogen and oxygen which
Can be used as a rich source of energy. But we do not have the required technical
‘know how’ to use them for the purpose hence it can be considered as a stock.

1.12 RESERVES:
They can be put into use with the help of existing technical ‘know how’ but their use
Has not been started.
Eg. River water can be use for generating hydroelectric power but presently, it is
Being utilized only to a limited extent.

INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATURE, TECHNOLOGY & INSTITUTIONS:

The process of transformation of things available in an environment involves an interdependent relationship between nature, technology and institutions.
Human beings interact in the nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic development.
Human beings themselves are essential components of resource. They transform material into resources and use them.


2. DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES

Resources are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining quality of life.
Since resources are considered free gifts of nature, human beings used them indiscriminately.
This indiscriminate use leads to the following problems:
(a) Resources are getting depleted to satisfy the greed of few individuals
(b) Resource are accumulated in few hands, which has made some people rich and some poor in the society.
(c) Indiscriminate use of resources has led to ecological crisis like global warming, ozone layer depletion, environment pollution and land degradation.

3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable economic development means development should take place without damaging the environment. An equitable distribution of resources is essential for sustained quality of life.

If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals & countries continues the future of our planet will come in danger.
Therefore resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life.
Sustainable existence is a component of sustainable development.

3.1 RIO DE JUNERIO EARTH SUMMIT, 1992
It was the first International Earth Summit
It was held in Rio De Juneiro in Brazil.
It dealt with the problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development at the global level.
The assembled leaders signed the declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological diversity.

3.2 AGENDA 21
It is the declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It aims at achieving global sustainable development and to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities.
Every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.

4. RESOURCE PLANNING

4.1 NEED OF PLANNING
Planning is needed for the judicious use of resources.
It is important for India, as it has enormous diversity in the availability of resources.
There are regions which are rich in certain types of resources.
There are regions which are self sufficient in the availability of resources.
There are regions which have acute shortage of some vital resources.
Eg.
Ø State of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits, but lacks in infrastructural development.
Ø Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks infrastructural development.
Ø Rajasthan is rich in solar and wind energy, but lacks in water resources.
Ø Ladakh is deficient in water and some vital mineral but rich in heritage.
Ø This calls for balanced resource planning at national, state, regional and local levels.

4.2 RESOURCE PLANNING IN INDIA
4.2.1 Process of resource planning
1. 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.
2. Evolving a Planning Structure:
Its appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plan.
3. Matching the resource development plans:
The resource development plan must match with the overall national development plan.

5. INDIA’S EFFORTS FOR ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF RESOURCE PLANNING
Availability of resource is necessary for the development of any region.
Resource can contribute to development only when there is technological development.
Quality of human resources and historical experiences of the people are also required.

6. CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES
Irrational consumption and over utilization of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems.
To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.
Conservation of resources can be done by:
1. Reasonable and judicious use of available resources.
2. Avoiding wasteful use of resources.
3. Efforts to regenerate resources.
4. Development of alternative substitute for exhaustible resources.

6.1 GANDHI’S VIEWS ON CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES
There is enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody’s greed.
He placed the greedy & selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology as the root cause for resource depletion at the global level.
He was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the production by the masses.

7. LAND RESOURCES

Land is natural resource of utmost importance.
It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport and communication systems.
Land is an asset, therefore it is necessary to make use of the land with proper planning.

7.1 LAND UNDER IMPORTANT RELIEF FEATURE:
About 43% of the land area is plain. It provides facilities for agriculture and industries.
30% of the land has mountains. They ensure perennial flow of rivers & provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
27% of the land area is the plateau region. It possesses rich resource of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.

7.2 LAND UTILIZATION
Land Resource are used for the following purposes:
Forests.
Land not available for cultivation:
(a) Barren & waste land.
(b) Land used for buildings, roads, factories, etc.
Uncultivated land.
(a) Permanent pastures and grazing land.
(b) Tree crops.
(c) Cultivable waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years)
Fallow lands:
(a) Current fallow (left uncultivated for one or less than one agricultural year)
(b) Other than current fallow (left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 years)
Net Sown Area:
(a) It is the area where the actual cultivation is done.
(b) It is also known as gross cropped area.

8. LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA

8.1 FACTORS FOR LAND USE PATTERN
Physical Factors:
Include climate topography, climate, soil types, etc.
Human Factors:
Population density, technological capability and culture and tradition, etc.

8.2 LAND USE PATTERN OF INDIA
Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq. km.
Land use data is available only for 93% of the total area.
Land under permanent pastures has decreased.
Net sown area in India is about 54%, which is a positive point.
Net sown area varies from state to state. It is over 80% in Punjab and Haryana and less than 10% in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Andaman Nicobar.
According to the National Forest Policy (1952), desired Forest area is 33% of geographical area, which is essential for maintenance of ecological balance in India, it is less.
Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas.
Non-Agricultural use include settlements, roads, railways, industry, etc.


9. LAND DEGRADATION

Continuous use of land over a long period of time without taking appropriate measures to conserve and manage it, has resulted in land degradation.

9.1 INDIA’S DEGRADED LAND
At present there are about 130 Million hectares degraded land.
About 28% of it belongs to the category of forest degraded area.
56% of it is water eroded area.
The rest is affected by saline and alkaline deposits.
Some human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and quarrying have also contributed significantly in land degradation.

9.2 CAUSES OF LAND DEGRADATION
Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete, leaving deep scars and traces of overburdening. For example in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, M.P., and Orrisa.
In states like Gujrat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & maharashtra over grazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
In the states of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh over irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to water logging, leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite & soap stone for ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust in the atmosphere, which settles down on the surface.
In recent years industrial effluents as waste have become major source of land & water pollution in many parts of the country.

9.3 WAYS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF LAND DEGRADATION
Afforestation and proper management of grazing.
Planting of shelter belts of plants.
Control on over grazing
Stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes
Proper management of waste land
Control of mining activities
Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment.
10. SOIL AS A RESOURCE

10.1 IMPORTANCE OF SOIL
Soil is the most important renewable resource.
It is the medium of plant growth.
It supports different types of living organisms on the earth.
Soil is a living system.

10.2 FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOIL FORMATION
Relief
Parent rock or bed rock
Climate
Vegetation & other forms of life
Time


10.3 VARIOUS FORMS OF NATURE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOIL FORMATION:
Change in temperature
Actions of running water
Wind & glaciers
Activities of decomposers
Chemical & organic changes




11. CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL

On the basis of factors responsible for soil formation colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical & physical properties, the soil of India can be classified in different types.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL
Alluvial Soil
Black Soil
Red & Yellow Soil
Laterite Soil
Arid Soil

11.1 ALLUVIAL SOIL:
Features of Alluvial Soil:
It is the most wide spread and important soil.
They are deposited by three important Himalayan river systems the Indus, the Ganga and the Bhramaputra.
They are found in northern plains and eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna & the Kaveri rivers.
The soil consists of various proportions of land, silt and clay.
In the upper reaches of river valley i.e. near the place of the break of slope, the soil are coarse.
Such soils are more common in piedmont plains like ‘Duars’ (when plains like starts and mountain ends) ‘chos’ (hilly of hansitional areas) and ‘Terai’ (foothill of the area)
Alluvial soils are very fertile.
Mostly they contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime, which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat & pulse crop & other cereals.
These soil in the dry areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation.










CLASSIFICATION OF ALLUVIAL SOIL ACCORDING TO AGE
Khadar
Bangar

1. It is new alluvial soil. 1. It is an old alluvial soil
2. It has fine particles and is more fertile. 2. It has higher concentration of
kankar nodules in it.

Alluvial Soil

11.2 BLACK SOIL
Features of Black Soil:
It is black in colour and is also known as regular soil.
Since these soils are ideal for growing cotton, so they are also known as black cotton soils.
Climatic conditions along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of soil.
These soils are made up of lava flow.
They are found in North-west Deccan plateau.
It covers the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, M.P. and Chattisgarh and further extend in south east, along Godavari and Krishna valleys.
They are clayey, so are well known for their capacity to hold moisture.
They are rich in soil nutrients such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.
They are generally poor in phosphoric content.
These soils develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
These soils are sticky and difficult to work unless tilled immediately after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.
Black soil

11.3 RED AND YELLOW SOIL:
Features of Red and Yellow soil:
They develop on crystalline igneous rocks in area of low rainfall.
These soil develop a reddish colour due to the presence of iron in crystalline & metamorphic rocks.
It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.
They are found in parts of Orissa, Chattisgarh, southern parts of Middle Ganga plains.
They are also found in the piedmont zone of western ghats.

Red and Yellow soil

11.4 LATERITE SOIL:
Features of Laterite Soil:
· They are formed due to leaching process, due to heavy rains.
· They develop in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall.
· Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro organisms particularly the decomposers like bacteria get destroyed due to high temperature.
· They are suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers.
· These soils are mainly found in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the soil is very useful for growing tea & coffee and cashew nut.


Laterite Soil

11.5 ARID SOILS:
Features of Arid Soils:
They range from red to brown in colours.
They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature.
In some area salt content is so high that common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.
Due to dry climate, high temperature evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus & moisture.
In lower regions soil has Kankar in it because of the increasing calcium content.
It restricts the infilitration of water.
After proper irrigation these soil become cultivable, as it is done in western Rajasthan.
Arid Soil


11.6 FOREST SOIL:Features of Forest Soil:These soil are found in the hilly areas with rain forests.
Soil texture varies according to the mountain environment.
They are loamy & silty in valley sides.
They are coarse grained in the upper slopes.
In the snow covered areas of Himalyas, they experience denudation and are acidic with low humus content.
The soils are formed in the lower parts of the valley on the river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.
Forest Soil

12. SOIL EROSION
The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is called soil erosion.
Soil Erosion
12.1 CAUSES OF SOIL EROSIONS
Due to human activities like deforestation, over grazing, construction and mining etc.
Natural forces like wind, glacier and water also leads to soil erosion.
It is also caused due to defective methods of farming.
Ploughing in a wrong way i.e. up and down the slope from channels for the quick flow of water leading to soil erosion.

12.2 VARIOUS TYPES OF SOIL EROSION
Gullies: The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels called gullies.
Gully Erosion
Bad Lands: When the land becomes unfit for cultivation, it is called bad lands. Eg. Ravires in Chambal
Sheet Erosion: Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. In such cases the top soil is washed away. It is called sheet erosion.
Wind Erosion: Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land is called wind erosion.

13. SOIL CONSERVATION
Contour Ploughing: Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes.
Terrace cultivation: Steps can be cut on the slopes making terraces, it restrict soil erosion. They are practiced in western & central Himalayas.
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 the wind.
Shelter Belts: Planting lines of trees to create shelter are shelter belts, which have contributed significantly to the stabilization of sand dunes.

LESSON - 1