Resources And Development Notes in English Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 Book-Contemporary India

 

• Everything in our environment that can be used to satisfy our needs, that has the technology to produce it, that is economically feasible and culturally acceptable is a 'resource'.

• Humans interact with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate the pace of their economic development

• Humans themselves are an important part of resources. 

• They convert substances found in the environment into resources and use them. 

Classification of resources 

Based on origin 

1. Bio 

2. Abiotic 

On the basis of expiration  

1. Renewable 

2. Unresolvable

On the basis of ownership 

1. Personal

2. Community 

3. National  

4. International 

Depending on the level of development 

1. Probable

2. Developed reserves

3. Accumulated Fund

Development of resources

• Just as resources are essential for human survival, they are also important for maintaining the quality of life. 

• It was believed that resources were a gift of nature. As a result, humans have used them indiscriminately, leading to the following major problems.

• Depletion of resources due to greed of some people

• The resources have come into the hands of only a few people in the society, due to which the society got divided into two parts – resource rich and resource less i.e. rich and poor.

• Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crisis such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation etc.

• Planning the use of resources is essential to sustain the existence of all forms of life. 

• Sustainable survival is truly part of sustainable development.

Sustainable development: - 

Sustainable economic development means that development takes place without harming the environment and the current development process should not ignore the needs of future generations.

Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, June 1992

• In 1992, more than 100 heads of state gathered in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro for the first international Earth Summit. 

• The conference was organised to find solutions to the problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development emerging globally. 

• The leaders gathered at this conference signed a declaration on global climate change and biodiversity. 

• The Rio Conference agreed on global forest principles and adopted Agenda 21 for sustainable development in the 21st century.

Agenda 21

• It is a declaration that was adopted by heads of state and government in 1992, under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. 

• Its aim is to achieve global sustainable development. 

• It is an agenda that aims to combat environmental damage, poverty and disease through global cooperation based on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities. 

• The main objective of Agenda 21 is that every local body should prepare its own Local Agenda 21.

Resource Planning

• Planning is a universally accepted strategy for the judicious use of resources. 

• In a country like India there is a lot of diversity in the availability of resources. 

• There are regions here where one kind of resources are abundant, but other kinds of resources are scarce. 

• There are some states which are self-sufficient in terms of availability of resources and there are some states where there is severe shortage of important resources. 

• For example, states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have abundant reserves of minerals and coal. 

• Water resources are found in abundance in Arunachal Pradesh, but there is lack of infrastructure development. 

• Rajasthan has abundance of wind and solar energy resources but is short on water resources. 

• The cold desert of Ladakh remains isolated from the rest of the country. 

• The state is rich in cultural heritage but lacks water, basic infrastructure and some important minerals. 

• Therefore, there is a need for balanced resource planning at national, provincial, territorial and local levels.

Resource Planning in India

• Resource planning is a complex process which involves the following steps 

• Identifying resources in different regions of the country and making a list of them. This work includes regional survey, making maps and making qualitative and quantitative estimates and measurements of resources. 

• To develop appropriate technology, skills and institutional planning framework for implementing resource development plans. 

• To coordinate resource development plans and the national development plan. 

• After independence, efforts to fulfill the objective of resource planning in India were made with the First Five Year Plan.

• There are many areas in the country which, despite being rich in resources, are counted among the economically backward regions. 

• On the contrary, there are some states which are economically developed despite the lack of resources.

• Resource-rich regions in the colonies have been a major attraction for foreign invaders. 

• With the help of better technology, the colonizing countries exploited the resources of the colonies and established their dominance over them. 

• Therefore, resources can contribute to the development of a region only when appropriate technological development and institutional changes are made there. 

• Development in India was not only based on the availability of resources but technology and quality of human resources also contributed to it.

Conservation of resources 

• Resources play an important role in any kind of development. 

• Irrational consumption and overuse of resources can lead to many socio-economic and environmental problems. 

• To avoid these problems, conservation of resources at various levels is necessary. 

• Conservation of resources has been a matter of concern for many leaders and thinkers since times immemorial. 

• For example, we have enough to fill our stomachs but not enough to fill our bellies. 

• Systematic resource conservation was advocated at the international level by the Club of Rome in 1968. 

• Subsequently in 1974, Schumacher again reiterated Gandhi's philosophy on this subject in his book Small is Beautiful. 

• The Bundtland Commission Report in 1987 made a fundamental contribution to resource conservation on a global scale. 

• This report introduced the concept of sustainable development and advocated resource conservation. 

• This report was later published as a book titled Our Common Future. 

• Another important contribution in this context was made by the Earth Summit held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

land resources

• Land is a very important natural resource. 

• Natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transportation and communication systems are based on land only. 

• Land is a limited resource, so the available land should be used for various purposes carefully and in a planned manner.

• Various types of landforms such as mountains, plateaus, plains and islands are found on the land in India. 

• Plains: Covers about 43 percent of the land area which is convenient for the development of agriculture and industry

• Mountains:- Spread over 30 percent of the land area. They provide favourable conditions for the flow of some perennial rivers, tourism development and are important for ecology.

• Plateau:- This area covers about 27 percent of the total area of ​​the country. This area has immense reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.

 

land use

Land resources are used for the following purposes-

1. Forest

2. Land not available for agriculture

• barren and uncultivable land

• Land  put to non-agricultural purposes  – like buildings, roads, industries etc. 

3. Fallow land

• Current fallow (where cultivation has not taken place for one agricultural year or less)

• Fallow land other than the present fallow land or old fallow land (where cultivation has not been done for 5 agricultural years)

4. Uncultivable land other than fallow land 

• Permanent pastures and other grazing lands

• Land under miscellaneous trees, tree crops, and groves (not included in net sown area) 

• Cultivable wasteland which has not been cultivated for more than five years.

5. Net sown area 

• The land on which crops are grown and harvested is called net sown area. 

• If the area sown more than once in an agricultural year is added to the net sown area, it is called gross cultivated area.

Land use pattern in India

• The factors determining land use include physical factors such as topography, climate and soil type and human factors such as population density, technological capability, culture and traditions etc.

• The total geographical area of ​​India is 32.8 lakh sq. km. 

• Land use data is available for only 93 per cent of it as information about the reported area is not available for other northeastern states except Assam. 

• Apart from this, the land use survey of Pakistan and China occupied areas in Jammu and Kashmir has also not been done.

• The land under permanent pastures has also decreased.

• The percentage of net sown area also varies in different states. 

• In Punjab and Haryana, 80 per cent of the land is cultivated, but in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, less than 10 per cent of the area is sown.

• In our country, 33 per cent of the geographical area is desired to be covered under forests as per the National Forest Policy (1952). 

• In comparison, the area under forest is very less. 

• This limit set by the forest policy is necessary to maintain ecological balance. 

• The livelihood of millions of people living around forest areas depends on it. 

• One part of the land use is called wasteland and the other is land used for non-agricultural purposes. 

• Wasteland includes hilly rocks, dry and desert lands. Land used for non-agricultural purposes includes settlements, roads, railway lines, industries, etc. 

Land degradation and conservation measures 

• Land is a resource which has been used by our ancestors and future generations will also use the same land. 

• We get 95 percent of our basic needs from the land. 

• Human activities not only cause land degradation but also strengthen the natural forces that damage land.

• At present about 13 crore hectares of land is degraded in India. 

• Of this, about 28 per cent of the land is under degraded forests, 56 per cent of the area is water eroded and the remaining area is saline and alkaline. 

• Some human activities such as deforestation, over-grazing, mining have also played a major role in land degradation.

• After mining, the mine sites are left open with deep trenches and debris. 

• Deforestation due to mining has caused land degradation in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. 

• Overgrazing of animals is the main cause of land degradation in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. 

• In states like Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, excessive irrigation is responsible for land degradation. 

• This is responsible for land degradation, which leads to increased salinity and alkalinity in the soil. 

• Mineral processes such as grinding of limestone in the cement industry and the use of lime (chalk earth) and alabaster in the pottery industry release large quantities of dust into the atmosphere. 

• When its layer settles on the ground, the water absorption process of the soil gets blocked. 

• There are many ways to solve the problems of land degradation. 

• Proper management of afforestation and pastures 

• shelter belt of trees, 

• pasture control 

• The process of stabilizing sand dunes by planting thorny bushes 

• Proper management of wasteland

• Mining Control 

• industrial water treatment 

Soil Resources

• Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. 

• It is the medium of growth of plants which nourishes various types of living organisms on the earth. 

• Soil is a living system. 

• It takes millions of years to form soil a few centimetres deep. 

• Topography, parent rock, climate, vegetation and other organic matter and time are the main factors in the process of soil formation. 

• Many elements of nature such as temperature changes, action of flowing water, wind, glaciers and decomposition processes etc. contribute to the process of soil formation. 

• Chemical and biological changes taking place in the soil are also important. 

• Soil is made up of both organic (humus) and inorganic substances. 

• The following are the types of soils in India based on the factors determining the soil formation process, their colour, depth, texture, age, and chemical and physical properties.

Classification of Soils

• Many types of topography, landforms, climate and vegetation are found in India. 

• Due to this, many types of soils have developed.

alluvial soil

• This soil is widely spread and is an important soil of the country. 

• The entire northern plain is made up of alluvial soil. 

• These soils are formed from the deposits brought by the three important river systems of the Himalayas: Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. 

• These soils extend up to Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor. 

• The eastern coastal plains, especially the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers, are also composed of alluvial soil.

• Alluvial soil contains varying proportions of sand, silt and clay. 

• As we move up the valley from the mouth of the river, the size of soil particles increases. 

• Coarse grained soils are found in the upper parts of river valleys, such as near slope fractures. 

• Such soils are commonly found in the Terai, the plains at the foothills of mountains.

• Apart from the size of the particles or their components, soils are also identified by their age. 

• Based on age, alluvial soils are of two types: old alluvium (Bangar) and new alluvium (Khadar).

• There is a large amount of 'Kankar' nodules in Bangar soil. 

• Khadar soil contains finer particles than Bangar soil.

• Alluvial soils are very fertile. 

• Most alluvial soils are rich in potash, phosphorus and lime which makes them suitable for cultivation of sugarcane, rice, wheat and other cereals and pulses crops. 

• Due to high fertility, Ghat agriculture is done in alluvial soil areas and the population density is also high here. 

• Soils in dry areas are more alkaline. 

• By proper treatment and irrigation of these soils, their yield can be increased.

Black Soil

• These soils are black in colour and are also called 'Regur' soils. 

• Black soil is considered suitable for cotton cultivation and is also known as black cotton soil. 

• Climate and parent rocks have contributed significantly to the formation of black soil. 

• This type of soil is found in the northwestern parts of the Deccan Plateau region and is composed of lava-forming rocks. 

• These soils are found on the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and extend south-easternly to the valleys of the Godavari and Krishna rivers.

• Black soil is made up of very fine particles. 

• It has great capacity to retain moisture. 

• These soils are rich in nutrients like calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime. 

• These contain less phosphorus. 

• In hot and dry weather, deep cracks develop in these soils, which allow them to get well aerated. 

• These soils become sticky when wet and are difficult to plow. Therefore, plowing is started with the first shower of the monsoon.

red and yellow soil

• Red soil has developed on crystalline igneous rocks in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan Plateau in areas with low rainfall. 

• Red and yellow soils are found in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, the southern end of the middle Ganga plain and in the hilly areas of the Western Ghats. 

• The red colour of these soils is due to the prevalence of iron minerals in crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks. 

• Their yellow colour is due to hydration in them.

Laterite Soil

• The word laterite is derived from the Greek word later, meaning brick.

• Laterite soil is formed in tropical and subtropical climatic regions due to alternating wet and dry seasons.

• This is the result of excessive leaching from heavy rainfall.

• Laterite soil is mostly deep and acidic.

• It lacks plant nutrients.

• It is mostly found in the southern states, Western Ghats regions of Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of West Bengal and north-eastern states.

• Where deciduous and evergreen forests are found in this soil, humus is found in sufficient quantity in it, but in sparse vegetation and semi-arid environment, the amount of humus is found less in it.

• Depending on their position on landforms they are susceptible to erosion and land degradation.

• Tea and coffee are grown on these soils in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu by adopting appropriate soil conservation techniques.

• The red laterite soils of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for cashew crop.

desert soil

• The colour of desert soil is red and brown. 

• These soils are generally sandy and saline. 

• In some areas, the amount of salt is so high that edible salt is also produced by evaporating water from the lakes. 

• Due to dry climate and high temperatures, water evaporation rate is high and soils have low humus and moisture content. 

• The amount of calcium keeps increasing below the soil surface and a surface of lime gravel is found in the lower layers. Due to this, infiltration of water in the soil gets blocked. 

• This soil can be made cultivable by irrigating it properly, as is happening in western Rajasthan.

Forest Soil 

• These soils are generally found in hilly and mountainous areas where abundant rainforests are available. 

• The composition of these soils changes according to the mountain environment. 

• In river valleys these soils are loamy and silty but on the upper slopes they are composed of coarse particles. 

• In the snow-covered areas of the Himalayas these soils are highly eroded and are acidic and humus-less. 

• These soils are fertile in the lower areas of river valleys, especially in river terraces and alluvial fans, etc. 

Soil erosion and conservation

• The process of cutting and carrying away of soil is called soil erosion. 

• The processes of soil formation and erosion usually go on together and there is a balance between the two. 

• This balance is sometimes disturbed by human activities such as deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc. and natural elements such as wind, glaciers and water cause soil erosion. 

• Running water cuts through clayey soil and creates deep channels, which are called gullies. 

• Such land is no longer suitable for cultivation and is called bad land. 

• In the Chambal basin such land is called ravine land. 

• Sometimes water flows down the slope covering a wide area. 

• In such a situation, the upper soil of this area dissolves and flows away with water. This is called sheet erosion. 

• The process of wind carrying away soil from a plain or sloping area is called wind erosion. 

• Soil erosion also occurs due to wrong agricultural methods. 

• Wrong ploughing techniques, such as ploughing up and down a slope, create channels through which flowing water easily erodes the soil.

• Ploughing parallel to the contour lines on sloping land reduces the speed of water flow along the slope. 

• This is called contour ploughing. Terraces can be made on sloping land. Terrace agriculture controls erosion. 

• Terraced agriculture is quite developed in the Western and Central Himalayas. 

• Large farms are divided into strips. Strips of bass are grown in between the crops. 

• These weaken the force generated by the winds. This method is called strip farming. 

• Creating a shelter belt by planting trees in rows also reduces the speed of winds. 

• These protective strips have played an important role in the stabilization of sand dunes in western India.