Resources and Development

X Geography
Ramjee Nagarajan

NH Goel World School

Raipur
 Resource

• Everything available in our environment

• Used to satisfy our needs
• Is technologically accessible
• Economically feasible
• Culturally acceptable
Interdependent Relationship

• The transformation process

involves an inter- dependent
relationship between nature,
technology and institutions

• Humans interact with nature

through technology and create
institutions to accelerate their
economic development.
 Gifts of Nature?

• Resources are not free gifts of nature

• They are a function of human activities
• Humans themselves are essential components of resources
• Humans transform material available in our environment into resources and
use them
 Classification

Resources

Biotic Abiotic
 On the basis of Origin

Biotic Abiotic
• Living things are known as Biotic
Resources. • Things which are composed of
• Obtained from the Biosphere non-living things are called
and they have life abiotic resources
− Eg: Human Beings, Flora, Fauna, − Eg: Wind, Water, Air, Rocks,
fisheries, etc. Metals, etc.
 Classification

Exhaustibility

Renewable Non-Renewable
 On the basis of Exhaustibility
Renewable Resource Non-Renewable Resource
• Resources which can be renewed • Resources which can’t be renewed
through physical, chemical or through physical, chemical or
mechanical process are mechanical process
Renewable/ Replenishable − Eg: Fossil Fuels
• Solar & Wind energy, Water, etc. • Are limited in supply
• Classified into • Takes millions of years to form
• Continuous • Metals like Gold, Silver, Copper and
• flow. Iron are recyclable.
 Rate of Replenishing

Fast Replenishing Slow Replenishing

• Some resources like Oxygen, • Some resources like Rocks,
Water, etc., get replenished fast minerals, etc., get replenished
through natural process very slowly through natural
• Their quantities remain constant process
• Their quantities continuously
varies
 Classification

Ownership

Individual Community National International

 On the Basis of Ownership

Individual Resources Community Owned Resources

• Owned privately by individuals. • resources accessible to all the
Farmers for whom land is members of the community.
allotted by government against • Village commons (grazing
the payment of revenue grounds, burial grounds, village
• In villages many are landless ponds, etc.)
• Urban people own plots, houses • In urban areas public parks,
and other property picnic spots, playgrounds are
• Plantation, wells etc. are some accessible to all the people living
of the examples of resources there.
ownership by individuals
 National & International Resources

National Resources International Resources

• Technically, all the resources belong to • International institutions like UN
the nation regulate some resources
• Country has legal powers to acquire • Oceanic resources beyond 200
even private property for public good km of the Exclusive Economic
• All the minerals, water, forests, wildlife, Zone belong to open ocean
land within the political boundaries and • No individual country can utilise
oceanic area upto 12 nautical miles (22.2 these without the concurrence of
km) from the coast termed as territorial international institutions
water and resources therein belong to
the nation.
 Classification

Development
Developed Resources Potential Resources/ Stock
Resources surveyed & whose quality & Found in a region, but not utilized.
quantity are determined. Development Eg., Wind and Solar energy
depends on technology & feasibility

Stock Reserve
Have potential to satisfy needs but Subset of the stock; Use has not been
technology to access are not there. started. Can be used for later needs
H2 & O2 from H2 O Eg., River water for generating
hydroelectric
 Status of Development
Potential Resources Developed Resources
• Resources which are • Resource’s whose quality & quantity has been
found in a region, but determined for utilisation
have not been • Further development depends on technology &
utilised. feasibility.
− Eg: Wind & Solar − Stock: Resources which have the potential to
energy in Rajasthan satisfy human needs but we do not have the
and Gujarat have appropriate technology to access these
enormous potential • Eg Hydrogen and Oxygen from Water
for the development − Reserves are resources, which can be put into use
of wind and solar
with existing technology but their use has not been
energy, but so far
started. Can be used for meeting future needs
these have not been
• Eg River water for generating hydroelectric power
developed properly.
Classification of Resources
 Development Of Resources

• Resources are vital for human survival & maintaining the quality of life
• Resources are not free gifts of nature
− As a result, 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, has divided the society into
− Haves/ rich
− have nots / poor
• Indiscriminate exploitation has led to several global ecological crisis like,
global warming, ozone layer depletion, pollution and land degradation

Ozone Hole in the is shown in purple

 Sustainable Development

• Equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a

sustained quality of life and global peace
• Current trend of resource use/ depletion puts the Earth in danger
• Resource planning is essential for sustainability
− SD is development that meets the needs of the present generation
without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs. Soc Equity Bio Div
Welfare State Resilience
Energy Nat Res
Demand Pollution
Habits
Social Needs
Governance

Raw Materials
Prosperitiy
Growth
Effeciency
Developing
Competitiveness
Equity Equality
Equity refers to fairness, justice and impartiality Equal sharing & division, keeping everyone
at the same level
Focuses on need & requirement of an Gives same thing to all, irrespective of their
individual.: Need based approach need. Not affected by the need
Justifies on the basis of quality Justifies on the basis of quantity
Equity is subjective. It differs from situation to Equality is objective. Does not vary and
situation and from person to person neither matter whoever looks at it
Equity is positive discrimination Equality might give rise to - ve
discrimination
Equity cannot be achieved through equality Equality can be achieved through equity
It looks everyone differently Does not look everyone differently
Example: Mother serving food to all in a family Example: Food served in hotel
 Road to SD

• First United Nations Conference on Environment &

Development (aka., UNCED or the Earth Summit) was held between 3-
14 June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
• The conference tried to address the urgent problems of
environmental protection and socio-economic development at the
global level.
− Leaders signed a Declaration on Global Climatic Change and
Biological Diversity.
− Convention adopted Agenda 21 for achieving SD in 21st century.
− Agenda 21 lays out an agenda 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.
 Resource Planning

• Planning is ideal strategy for judicious use of resources.

• Important for highly diverse country like India
− Regions which are rich and deficient in certain resources
• Arunachal Pradesh rich in water resources but lacks in infrastructural development.
• Rajasthan is rich in solar and wind energy but lacks in water resources.
− Self sufficient regions
• Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and MP are rich in minerals and coal deposits.
− Regions with acute shortage of vital resources.
• Ladakh is rich in cultural heritage but has acute shortage in in water, infrastructure and some
vital minerals.
• Important to make a balanced resource planning at the national, state,
regional and local levels
 Resource Planning in India

• Planning involves:
i. Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country by
surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative
ii. Make a plan with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for
implementing resource development
iii. Match the plans with overall national development goals. India has made concerted
efforts from the First Five Year Plan launched after Independence.
• Availability, coupled with technology and institutions are important
− Many regions in India are rich in resources but are economically backward
− Some regions with poor resource are in economically developed regions
• Five Year Plan to Niti Ayog (National Institution for Transforming India)
− Availability of resources is a necessary for the development of any region
• Mere availability without technology & institutions hinders development: (Bihar)
• Some regions in our country rich in resources are economically backward (Bihar)
• Some regions with poor resource base are economically developed (Gujarat)
 History and Resources

• Rich resources attracted colonising powers

• Higher level of technological development of the colonising
countries helped them to exploit and establish supremacy
over the colonies.
• Resources contribute to development only when they are
accompanied by appropriate technological development and
institutional changes
• Vital for any developmental activity
 Conservation of Resources

• Irrational consumption and exploitation of resources may lead to

socio-economic and environmental problems
• To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various
levels is important
• Has been the main concern for the leaders in the past.
− Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern about resource
conservation in these words: “There is enough for everybody’s need
and not for any body’s greed.”
− The Club of Rome advocated resource conservation for the first
time in a more systematic way in 1968
− In 1974, Gandhian philosophy presented as a book by Schumacher,
Small is Beautiful
− Brundtland Commission Report, 1987 (PM, Norway) introduced the
concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ and advocated it as a means
for resource conservation vide a book, titled Our Common Future.
− Another significant contribution was made at the Earth Summit at
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992.
 LAND RESOURCES

• Supports vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport &
communication systems.
• An asset of a finite magnitude
• Important to use with careful planning.

India: Land Plateau, 27%

under Possesses rich Plain, 43%
reserves of
important minerals, fossil
fuels & forests Provides for
Relief Features agriculture &
industry

Mountains, 30%
Ensure flow of rivers,
supports tourism &
ecological aspects
 Land Utilisation
Land resources are used for the following purposes
• Forest Land
• Un cultivated Lands
− Barren and waste land
− Put to non-agricultural uses e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
• Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)
− Permanent pastures and grazing land,
− Miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area),
− Culturable waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
• Fallow lands
− Current fallow (left fallow for one or less than one agricultural year),
− Other than current fallow (left fallow for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years).
• Net Sown Area:
− Gross Cropped Area (GCA) is the total area sown once as well as more than once in a particular
year. 195 million hectare is India’s total gross cropped area
− Net Sown Area is the area sown with crops but is counted only once. 141 million hectare is
India’s total net sown area.
 Land Use Pattern In India

• Use of land is determined by

• physical factors like
topography, climate, soil
types
• Human factors like
population density,
technological capability and
culture and traditions etc.
• Total geographical area of
India is 3.28 million sq km
• Land use data is available
only for 93 % of the area
− Except Assam reporting for
most of the north-east states
is not been done fully.
− Some areas of Jammu and
Kashmir occupied by
Pakistan and China
 Net Sown Area

• Land under permanent pasture has decreased. How do we feed the cattle?
Impacts?
• Fallow Lands
− Lands other than the current fallow lands are of poor quality.
− These are cultivated once or twice in about 2-3 years
− When included in the net sown area (NSA) NSA is 54 % of the reporting area
• NSA pattern varies in the country
− Over 80 % in Punjab & Haryana
− < 10 % in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Andaman Nicobar Islands
 Forest Area

• Forest Area is far lower than

desired 33 % as outlined in the
National Forest Policy (1952)
• Essential for maintenance of the
ecological balance
• Livelihood of millions of people
depends upon it
• Land is termed as waste land and
land put to other non-agricultural
uses. It includes
− Rocky, arid and desert areas and
land put to other non-agricultural
uses includes settlements, roads,
railways, industry etc.
 Land Degradation

• Continuous use of land, for long periods without

measures to conserve results in land degradation
• It leaves serious impacts on society & environment
• We share our land with the past & future generations
(Sustainable Development!)
• 95 % of our basic needs are obtained from land
• Human degradation also aggravates the pace of natural
forces to cause damage to land
• In India 130 million hectacre of degraded land in India.
− 28 % is forest degraded area
− 56 % is water eroded area and
− Rest is affected by saline and alkaline deposits
• Human activities like deforestation, over grazing, mining
and quarrying are furthering contributed significantly in
land degradation.
 Land Degradation

• Abandoned mining sites leave deep scars

• Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and
Orissa. mining deforestation due to have caused
severe land degradation.
• Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra Overgrazing is one of the main
reasons for land degradation.
• Over irrigation is responsible In the states of Punjab,
Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh,
− Is responsible for water logging
− salinity and alkalinity in the soil
• Mineral processing activities like grinding
− Limestone for cement industry
− calcite & soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge
quantity of dust
− Retards the water infiltration after settling on the land
• Industrial effluents are also a source of land and
water pollution
 Land Conservation Measures

• Various ways to solve

− Afforestation
− Controlled grazing
− Planting of shelter belts of plants,
− Stabilisation of sand dunes
− Control of mining activities
− Proper treatment and discharge of effluents and sewage
 SOIL AS A RESOURCE
• An important renewable resource
• A medium of plant growth
• Supports various types of life on the earth
• Is a living system
• Takes millions of years to form few cm of
soil
• Relief, parent rock, climate, vegetation and
other life forms and time regulates the
formation of soil
• Various forces of nature like
− change in temperature
− running water
− wind
− Glaciers
− decomposers etc. contribute to the
formation of soil.
• Chemical and organic changes • Soil consists of organic (humus) and
influence the soil quality inorganic materials
 Classification of Soils

• India has varied relief features, a. Alluvial soils

landforms, climatic realms &
vegetation types. b. Black soils
• contributed in the development of
various types of soils
• On the basis of c. Red & Yellow soils
• Colour
• Thickness
• Texture
• Age d. Laterite soils
• chemical & physical properties
• the factors responsible for soil formation
• Soils of India are classified into e. Arid soils

f. Forest soils.
 Alluvial Soils

• Most widely spread & important

• Northern plains are made of this soil.
• Deposited by three important
Himalayan river systems
− the Indus
− the Ganga and
− the Brahmaputra
• Extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat
through a narrow corridor
• Found in the eastern coastal plains
particularly in the deltas of Mahanadi,
Godavari, Krishna & Kaveri rivers.
• Consists of various proportions of
sand, silt and clay.
• As we move inlands towards the foot
of the mountains such as Duars,
Chos and Terai soils with large
particles are common
 Alluvial Soils
• Alluvial soils are also described on their age as
− old alluvial (Bangar)
− new alluvial (Khadar)

• The bangar soil has higher concentration of

kanker nodules
• Khadar has more fine particles and is more fertile.
• Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile.
• These contain adequate proportion of potash,
phosphoric acid and lime
• Ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat
and other cereal and pulse crops.
• Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can
be productive after proper treatment and irrigation.
 Black Soil

• Black in colour aka regur soils

• Ideal for growing cotton hence known as
black cotton soil
• Climatic condition & the parent rock
material determines the formation
• Typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt)
region spread over northwest Deccan
plateau and is made up of lava flows.
• Cover the Malwa plateau region in
Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
• Extend in the south east direction along
the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
Black Soil
• The black soils are made up of
extremely fine i.e. clayey material.
• Well-known for their capacity to
hold moisture.
• Rich in soil nutrients, such as
calcium carbonate, magnesium,
potash and lime.
• Generally poor in phosphoric
contents
• Develop deep cracks during hot
weather, which helps in the proper
aeration of the soil
• Sticky when wet and difficult to
work on unless tilled immediately
after the first shower or during the
pre-monsoon period.
 Red and Yellow Soils

• Red soil develops on crystalline

igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall
in the eastern and southern parts of
the Deccan plateau.
• Yelllow and red soils are also found
in parts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh,
southern parts of the middle Ganga
plain and along the piedmont zone of
the Western Ghats.
• These soils develop a reddish colour
due to diffusion of iron in crystalline
and metamorphic rocks.
• It looks yellow when it occurs in a
hydrated form.
 Laterite Soil
• Derived from the Latin word ‘later’
which means brick.
• Develops in areas with high
temperature and heavy rainfall
through intense leaching.
• Humus content of the soil is low
because microbes get destroyed due
to high temperature.
• Suitable for cultivation with adequate
doses of manures and fertilizers.
• Found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly
areas of Orissa and Assam.
• After adopting soil conservation
techniques this soil is very useful for
growing tea, coffee and cashews
 Arid Soils

• Range from red to brown in colour

• Generally sandy in texture and saline
in nature
• Some areas, salt content is very high
and common salt is obtained by
evaporating the water.
• Soil lacks humus and moisture
• Lower horizons of the soil are
occupied by Kankar because of the
increasing calcium content
downwards.
• Kankar layer formations in the bottom
horizons restrict the infiltration of
water
• With proper irrigation these soils
become cultivable as has been in the
case of western Rajasthan.
Forest Soils
• Found in the hilly and mountainous
areas where sufficient rain forests are
available
• Texture varies according to the
mountain environment where they
are formed.
• Loamy and silty in valley sides and
coarse grained in the upper slopes.
In snow covered areas these soils
experience denudation and are acidic
with low humus content
• Soils found in the lower parts of the
valleys particularly on the river
terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.
 Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

• Denudation of the soil cover and

subsequent washing down is described as
soil erosion
• Soil formation & erosion processes go on
simultaneously and there is usually a
balance between the two.
• Human activities like deforestation, over-
grazing, construction and mining etc., and
natural forces like wind, glacier and water
leads to soil erosion
• When water flows as a sheet over large
areas down a slope, the top soil is washed
away, known as sheet erosion
• Running water cuts through the clayey soils
and makes deep channels as gullies
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

• Land becomes unfit for cultivation

and is known as bad land
• In Chambal such lands are called
ravines
• When water flows as a sheet over
large areas down a slope, the top soil
is washed away, known as sheet
erosion
• Wind blows loose soil off flat or
sloping land known as wind erosion.
• Soil erosion is also caused due to
defective methods of farming.
Ploughing in a wrong way—up &
down the slope form channels for the
quick soil erosion.
• Ploughing along the contour lines can
decelerate the flow of water down the
• Strips of trees are grown along the
contours his breaks up the force of
the wind called the Wind breaks
• These shelter belts have contributed
significantly to the stabilisation of
sand dunes and in stabilising the
desert in western India.