Class 10 |Geography| Chapter 1| Resources and Development| Notes
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. The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an inter-dependent relationship between the nature, human beings and technology.
•Classification of Resources
These resources can be classified in the following ways :
(i) On the basis of origin - biotic and abiotic.
(ii) On the basis of exhaustibility - renewable and non-renewable.
(iii) On the basis of ownership - individual, community, national and international.
(iv) On the basis of state of development - potential, developed and stock.
(ii) On the basis of exhaustibility - renewable and non-renewable.
(iii) On the basis of ownership - individual, community, national and international.
(iv) On the basis of state of development - potential, developed and stock.
1. Classification on the basis of exhaustibility
(a) Renewable resources : “Renewable resources are the natural resources which can be used again and again or can be reproduced by physical, mechanical and chemical processes.” Solar energy, air, water and soil are some of renewable resources of energy.
(a) Renewable resources : “Renewable resources are the natural resources which can be used again and again or can be reproduced by physical, mechanical and chemical processes.” Solar energy, air, water and soil are some of renewable resources of energy.
(b) Non-renewable resources : “Nonrenewable resources are the natural resources that cannot be replaced at all or within a reasonable time.” Fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are examples of non-renewable resources. These resources accumulated over millions of years. They are considered to be non-renewable resources because once they are used up, they are gone forever.
2. Classification on the basis of origin
(a) Biotic : “All those resources which are obtained from biosphere and have life are known as biotic resources.” Biotic resources normally forest, livestock etc. are examples of renewable biotic resources.
(a) Biotic : “All those resources which are obtained from biosphere and have life are known as biotic resources.” Biotic resources normally forest, livestock etc. are examples of renewable biotic resources.
(b) Abiotic : “All those resources which are composed of non-living things are called abiotic resources.” Abiotic resources can be renewable as well as non-renewable resources. Land and water are renewable abiotic resources whereas iron and bauxite are non-renewable abiotic resources.
. On the basis of ownership
(a) Individual resources : Resources which are owned by private individuals are known as individual resources. Plot, fields, house, car, book, etc. are some examples of individual resources.
(a) Individual resources : Resources which are owned by private individuals are known as individual resources. Plot, fields, house, car, book, etc. are some examples of individual resources.
(b) Community owned resources : The resources which are accessible to all the members of the community are known as community resources. Village ponds, public parks, playgrounds, etc. are some examples of community resources.
(c) National resources : All the resources which are under the control of state or union government are known as national resources. All the resources within political boundaries are national resources because the government has the power to acquire even private property.
(d) International resources : These resources are owned and regulated by international institutions. The oceanic resources beyond 200 kms of Exclusive Economic Zone belong to open ocean and no individual country can utilise these without the concurrence of international institutions. India has got right to mine manganese nodules from the bed of Indian ocean from that area which lies beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone.
4. On the basis of the state of development
Potential resources : Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised due to lack of capital technology or other reasons. For example, the western parts of India particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly.
Potential resources : Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised due to lack of capital technology or other reasons. For example, the western parts of India particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly.
Developed resources : These are resources which have been surveyed and their quality and quantity have been determined for utilisation. The development of resources depends on technology and level of their feasibility. For example, India has a cumulative total of 2,47,847 million tonnes of coal resources.
•Development of Resources
Resources are vital for human survival, development and for maintaining the quality of life. Though resources are gift of nature but overutilisation of resources has led to many problems :
1. Depletion of resources : Over-utilisation has led to depletion of resources for meeting the greed of few individuals. For example, over utilisation of fossil fuels has led to situation where most of countries of the world are facing the problem of pollution and energy crisis.
2. Concentration of resources : This has divided the society into ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and rich and poor.
3. Global ecological crisis : Over utilisation of resources has led to the global ecological crisis such as global warming, depletion of ozone layer, pollution and land degradation.
•Role of Technology in Resources Development
The availability of resources is a necessary condition for development of any region or country but mere availability of resources in the absence of corresponding changes in technology and institutions may hinder the development. You have studied that some regions or countries are developed whereas some are under-developed. Have you ever thought why is this so ? The most common factor for this is under-development of technology. The history of colonisation reveals that rich resources in the colonies were the main attractions for the foreign invaders. It was primarily the higher level of technological development of the colonising country that helped them to exploit resources of other Asian and African countries. Therefore, resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate technological development and institutional changes like education, skilled workers, etc.
Conservation of Resources :
Conservation of natural resources had been the main concern of our leaders, thinkers and the government. Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern about resource conservation. He said, “There is enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody’s greed.” According to him it were the greedy and selfish individuals who were responsible for depletion of resources. He was in favour of producing for the masses than mass production.
Conservation of natural resources had been the main concern of our leaders, thinkers and the government. Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern about resource conservation. He said, “There is enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody’s greed.” According to him it were the greedy and selfish individuals who were responsible for depletion of resources. He was in favour of producing for the masses than mass production.
•Land Resources of India
Land is the most important natural resource. The most important feature of land is that its supply is limited or it is a fixed factor of production. So it is very important to use the available land for various purposes with careful planning. Land is most important factor of production because it supports all economic activities. It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life, transport and communication system.
India has total geographical area of about 3.28 million square kilometres.
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 industries. 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.
• Land Utilisation
The land resources are used for the following purposes :
1. Forests.
1. Forests.
2. Land not available for cultivation.
(a) Barren and waste lands.
(b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g., buildings, roads, factories etc.
(a) Barren and waste lands.
(b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g., buildings, roads, factories etc.
3. Other uncultivated lands (excluding fallow lands).
(a) Permanent pastures and grazing lands.
(b) Land under miscellaneous tree crops, groves (not included in net sown area).
(c) Culturable waste lands (Left cultivated for more than five agricultural years).
(a) Permanent pastures and grazing lands.
(b) Land under miscellaneous tree crops, groves (not included in net sown area).
(c) Culturable waste lands (Left cultivated for more than five agricultural years).
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures
Land degradation is a process through which land becomes unfit for cultivation.
Land degradation is a process through which land becomes unfit for cultivation.
Human beings due to personal greed have degraded this natural environment to a great extent. The human activities have also aggravated the pace of natural forces to cause damage to land. At present, there are about 162 million hectares of degraded land in India. Approximately, 28 per cent of it belongs to the category of forest degraded area, 56 per cent is water eroded area and the rest is affected by saline and alkaline deposits. Some human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, expansion of mining and quarrying too have contributed significantly in land degradation.
•Soil as a Resource
Soil is the thin upper surface layer on the earth, comprising mineral particles formed by the breaking down of rocks, weathered mineral particles, decaying organic matter, living organisms, water and air.
Importance of soil
(i) Soil is the medium in which plants grow. Plants provide food for all land creatures. Thus all living things depend, directly or indirectly on soil for food.
(i) Soil is the medium in which plants grow. Plants provide food for all land creatures. Thus all living things depend, directly or indirectly on soil for food.
(ii) Soil is a very important natural resource of India because agricultural production is basically dependent on the fertility of soil. Food products like cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables are obtained from the soil.
(iii) Successful farming depends largely on the soil. The rich deep fertile soils of the Ganga Plain especially its deltas and coastal plains of Kerala support high density of population through agricultural prosperity.
• Soil Erosion
Soil erosion is the removal of soil by the forces of nature like wind and water, more rapidly than the various soil forming process can replace it.” Generally, there is a balance between soil forming process and erosional process. The balance can be disturbed by natural or human factors.
Types of Soil Erosion
(a) Water erosion : Water is a powerful agent of soil erosion. Following are the major types of erosion caused by water.
(a) Water erosion : Water is a powerful agent of soil erosion. Following are the major types of erosion caused by water.
1. Sheet Erosion : When the top layer of the soil is removed over a large area by running water, it is called sheet erosion.
The unprotected lands are most susceptible to sheet erosion. Sheet erosion is particularly harmful because it removes the top layer which is finer and fertile.
2. Rill Erosion : This is the second stage of sheet erosion. If erosion continues unchecked for a sufficient time, (rills) small finger - shaped grooves which are a few centimetres in depth, may develop on the landscape. Over a period of time, the fine rills increase in number and also become deeper and wider resemble and that of the twigs, branches and trunks of a tree. This is called rill erosion.
3. Gully Erosion : This is the third stage of sheet erosion. With further erosion of the soil, the rills may deepen and become enlarged and are ultimately turned into gullies. The main cause of gully erosion is the removal of vegetation, particularly of trees with their widespread binding roots into bad land topography. Gully erosion is also responsible for the formation of ravines.
(b) Wind Erosion : Wind is a powerful agent of erosion in arid and semi arid lands with little rainfall. Wind can lift the valuable top soil from one area and deposit it in another area. The wind erosion is a very dangerous type of erosion because due to wind most of the deserts of the world are expanding.
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