Chapter 1-

Resources and
Development
Resources and Development

Resources encompass everything available in the environment that can fulfil needs,
provided they are technologically accessible, economically viable, and culturally
accepted. The process of utilising resources involves an interactive relationship
between nature, technology, and institutions. Human beings interact with nature
using technology and establish institutions to enhance economic progress.
Resources and Development

Interdependent relationship between nature, technology and institutions

Resources: Beyond Nature's Gifts

Resources are not innate gifts of nature; they are a function of human activities.

Human beings themselves are essential components of resources.

Human beings play a vital role in converting materials in the environment into
resources for utilisation.
Resources: Beyond Nature's Gifts

On the basis of Origin: Biotic (living) and biotic (non-living)

On the basis of Exhaustibility: Renewable and non-renewable

Resources
classification On the basis of Ownership: Individual, community, national, and
international
On the basis of Development Status: Potential, developed stock,
and reserves.
Resources: Beyond Nature's Gifts
Development of Resources

Resources are vital for human survival and quality of life.

Earlier, resources were seen as free gifts of nature, leading to their indiscriminate use
and resulting in significant issues.
Challenges Resulting from Indiscriminate Resource
Use

Depletion: Overexploitation of resources to satisfy the greed of a few individuals.

Inequality: Accumulation of resources in a few hands, creating societal divisions

between rich and poor.

Ecological Crises: Indiscriminate resource exploitation contributing to global

ecological problems like global warming, ozone layer depletion, pollution, and land
degradation.
Equitable Resource Distribution

Equitable resource distribution is vital for sustaining a high quality of life and
promoting global harmony.
Current trends of resource depletion by certain individuals and nations endanger the
planet's future.
Therefore, resource planning is essential for the sustainable existence of all forms of
life. Sustainable existence is a component of sustainable development.
Resource Planning

Diverse Resource Availability: Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious
use of resources. It has importance in a country like India, which has enormous
diversity in the availability of resources..
Resource Disparities: Some regions are rich in certain resources but lack others,
leading to imbalances.

Self-Sufficiency and Deficiency: Certain areas are self-sufficient in resources, while

others face acute shortages.
Resource Planning

Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh: Abundant in

minerals and coal, deficient in some other aspects.
Arunachal Pradesh: Rich in water resources, lacking infrastructural
Examples of development.
Resource
Disparities Rajasthan: Abundance of solar and wind energy, but lacks water
resources.
Ladakh: Rich cultural heritage, deficient in water, infrastructure,
and minerals.
This calls for balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional and local
levels.
Resource Planning In India

Resource
planning in This encompasses extensive
Identification and Inventory: It
India is a activities such as surveys,
involves systematically
complex mapping, and both qualitative
identifying and cataloging
process and quantitative estimation and
resources across different
encompassing measurement of available
regions of the country.
several key resources.
elements:
Resource Planning In India

Evolving a Planning Structure: The process includes developing a comprehensive

planning framework equipped with suitable technology, expertise, and institutional
setup to effectively execute resource development plans.
Integration with National Development: Matching the resource development plans
with overall national development plans.
Resource Planning In India

Historical Efforts: India's pursuit of resource planning dates back to its inaugural First
Five Year Plan after gaining Independence.

While resource availability is vital for any region's development, its

mere presence may not suffice without concurrent advancements
Importance of in technology and institutions.
Technology and
Institutions Neglecting these aspects can impede progress.
Resource Planning In India

Disparities in Resource-
Rich Regions: Several
Conversely, some regions with meager resource
regions in India, despite
endowments have achieved significant economic
being rich in resources,
development, illustrating the critical role of technology,
find themselves
innovation, and effective governance.
economically
underdeveloped.

Colonial Influence:
Historically, colonising
Advanced technology enabled these powers to exploit
powers were drawn to
resources, establishing dominance over colonies.
regions with abundant
resources.
Resource Planning In India

Technology and Institutional India's history, marked by various colonial

Requisites: Effective resource phases, underscores the significance of this
utilisation hinges on the triad.
confluence of resources,
technology, and institutions.

Holistic Development Approach: In India, development entails more than just

resource availability. It encompasses technology adoption, human resource quality,
and the nation's historical experiences, all of which contribute to holistic progress.
Conservation of Resources

Resources are essential for development, but excessive and unwise use can cause
social, economic, and environmental issues.
Conservation of Resources

For example, Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern

Addressing these about resource conservation in these words: “There is
concerns, resource enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody's greed.”
conservation has
been emphasized by He placed the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative
past leaders and nature of modern technology as the root cause for resource
thinkers to mitigate depletion at the global level.
problems arising
from irrational He was against mass production and wanted to replace it
consumption and with the production by the masses.
over-utilization.
Land Resources

Land is an essential natural asset where human activities are conducted, making it a
valuable resource.

Diverse Functions: Land serves as the foundation for various aspects of life, including
sustaining natural vegetation, wildlife, human livelihoods, economic activities, and
transportation and communication systems.
Finite Nature: Despite its importance, land is a finite resource, necessitating careful
and strategic planning in its usage to ensure sustainability.
Land Resources
Land Diversity in India: India's
landscape comprises distinct
relief features such as
mountains, plateaus, plains, and
islands. Plains constitute around
43% of the land area, serving as
fertile grounds for agriculture
and industries.
Mountains cover about 30%, contributing to
perennial river flow, tourism, and ecological
balance.
Plateaus make up roughly 27% of the country's
area, characterised by rich reserves of minerals,
fossil fuels, and forests.
Land Utilisation

Forests

Land resources
are used for
the following Land not available for Barren and waste land
purposes cultivation
Land put to non-agricultural
uses, e.g. buildings, roads,
factories, etc.
Land Utilisation

Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)

Permanent pastures and grazing land,

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

Cultruable waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
Land Utilisation

Current fallow-(left without cultivation for one or less than one

agricultural year),
Fallow lands
Other than current fallow-(left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5
agricultural years).
Net sown area the physical
extent of land on which Area sown more than once in an agricultural year
crops are sown harvested is plus net sown area is known as gross cropped area.
known as net sown area.
Land Use Pattern in India

Land Utilisation Factors: The utilisation of land is influenced by physical elements like
topography, climate, and soil, along with human factors such as population density,
technological capabilities, and cultural practices.

Geographical Area: India spans 3.28 Moreover, some areas of Jammu and
million sq km, but land use data is Kashmir Occupied by Pakistan and China
available for about 93% because the land have also not been surveyed.
use reporting for most of the north-east
states except Assam has not been done
fully.
Land Use Pattern in India

Decline in Pasture Land: Permanent pasture area has reduced, leading to concerns
about supporting the large cattle population and its consequences.

Fallow Lands: Other than current
fallow lands are of poor quality or
high cultivation cost, resulting in
infrequent cultivation every two to
three years.
If these are included in the net sown
area(NSA) then the percentage of NSA in
India comes to about 54 percent of the total
reporting area.
Land Use Pattern in India

Variation in Net Sown Area: The percentage of net sown area (NSA) differs across
states, with Punjab and Haryana having over 80% and states like Arunachal Pradesh,
Mizoram, Manipur, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands having less than 10%.

Forest Area and Ecological Balance: Forest area is lower than the recommended 33%
outlined in the National Forest Policy (1952), impacting ecological balance and the
livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
Land Use Pattern in India

Waste Land and Non-Agricultural Use: Some land is categorised as waste land,
including rocky, arid, and desert areas, while other land is used for non-agricultural
purposes like settlements, roads, railways, and industries.

Land Degradation Consequences: Unregulated long-term land use has led to land
degradation, with adverse effects on society and the environment.
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

Land Degradation: Land degradation arises from activities like mining, excessive
grazing, over irrigation, water logging, and dust accumulation that hampers water
infiltration.

Conservation of Land Degradation: To counter this, strategies include afforestation,

effective grazing management, planting protective plant belts, curbing overgrazing,
and stabilizing sand dunes by cultivating thorny bushes.