GEOGRAPHY

LESSON – 1

RESOURCES AND

DEVELOPEMNT
 Everything or anything 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 in nature involves an
interactive relationship between nature, technology and institutions.
Human beings interact with nature through
technology and create institutions to
accelerate their economic
development.
Do you think that resources are free gifts of nature as is assumed by

many people ? They are not.

Resources are a function of human activities.

Human beings themselves are essential components of resources.

They transform material available in our environment into resources

and use them.

Classification of resources
Development of Resources.

The Efficient and optimum utilization of resources. Resources are vital for human

survival as well as for maintaining the quality of life. It was believed that

resources are free gifts of nature.

‘Indiscriminate use of resources has led to numerous problems’.

1. Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals.

2. Accumulation of resources in few hands divided the society into two

segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.

3. Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological

crises like global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental

pollution and land degradation.

 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• An equitable distribution of resources has become
essential for a sustained quality of life and global
peace.
• Sustainable economic development means
‘development should take place without damaging
the environment and development in the present
should not compromise with the needs of the future
generations’.
It is essential to have resource planning.
1. If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals
continues, the future of our planet is in danger.
2. Resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all
forms of life.
3. Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global
ecological crises.

Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992

1. The first international Earth Summit was held in June 1992, in
Brazil in which 100 heads of states met.
2. The Summit was convened for addressing urgent problems of
environmental protection and socio-economic development
at the global level. Agenda 21 was adopted in this Summit.
The principles of Agenda 21 adopted in Rio de Janeiro Earth
Summit, 1992.
1. Declaration signed by world leaders at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
2. To combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through
global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and
shared responsibilities.
3. Every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.
4. To achieve sustainable development in the 21 st century.

Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of

resources. Judicious use of resources is known as resource
planning.
Resource planning is so important in a country like India.
1) India has enormous diversity in the availability of resources. There
are regions which are rich in certain types of resources but are
deficient in some other resources.
2) There are some regions which can be considered self-sufficient in
terms of the availability of resources and there are some regions
which have acute shortage of some vital resources.
3) For example: the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya
Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits. Arunachal Pradesh
has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural
development. The state of Rajasthan is very well endowed with solar
and wind energy but lacks in water resources. Ladakh has rich
cultural heritage but it is deficient in water, infrastructure and some
vital minerals. This calls for balanced resource planning at the
national, state, regional and local levels.
The three stages of resource planning in India.
1) Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of
the country that involves surveying, mapping and qualitative
and quantitative estimation and measurement of the
resources.
2) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate
technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing
resource development plans.
3) Matching the resource development plans with overall
national development plans.
India has made concerted efforts for achieving the goals of resource
planning right from the First Five Year Plan launched after
independence.
The two components that may hinder development of an area.
1. Absence of Corresponding changes in technology and
2. Institutional development.
The main causes for colonization of the countries of Asia and Africa by
foreign invaders.
1. There are many regions in our country that are rich in resources but
these regions are economically backward.
2. The higher level of technological development of the colonizing
countries helped them to exploit resources of other regions and
establish their supremacy over the colonies.
3. Therefore, resources can contribute to development only when they
are accompanied by appropriate technological development and
institutional changes.
CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES – It means wise and judicious use of
resources.
The factors that lead to socio-economic and environmental problems.
• Irrational (unreasonable) and over-utilization of resources.
• Gandhiji voiced his concern about resource conservation –
“There is enough for everybody’s need and not for any body’s
greed.”
• He placed the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative
nature of modern technology as 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.
The different steps taken for the conservation of resources at the global
level.
• 1968 - At international level, the Club of Rome advocated
resource conservation for the first time in a more systematic
way.
• 1974 - Gandhian philosophy was presented by Schumacher in
his book Small is Beautiful.
• 1987 - Brundtland Commission Report introduced the concept
of ‘Sustainable Development’ as a means for resource
conservation, published in a book Our Common Future.
• 1992 - Significant contribution was made at the Earth Summit at
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
‘Land is a natural resource of utmost importance’.

a) We live on land, we perform our economic activities on land and

we use it in different ways.

b) It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life, economic

activities, transport and communication systems.

c) It is an asset of a finite magnitude.

d) Ninety-five per cent of our basic needs for food, shelter and clothing

are obtained from land.

LAND RESOURCES
India has land under a variety of relief features.
1) Plains 43% which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.
2) Mountains 30% of the total surface area of the country and
ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for
tourism and ecological
aspects.
3) Plateaus 27% of the
area of the country.
It provides rich reserves
of minerals, fossil fuels
and forests
LAND UTILISATION
Land resources are used for the following purposes:
1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation
– Barren and waste land (Barren land – cannot produce any vegetation).
– Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)
– Permanent pastures and grazing land.
– Land under miscellaneous tree, crops and groves (not included in net sown area).
– Cultivable waste land (land left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
Agricultural year – The time period between one harvest to the next harvest of an
agricultural produce.
4. Fallow lands
– Current fallow - (land left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year).
– Other than current fallow - (land left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years).
5. Net sown area - It represents an area in which total crops are grown only once in a year.
Gross cropped area - Total area sown with crops once or more in a year. It also include the
net sown area
 LAND USE PATTERN

The use of Land is determined both by

• Physical factors – like topography, climate and soil

types.

• Human factors – like population density,

technological capability, culture

and traditions, etc.

Land use pattern in India

Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq km. • Land use data is available only for 93 per cent of
the area. Because: • Land use report for North-eastern states except Assam is not done fully. • Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir (POK) and China have also not been surveyed.
LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA
• The land under permanent pasture has also decreased that
leads to intensive grazing on the limited land which lead to soil
erosion, Land degradation, desertification (unproductive land)
and famine, etc.
• Most of the other than the current fallow lands are either of
poor quality or has high cost of cultivation (require more
fertilizers and other inputs), Hence, these lands are cultivated
once or twice in about two to three years
• Net sown area varies greatly from one state to another. Over
80% of the total area in Punjab and Haryana is cultivated.
Less than 10% of the total area in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram,
Manipur and Andaman Nicobar Islands is cultivated.
• India’s Forest area is far lower than the desired 33% of
geographical area. It was outlined in the National Forest
Policy (1952).
• Forests are essential because
a) For maintenance of the ecological balance.
b) The livelihood of millions of people who live near forests
depend on it.
• A part of the land is termed as waste land and put to other
non-agricultural uses like settlements, roads, railways, industry,
etc.
• Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas.
Land degradation means rendering land unfit for cultivation.
The factors responsible for land degradation.
• Human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and quarrying,
etc.
• Deforestation due to mining caused severe land degradation in states like
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
• Overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation in Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Over irrigation is responsible for land degradation in Punjab, Haryana, western
Uttar Pradesh. Due to water logging leads to increase in salinity and
alkalinity in the soil.
• Grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for
ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust in the atmosphere that leads
to land degradation.
• Industrial effluents (wastes) have become a major source of land and water
pollution.
The steps to check 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 lands.

• Control of mining activities.

• Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and

wastes after treatment can reduce land and water

degradation.
Soil – The loose materials on the top layer of the earth's crust

where plants grow. Soil is the most important renewable

natural resource.

Why is soil considered as a important resource ?

1. It is the most important renewable natural resource.
2. It is used to satisfy our needs.
3. It is the medium of plant growth.
4. It supports different types of living organisms on the Earth.
5. It is the base of our life.
Explain the factors responsible for soil formation.

1. The parent rock is the first factor which provides the basic

material for the formation of soil.

2. Climate breaks the parent rock into small pieces.

3. Vegetation: Plant and animal organisms help in the weathering

of the rocks slowly but continuously.

4. Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions

of running water, wind and glaciers, activities of decomposers,

etc., contribute to the formation of soil.

5. Chemical and organic changes take place in the soil.

Soil Profile

SOIL AS A RESOURCE
Soil also consists of organic
(humus) and inorganic
materials
 CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS IN INDIA

On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation, colour,

thickness, texture, age, chemical and physical properties, the soils are

classified as

1. Alluvial soil.

2. Black soil.

3. Red and yellow soil.

4. Laterite soil.

5. Arid soil.

6. Forest soil.
ALLUVIAL SOIL
The features of alluvial soil.
1. It is the most widely spread
and important soil.
2. The entire northern plains
are made of alluvial soil.
3. They are deposited by
three important Himalayan
river systems – the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
4. These soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow
corridor.
5. It is also found in the eastern coastal plains like in the deltas of the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
6. It consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
7. Regions of alluvial are intensely cultivated and densely populated

due to its high fertility.

8. Alluvial soil contains adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid

and lime which are ideal for growth of rice, wheat, sugarcane, etc.

9. In the inlands of the river valleys - soil particles appear bigger in size. 10. In

the upper reaches of the river valley near the break of slope – the

soils are coarse.

Such soils are more common in piedmont plains such as Duars,

Chos and Terai.

11. Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive

after proper treatment and irrigation.

 Old alluvial soil is found along both sides of the river bank.

New alluvial soil is found in the middle of the flood plains of the river.

According to their age, alluvial soils can be classified as

Khadar (New alluvial) Bangar (Old alluvial)
1. It is new alluvial soil. 1. It is old alluvial soil.
2. Lower concentration of 2. Higher concentration of Kankar
Kankar nodules. nodules.
3. It has more fine particles.3. It has less fine particles.
4. It is more fertile. 4. It is less fertile.
 The features of ‘regur’ (black) soil.
1. Regur soil is also known as black soil.

2. It is ideal for growing cotton, so it is also

known as ‘black cotton soil’.

3. It is made up of extremely fine clayey soil.

4. It is rich in soil nutrients like calcium

carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.

5. Climatic condition and parent rock

material are the important factors to form it.

6. Typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region in the northwest Deccan plateau
and is made up of lava flows.
7. It is found in the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and along the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
8. It develops cracks in hot weather which helps in proper aeration of the soil. It can hold
moisture, is sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately.
 The main features of Red and
Yellow soil.
1. It develops a reddish colour
due to diffusion of iron in
crystalline and metamorphic
rocks.
2. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.
3. This type of soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas
of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the
Deccan plateau.
4. It is found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of
the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the
Western Ghats.
 LATERITE SOIL
The features of Laterite soil.
1. Laterite has been derived from
the Latin word ‘later’ which
means brick.
2. It develops under tropical and
sub-tropical climate with

alternate wet and dry season. It is useful for growing tea and coffee.
3. It is formed due to intense leaching where there is heavy rain.
[Leaching - Removal of organic matter (humus) from the soil horizon].
4. Lateritic soils are acidic (pH <6.0) in nature and generally lack plant
nutrients.
5. It is found mostly in Southern states, Western Ghats region of
Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of West Bengal and North-east areas.
 Characteristics of ‘Arid soils’.
1. Arid soils range from red to
brown in colour.
2. Sandy in texture and saline in
nature.
3. Evaporation is faster, soil lacks
humus and moisture.

4. The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar

because of the increasing calcium content downwards.

5. After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable as in

western Rajasthan.
 The features of forest soils.
1. They are Found in the hilly
and mountainous areas
where sufficient rain forests
are available.
2. The soils texture varies
according to the mountain
environment where they are formed.
3. They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the
upper slopes.
4. In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience
denudation (erosion) and are acidic with low humus content.
5. The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the
river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.
River terrace - bench or step that extends along the side of a

valley.

Alluvial fans - Alluvial fans are triangular-shaped deposits of water-

transported material, often referred to as alluvium.

Soil Erosion – The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing

down.

The processes of soil formation and erosion, go on simultaneously and

generally there is a balance between the two.

The factors responsible for soil erosion.
1. Human activities - deforestation, over-grazing, construction and
mining, etc.
2. Natural forces - wind, glacier and running water.
3. Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming and
wrong way of ploughing.
Types of erosion.
1. Gullies: The running water cuts
through the clayey soil and
makes deep channels as gullies.
The land becomes unfit for
cultivation and is known as bad
land. In the Chambal basin such
lands are called ravines.
2. Sheet erosion: Sometimes
water flows as a sheet over
large areas down a slope
washing away top soil.

3. Wind erosion: Wind blows

loose soil off flat of sloping
land.
 The steps that can be taken to control soil erosion.
1. Contour Ploughing – Ploughing along the contour lines can
decelerate the flow of water down the slopes.
 2. Terrace Cultivation – Steps
can be cut out on the slopes
making terraces. Terrace
cultivation restricts erosion.
Popular in Western and
central Himalayas.

3. 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.
 4. Shelter belts –
Planting lines of
trees. Rows of such
trees are called
shelter belts.

5. These shelter belts helped in

stabilization of sand dunes
and in stabilizing the desert
in western India.
THANK YOU…