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
technology andcreate institutions
institutions. Human beings interact
towith nature through
accelerate their economic
development.
Do you think that resources are free gifts of nature as

is assumed by many people ? They are not.

1. Resources are a function of human activities.

2. Human beings themselves are essential

components of

resources.

3. They transform material available in our

environment into
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
 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
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.
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 21st century.
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
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
The availability of resources is a necessary condition for the
development of any region, but mere availability of
resources in the absence of corresponding changes in
technology and institution may hinder 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
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.
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
‘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.

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

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
 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
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
• 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
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
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.

 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.
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
2. Terrace Cultivation – Steps can be cut out on the
slopes.
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
5.trees
Theseare
shelter
calledbelts helped
shelter in stabilization of sand dunes
belts.
and in stabilizing the desertin western India.
THANK YOU…