A Resource is anything available in our environment that is technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable.
Resources are classified into four main categories:
Origin: Biotic (living) and Abiotic (non-living).
Exhaustibility: Renewable (solar, wind) and Non-renewable (minerals, fossil fuels).
Ownership: Individual, Community, National, and International.
Status of Development: Potential, Developed, Stock, and Reserves.
2. Development and Planning
Indiscriminate use of resources has led to global crises like global warming and land degradation.
Sustainable Development: Development should take place without damaging the environment and without compromising the needs of future generations.
Rio Earth Summit (1992): The first international summit to address environmental protection, resulting in Agenda 21.
Land Resources
Land is a vital natural resource because it supports human life, wild life, economic activities, transport, and communication systems. However, land is a finite asset, meaning it is limited in size, so it must be used with careful planning.
1. Land Under Important Relief Features
India possesses a variety of relief features, which are categorized based on their utility:
* Plains (43%): Provide facilities for agriculture and industry.
* Mountains (30%): Ensure the perennial flow of some rivers and provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
* Plateaus (27%): Possess rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels, and forests.
Land Utilization Categories
Land resources are used for the following purposes:
* Forests.
* Land not available for cultivation:
* Barren and waste land.
* Land put to non-agricultural uses (buildings, roads, etc.).
* Other uncultivated land: Permanent pastures and meadow lands.
* Fallow lands: Left uncultivated for one or more seasons to regain fertility.
* Net Sown Area: Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as Gross Cropped Area.
Land Use Pattern in India
The use of land is determined by both physical factors (topography, climate, soil types) and human factors (population density, technological capability, culture, and traditions).
Total Geographical Area of India: 3.28 million sq. km.
* Net Sown Area (NSA): The physical area where crops are sown and harvested. In India, this varies greatly from over 80% in Punjab and Haryana to less than 10% in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Manipur.
* Forest Area: Far lower than the desired 33% of geographical area as outlined in the National Forest Policy (1952).
* Waste Land: Includes rocky, arid, and desert areas, and land put to other non-agricultural uses (settlements, roads, railways).
Land Degradation
Continuous use of land over a long period without taking appropriate measures to conserve and manage it results in land degradation.
Causes of Land Degradation:
* Deforestation: Primarily due to mining activities (e.g., Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha).
* Overgrazing: A major cause in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
* Over-irrigation: Leads to waterlogging and increased salinity/alkalinity in the soil (e.g., Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh).
* Industrial Effluents: Discharge of waste from industries pollutes land and water.
* Mineral Processing: Grinding of limestone for cement industry generates huge quantities of dust which settles on land and retards water infiltration.
4. Conservation Measures
To protect land resources, several steps can be taken:
* Afforestation and proper management of grazing.
* Planting of shelterbelts of plants to prevent wind erosion.
* Control on overgrazing.
* Stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes in desert areas.
* Proper management of waste lands and control of mining activities.
* Treatment of industrial effluents before discharge.
Soil as a Resource: Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is classified into:
Alluvial: Highly fertile, found in northern plains.
Black: Ideal for cotton (Regur soil).
Red & Yellow: Developed on crystalline igneous rocks.
Laterite: Result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
Arid & Forest soils: Found in dry and hilly regions respectively.
Resources & Development
RESOURCES
Types
By Origin: Biotic, Abiotic
By Exhaustibility: Renewable, Non-renewable
By Ownership: Individual, Community, National, International
By Status: Potential, Developed, Stock, Reserve
Development Issues
Depletion for greed
Accumulation in few hands
Global ecological crises
Resource Planning
Steps: Identification > Planning structure > Matching with national goals
Conservation: Gandhiji’s view ("Enough for everyone's need, not for greed")
Land & Soil
Land Use: Forest, Fallow, Net Sown Area
Degradation Causes: Mining, Overgrazing, Over-irrigation
Soil Types: Alluvial, Black, Red/Yellow, Laterite, Arid, Forest
Conservation: Contour ploughing, Terrace farming, Shelterbelts
Key Terminology to Remember
Gully Erosion: When running water cuts through clayey soils, making deep channels.
Bad Land: Land unfit for cultivation (e.g., Chambal basin).
Sheet Erosion: When topsoil is washed away over a large area by water flowing as a sheet.
Would you like me to create a set of practice multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on this chapter to help you prepare for your exams?
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