Resources and Development (Chapter 1)
Complete handwritten revision notes covering the interdependent nature of resources, Rio Earth Summit 1992, Agenda 21, resource planning in India, land utilization patterns, land degradation drivers, classification of Indian soils, and soil conservation techniques.
Loading Resources & Development Notes...
Connecting securely to Google Drive viewer
Key Chapter Highlights & Core Concepts
Interdependent triangle, resource classification, Agenda 21, land use, and major soil profiles
Human beings interact with Nature (Physical Environment) through Technology and create Institutions to accelerate their economic development. Resources are not free gifts of nature; they are a function of human activities.
Classification of Resources
Biotic: Obtained from biosphere with life (flora, fauna, fisheries, livestock). Abiotic: Composed of non-living things (rocks, minerals, water, metals).
Renewable: Renewed or reproduced physically/chemically (solar, wind, water, forests). Non-Renewable: Take millions of years to form; fossil fuels get exhausted with continuous use.
Individual: Privately owned plots/wells. Community: Grazing grounds, burial sites, public parks. National: Up to 12 nautical miles ($22.2\text{ km}$) from coast. International: Oceanic open seas beyond 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Potential: Found in a region but not yet utilized (e.g., solar/wind in Rajasthan & Gujarat). Developed: Surveyed, quantified, and in use. Stock: Potential to satisfy needs but lack technology (e.g., hydrogen fuel from water). Reserves: Subset of stock preserved for future generation needs.
- In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
- Addressed urgent threats of environmental protection and socio-economic development at the global level.
- Endorsed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological Diversity and signed Global Forest Principles.
- Adopted Agenda 21: Aimed at achieving global sustainable development, combating poverty, disease, and environmental destruction through mutual cooperation, shared responsibilities, and local Agenda 21s.
- Deforestation & Mining: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, MP, and Odisha leave abandoned deep mining pits and overburdening.
- Overgrazing: Primary reason in Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, and Maharashtra.
- Over-irrigation: Chief cause in Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP, inducing waterlogging, salinity, and alkalinity in soils.
- Conservation Measures: Afforestation, proper grazing management, shelterbelts, stabilization of sand dunes with thorny bushes, and proper treatment of industrial effluents before discharge.
Mahatma Gandhi voiced deep concern: "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 the root cause for resource depletion. He was against mass production and wanted to replace it with production by the masses.
The National Forest Policy (1952) outlined that 33% of geographical area should be under forest for ecological balance (current forest cover remains below this benchmark). Net Sown Area (NSA) varies drastically: over 80% in Punjab and Haryana, but less than 10% in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Manipur.
Major Soil Types of India
Most widespread and fertile soil; deposited by Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra rivers. Classified into Khadar (new, fine, fertile) and Bhangar (old, contains kankar nodules). Ideal for sugarcane, paddy, wheat, and pulses.
Formed from basalt/lava flows across Deccan trap (Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, MP). Extremely clayey, retains moisture, and develops deep cracks in summers (self-aeration). Ideal for cotton cultivation.
Develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall (Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern middle Ganga plain). Reddish color is due to diffusion of iron in crystalline/metamorphic rocks; looks yellow when hydrated.
Formed under intense leaching due to heavy tropical rainfall (derived from Latin 'later' meaning brick). Low in humus due to high temperature killing microorganisms. After proper manures, ideal for tea, coffee, and cashew nuts.
Sandy texture and saline nature; ranges from red to brown. Lacks humus and moisture due to dry climate and high evaporation. Lower horizons are packed with kankar layer that restricts water infiltration.
Found in hilly and mountainous regions with rain forests. Loamy and silty on valley floors and coarse-grained on upper slopes. In snow-covered Himalayas, they are acidic with low humus content.
Gully Erosion: Running water cuts through clayey soil forming deep channels called gullies, making land unfit for cultivation (known as badlands, or ravines in the Chambal basin).
Sheet Erosion: Water flows as a wide sheet over large areas down a slope, washing away the entire top layer of soil.
Contour Ploughing: Ploughing along contours decelerates runoff.
Terrace Cultivation: Step farming in Western & Central Himalayas restricts erosion.
Strip Cropping: Grass strips between crop rows break wind speed.
Shelterbelts: Rows of trees stabilize sand dunes in western India.
High-Yield Board Exam Questions & Model Answers (FAQ)
Q1. What is Sustainable Development? Why is it essential for resource planning?
Sustainable Economic Development means development that takes place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise the needs of future generations.
Resource planning is essential because resources are limited and unevenly distributed across regions (e.g., Jharkhand has minerals but lacks infrastructure; Ladakh is culturally rich but water-scarce). Indiscriminate exploitation leads to global ecological crises such as global warming, ozone depletion, and land degradation.
Q2. What are the three complex steps involved in Resource Planning in India?
• Identification and Inventory: Involves surveying, mapping, qualitative and quantitative estimation, and measurement of resources across regions.
• Evolving a Planning Structure: Equipping the process with appropriate technology, skill, and institutional set-up for implementing resource development plans.
• Matching Resource Plans: Harmonizing the regional resource development plans with overall national development goals.
Q3. Distinguish between Khadar and Bhangar soils.
• Khadar: New alluvial soil found in low-lying floodplains. It is renewed annually, possesses very fine clayey texture, lacks calcified nodules, and is extremely fertile.
• Bhangar: Old alluvial soil situated further above the floodplains. It contains a higher concentration of calcareous deposits (kankar nodules), has coarser texture, and is comparatively less fertile than Khadar.
Q4. What is Gully Erosion? In which river basin are ravines most widespread?
Running water cuts through the clayey soils and creates deep channels called gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as badland. In the Chambal basin, such badlands are famously known as ravines.
