Everything available in our environment that can be used to satisfy our needs, which is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as resource.
Types of Resource
Resources can be classified on the basis of origin, exhaustibility, ownership and the status of development.
● On the basis of origin, resources are of two types,
viz., biotic resources and abiotic resources.
— Biotic resources are obtained from biosphere and
have life, i.e.; human beings, livestock, flora and
fauna, fisheries etc.
— Abiotic resources are composed of non-living
things, e.g. rocks and metals.
● On the basis of exhaustibility, resources are renewable and non-renewable.
— Renewable resources can be renewed or reproduced by applying physical, chemical or mechanical process e.g. solar energy, wind energy, forest, water, wildlife, etc.
— Non-renewable resources are formed through
long geological time period and cannot be renewed
easily, e.g. minerals, metals and fossil fuels.
● On the basis of ownership, resources are individual,
community owned, national and international
resources.
— Individual resources are owned privately by individuals, e.g. plantation, pasture land, farmland, etc.
— Community owned resources are equally accessible to all the members of the community,
e.g. grazing ground, burial grounds, etc.
— National resources are under the control of nation, e.g. canal, roadways, railways, etc.
— International resource are international institutions which regulate some resources like
the oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles
of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to
open ocean which cannot be used by
any country without the permission of
international institutions.
● On the basis of the status of development, resources are potential, developed, stocks and reserves.
— Potential resources are those resources which
are found in a region, but not yet have been
utilised.
— Developed resources are surveyed and their quality and quantity is determined for utilisation
e.g. coal and petroleum.
— Stock Material in the environment which have the
potential to satisfy human need but human being
do not have appropriate technology to access
these are known as stock, e.g. hydrogen in
water.
— Reserves are subset of stock which can used by technical know-how, but their use has not been started, e.g. river water.
Development of Resources
● Resources are vital for human survival and for
maintaining quality of life. But over utilisation of
resources has led to the serious global problems like
global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental
pollution and land degradation.
● An equal distribution of resources therefore, is
essential for a sustained quality of life and global
peace. This can be achieved through sustainable
development and resource planning.
Sustainable Development
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.
Rio De Janeiro Summit, 1992
● The first International Earth Summit was held in Rio De
Janeiro in June 1992.
● The summit addressed the problems of environmental
protection and socio-economic development.
Agenda 21
● It is a declaration signed at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED) in 1992 at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
● It aims to combat environmental damage, poverty,
disease through global co-operation, etc. It also aims
that every local government should draw its own local
Agenda-21.
Resource Planning
● Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious
use of resources.
● Resource planning is essential for sustainable
development in India because some regions are rich
in one resources but are deficient in other resources.
Resource Planning in India
● Complex process of resource planning in India is
divided into three stages, e.g. identification and
inventory of resources, planning for resource
development, matching the resource development
plans with overall national development plans.
● India has made concerted efforts for achieving the
goals of resources planning right from the First Five
Year Plan launched after Independence.
Resources and Colonisation
● Rich natural resources of colonies were the main
attractions for foreign invaders.
● Technological development of the colonising countries
helped them to exploit resources of the colonised
regions.
Conservation of Resources
● Resources are vital for any developmental activity. To
overcome the problems of irrational consumption and
over-utilisation of resources, resource conservation at
various levels is important.
● At international level, resource conservation was
advocated in 1968 at Club of Rome and in 1987, the
Brundtland Commission Report extensively
mentioned the necessity of resources.
Land Resources
● Land is a very important natural resource. It is limited,
so, it needs to be used with careful planning.
● Indian’s geographical area compries of variety of relief
features i.e. 43 per cent plain land area for agriculture
and industries, 27 per cent plateau which source of
mineral, fossil fuels and forest and 30 per cent of
mountains.
Land Utilisation
Land resource are used for the many purposes such as
Forests, Land not available for cultivation, Other
uncultivated land, Fallow lands, Net sown area.
Land Use Pattern in India
● The use of land is determined by physical factors like
climate, soil type, topography etc as well as human
factors like population density, technological
capability and culture and traditions, etc.
● Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq. km.
Out of this, the land under permanent pasture has
decreased.
● In India, land use data is available for only 93 per cent
of total area.
● Between 1960-61 and 2014-2015 major changes took
place in land use pattern in India. For example,
— Most of the other than current fallow lands are of poor quality and their cost of cultivation is very
high. The pattern of net sown area varies greatly
from one state to another.
— Forest area in India is far lower than the desired
33% of geographical area.
— Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas
and land put to other non-agricultural uses
includes settlements, roads, railways, industry, etc.
Land Degradation and
Conservation Measures
● It is a common problem associated with land
resources which is accelerated today because of
human activities like deforestation, overgrazing and
mining.
● Natural factors like water and wind cause erosion of
top soil.
● Mineral processing is also responsible for land
degradation.
● Measures to reduce land degradation are afforestation, controlled grazing, stabilisation of sand
dunes etc.
Soil as a Resource
● Soil is a living system and supports different types
of living organisms.
● It is the most important renewable natural resource.
Classification of Soils
On the basis of factors responsible for soil formation,
colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical and
physical properties, the soils of India are classified
as follows
Alluvial Soils
● It has been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems i.e. the Indus, the Ganges
and the Brahmaputra.
● Rich in potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are
ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat, etc.
Black Soils
● Black soil is also known as black cotton soil or
regur soil.
● It is found in the Deccan trap (Basalt) region and is
made up of lava flows.
● It is well-known for their capacity in hold moisture.
● Rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and
lime.
Red and Yellow Soils
● It is red in colour due to diffusion of iron particles
into crystalline and metamorphic rocks in low
rainfall areas of the Deccan plateau (Eastern and
Southern parts).
● It is found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Southern parts of Middle Ganga Plain and along
the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
Laterite Soils
● Laterite soil develops in tropical and sub-tropical climate
with alternative wet and dry season.
● It is found mostly in Western Ghats region of Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of West Bengal and
North-East regions.
Arid Soils
● Arid Soil is found in dry areas. In some areas, common
salt is obtained in this soil due to evaporation of water.
● It can be useful for cultivation only with suitable irrigation
methods as in case of Western Rajasthan.
Forest Soils
● Forest soil is found in hilly and mountainous areas where
sufficient rain forests are available.
● It is found in lower parts of valleys particularly on the river
terraces.
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
Soil erosion is the removal of the soil cover and
subsequent washing down of top soil.
● The process of soil formation and erosion go on
simultaneously and there is a balance between the two
process.
● The balance is disturbed due to natural and human
causes.
● Erosion through wind, glacier and water are natural
causes.
● Human has contributed more towards soil erosion due to
deforestation, faulty methods of agriculture, overgrazing,
construction and mining, etc.
● Contour ploughing, terrace farming, strip cropping,
shelter belts can prevent soil erosion.
