Class 10 NCERT Geography: Resources and Development Notes

Introduction to Resources

Resources are elements in our environment that satisfy human needs, provided they are technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable. They are not free gifts of nature but a function of human activities, transformed through interaction with nature, technology, and institutions.

Classification of Resources

Origin: Biotic (living, e.g., forests, animals) and Abiotic (non-living, e.g., minerals, water).
Exhaustibility: Renewable (replenishable, e.g., solar energy, forests) and Non-renewable (finite, e.g., coal, petroleum).
Ownership: Individual (private property), Community (common lands), National (public resources), International (oceans, Antarctica).
Development Status: Potential (untapped, e.g., wind energy in Rajasthan), Developed (currently used, e.g., coal mines), Stock (available but unused due to technology, e.g., hydrogen), Reserves (subset of stock, usable with current technology).

Activity:

List items used in your home (e.g., furniture, utensils) and identify the materials used in their making (e.g., wood, steel).

Development of Resources

Resources are vital for human survival and quality of life, but their indiscriminate use has led to significant issues.

Problems Caused by Resource Exploitation

Depletion: Overuse by a few for greed exhausts resources (e.g., fossil fuels).
Inequality: Accumulation in few hands creates rich-poor divides.
Ecological Crises: Global warming, ozone depletion, pollution, and land degradation due to reckless exploitation.

Questions:

How would life change if oil supplies were exhausted?
Conduct a survey in your area to explore attitudes toward recycling domestic/agricultural waste. Ask:
- What do people think about the resources they use?
- What is their opinion on waste and its utilization?
- Collate and present your findings.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development ensures development without environmental harm, preserving resources for future generations.

Key Milestones

Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992: Over 100 leaders signed declarations on climate change and biodiversity, endorsing global Forest Principles and adopting Agenda 21 for sustainable development in the 21st century.
Agenda 21: A global plan to combat environmental damage, poverty, and disease through cooperation, urging local governments to create their own Agenda 21.
Historical Advocacy:
- Club of Rome (1968): Advocated systematic resource conservation.
- Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful (1974): Promoted Gandhian philosophy against mass production.
- Brundtland Commission Report (1987): Introduced sustainable development in Our Common Future.
Gandhiji’s Philosophy: Emphasized sufficiency for needs, not greed, criticizing exploitative technology.

Insight: Sustainable development balances present needs with future preservation, requiring global cooperation.

Resource Planning

Resource planning is critical in India due to diverse resource availability across regions.

Regional Variations

Resource-Rich Regions: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh (minerals, coal); Arunachal Pradesh (water).
Resource-Deficient Regions: Rajasthan (lacks water), Ladakh (lacks water, infrastructure).
Economically Backward but Resource-Rich: Regions like Jharkhand lag due to poor technology and institutions.
Economically Developed but Resource-Poor: Areas like Delhi thrive due to advanced technology and infrastructure.

Resource Planning Process

Identification and inventory through surveying and mapping.
Developing a planning structure with technology, skills, and institutions.
Aligning resource plans with national development goals.

Activity:

List resources in your state and identify those that are important but scarce.

Questions:

Identify resource-rich but economically backward regions and resource-poor but economically developed regions. Explain why.
What resources are being developed in your community with local participation?

Land Resources

Land is a finite natural resource supporting vegetation, wildlife, human activities, and infrastructure.

Land Use in India

Relief Features: Plains (43%, agriculture, industry), Mountains (30%, rivers, tourism), Plateaus (27%, minerals, forests).
Land Use Categories:
- Forests.
- Non-cultivable land (barren, waste, non-agricultural uses like roads).
- Uncultivated land (pastures, tree groves, culturable waste).
- Fallow land (current and other than current).
- Net Sown Area (NSA): Land sown and harvested; Gross Cropped Area includes NSA plus multi-cropped land.

Land Use Patterns (1960-61 vs. 2019-20)

Total Area: 3.28 million sq km; data for 93% due to incomplete reporting in Northeast and occupied areas of Jammu & Kashmir.
Changes: Marginal increase in forest and NSA; decrease in permanent pastures.
NSA Variations: High in Punjab, Haryana (>80%); low in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram (<10%) due to terrain and climate.
Forest Area: Below desired 33% (National Forest Policy, 1952), critical for ecological balance.

Activity:

Compare pie charts for land use (1960-61 vs. 2019-20) and explain changes in NSA and forest area.

Questions:

Why is the NSA low in states like Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram?
How do we feed cattle with reduced pasture land, and what are the consequences?

Land Degradation and Conservation

Land degradation results from human activities and natural forces, impacting 95% of basic needs derived from land.

Causes of Land Degradation

Human Activities: Deforestation, overgrazing (Gujarat, Rajasthan), over-irrigation (Punjab, Haryana), mining (Jharkhand, Odisha), industrial effluents.
Industrial Impact: Dust from limestone grinding (cement) or soapstone (ceramics) reduces soil infiltration.

Conservation Measures

Afforestation and controlled grazing.
Shelter belts and thorny bushes to stabilize sand dunes.
Proper waste management and mining regulation.
Treatment of industrial effluents before disposal.

Soil as a Resource

Soil, a renewable resource, supports plant growth and life, formed over millions of years by relief, climate, and organic processes.

Soil Types in India

Soil Type	Characteristics	Regions	Crops
Alluvial	Fertile, sand/silt/clay mix; Bangar (old, kanker-rich), Khadar (new, fertile)	Northern plains, Rajasthan, Gujarat, eastern deltas	Sugarcane, paddy, wheat, pulses
Black (Regur)	Clayey, moisture-retentive, rich in calcium, poor in phosphorus	Deccan plateau, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh	Cotton
Red & Yellow	Red due to iron; yellow when hydrated; low rainfall areas	Eastern Deccan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Western Ghats	Millets, pulses
Laterite	Acidic, nutrient-poor, leached; humus-rich in forests	Southern states, Western Ghats, Odisha	Tea, coffee, cashew
Arid	Sandy, saline, low humus; kankar layers	Western Rajasthan, Gujarat	Millets (with irrigation)
Forest	Loamy/silty in valleys, coarse in slopes; acidic in Himalayas	Hilly areas, Himalayas	Depends on fertility

Soil Erosion and Conservation

Soil erosion disrupts the balance between soil formation and loss, caused by natural and human factors.

Types of Erosion

Gully Erosion: Deep channels (e.g., ravines in Chambal basin).
Sheet Erosion: Topsoil washed away by water sheets.
Wind Erosion: Loose soil blown off flat/sloping land.

Causes

Human: Deforestation, overgrazing, improper ploughing.
Natural: Wind, water, glaciers.

Conservation Methods

Contour Ploughing: Ploughing along contours to slow water flow.
Terrace Farming: Steps on slopes to reduce erosion (e.g., Himalayas).
Strip Cropping: Grass strips between crops to break wind force.
Shelter Belts: Tree rows to stabilize dunes (e.g., western India).

Exercises

Word Search Answers:
- (i) Resources
- (ii) Minerals
- (iii) Black
- (iv) Laterite
- (v) Afforestation
- (vi) Alluvial
Key Questions:
- Resources are not free; they require technology and institutions to become usable.
- Resource-rich but backward regions (e.g., Jharkhand) lack technology; resource-poor but developed regions (e.g., Delhi) have advanced infrastructure.
- Sustainable development ensures present development without compromising future needs.
- Land degradation causes: deforestation, overgrazing, mining, over-irrigation.
- Conservation methods: afforestation, contour ploughing, terrace farming, shelter belts.

Additional Activities

Create a poster on sustainable development principles.
Map soil types in your state and suggest suitable crops.
Investigate local land degradation issues and propose conservation measures.