Resources and Development: CBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 Notes

Must-Remember Key Points

• {"point":"Resource Definition: Anything in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable."}
• {"point":"Interdependent Relationship: Nature, technology, and institutions are interdependent and essential for economic development."}
• {"point":"Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992: Held in Brazil, it was the first International Earth Summit to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development. It led to the adoption of Agenda 21."}
• {"point":"Agenda 21: A declaration signed by world leaders at the UNCED (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) to combat environmental damage, poverty, and disease through global cooperation. Its major objective is that every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21."}
• {"point":"Resource Planning: A complex process involving: (i) Identification and inventory of resources, (ii) Evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology and skills, and (iii) Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans."}
• {"point":"Land Degradation: About 130 million hectares of land are degraded in India. Causes include deforestation, overgrazing, mining, and quarrying."}
• {"point":"Sustainable Development: Development should take place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations."}
• {"point":"Major Soil Types in India: Alluvial, Black (Regur), Red & Yellow, Laterite, Arid, and Forest soils."}

Key Terms and Definitions

Resource

Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided, it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.

Biotic Resources

Resources obtained from the biosphere and have life, such as human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.

Abiotic Resources

All those things which are composed of non-living things are called abiotic resources. For example, rocks and metals.

Potential Resources

Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilized. For example, the western parts of India, particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat, have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly.

Stock

Materials in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but human beings do not have the appropriate technology to access these.

Reserve

The subset of the stock, which can be put into use with the help of existing technical 'know-how' but their use has not been started. These can be used for meeting future requirements.

Sustainable Economic Development

Development that takes place without damaging the environment and does not compromise the needs of future generations.

Land Degradation

The decline in the productive capacity of land for some time or permanently.

Soil Erosion

The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion. It can be caused by wind (sheet erosion) or water (gully erosion).

Classification of Resources: A Quick Comparison

The Process of Resource Planning in India

Resource planning is a crucial strategy for the judicious use of resources, especially in a country as diverse as India. Some regions are rich in certain resources but deficient in others. For example, Arunachal Pradesh has abundant water resources but lacks infrastructural development. This imbalance necessitates balanced resource planning at national, state, regional, and local levels. The process of resource planning in India is complex and involves three main stages:

1. Identification and Inventory of Resources: This is the first and most fundamental stage. It involves surveying, mapping, and both qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the resources across different regions of the country. This creates a comprehensive database of what is available and where.

1. Evolving a Planning Structure: Once the resources are identified, the next step is to create a planning structure. This involves endowing it with appropriate technology, skill, and institutional setup for implementing the resource development plans. It's not enough to know where the coal is; you need the technology to mine it, the skilled labor to operate the machinery, and the institutions (like government bodies or companies) to manage the process.

1. Matching with National Development Plans: The final stage involves integrating the resource development plans with the overall national development plans. This ensures that the exploitation of resources contributes to the country's economic goals and doesn't happen in isolation. For instance, planning for new steel plants must be matched with the availability and extraction plans for iron ore and coal.

Major Soil Types in India

Exam Tip: Scoring with 'Sustainable Development'

Questions on 'Sustainable Development' are very common. To score full marks, don't just give a one-line definition. Structure your answer in three parts:

1. Define it: 'Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'
2. Explain the 'Why': Mention the problems of indiscriminate resource use - depletion, accumulation in few hands, and global ecological crises (global warming, pollution).
3. Mention the 'How': Refer to global efforts like the Rio Earth Summit (1992) and the principles of Agenda 21. This shows a deeper understanding and connects concepts from the chapter.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: What is Agenda 21? A: Agenda 21 is a declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its aim is to achieve global sustainable development by combating environmental damage, poverty, and disease through global cooperation and by encouraging local governments to draw up their own local Agenda 21.
• Q: Differentiate between Stock and Reserve. A: Stock refers to resources that have the potential to satisfy human needs but we lack the required technology to access them. Reserves are a subset of stock that can be utilized with existing technology but have been kept for future use.
• Q: Why is resource conservation essential? A: Resource conservation is essential because irrational consumption and over-utilization of resources lead to socio-economic and environmental problems like depletion, resource accumulation in the hands of a few, and global ecological crises like global warming and pollution.
• Q: Name two methods of soil conservation in hilly areas. A: Two methods of soil conservation in hilly areas are: (1) Terrace cultivation/farming, where steps are cut out on slopes to create flat surfaces for cultivation, reducing surface runoff. (2) Contour ploughing, which is ploughing along the contour lines to decelerate the flow of water down the slopes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions