Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 Resources and Development NCERT Notes Part 1
NCERT Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 Resources and Development Notes, Solutions & PDF
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Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 Resources and Development Complete Study Material Part 1
What is Resources ?
➤ A resource is anything available in our environment that can be used to
satisfy human needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically
feasible, and culturally acceptable.
➤ Resources are not free gifts of nature. They become resources only when
humans use their knowledge, technology, and skills to make them useful.
➤ Human beings are the most important resource because they transform
natural materials into useful products and create institutions for economic
development.
➤ The process of converting natural materials into resources involves the
interaction of nature, technology, and human institutions.
Classification of Resources : -
➤ Resources are classified into four main categories:
i. On the Basis of Origin
ii. On the Basis of Exhaustibility
iii. On the Basis of Ownership
iv. On the Basis of Status of Development
i. On the Basis of Origin : -
1. Biotic Resources : -
➨ Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere and include all living
organisms.
➨ Examples: Humans, animals, plants, forests, fisheries, and wildlife.
2. Abiotic Resources : -
➨ Abiotic resources consist of non-living things found in nature.
➨ Examples: Rocks, minerals, air, water, and metals.
ii. On the Basis of Exhaustibility : -
1. Renewable Resources : -
➨ Renewable resources can be replenished naturally or regenerated within a
short period of time.
➨ Examples: Solar energy, wind energy, water, forests, and wildlife.
2. Non-Renewable Resources : -
➨ Non-renewable resources take millions of years to form and cannot be
replaced quickly after use.
➨ Some non-renewable resources, such as metals, can be recycled, while
fossil fuels cannot.
➨ Examples: Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and minerals.
iii. On the Basis of Ownership : -
1. Individual Resources : -
➨ These resources are owned by individuals or private persons.
➨ Examples: Houses, agricultural land, wells, and plots.
2. Community Resources : -
➨ These resources belong to the entire community and are available for
public use.
➨ Examples: Public parks, playgrounds, grazing lands, village ponds, and
burial grounds.
3. National Resources : -
➨ National resources belong to the government or the nation.
➨ They include all resources within the country's political boundaries and
territorial waters.
➨ Examples: Forests, rivers, minerals, roads, railways, canals, and
wildlife.
4. International Resources : -
➨ International resources are found beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ) of 200 nautical miles and are managed by international organizations.
➨ No country can use these resources without international permission.
iv. On the Basis of Status of Development : -
1. Potential Resources : -
➨ Potential resources are available in a region but have not yet been
fully developed or utilised.
➨ Examples: Solar and wind energy in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
2. Developed Resources : -
➨ Developed resources are those whose quantity and quality have been
surveyed and are currently being used.
➨ Their development depends on the available technology and economic
feasibility.
Stock : -
➨ Stock refers to resources that exist in nature and can satisfy human needs, but cannot be used due to the lack of suitable technology.
➨ Example: Hydrogen as a source of energy.
Reserves : -
➨ Reserves are a part of the stock that can be used with the existing technology but are saved for future use.
➨ Examples: Water stored in dams and reserved forest resources.
Development of Resources : -
➨ Resources are essential for human survival and improving the quality of life.
➨ Earlier, people believed that natural resources were unlimited gifts of
nature, so they used them without proper planning.
➨ The indiscriminate use of resources has created several serious problems.
➨ Natural resources have been depleted due to the greed of a few individuals.
➨ Resources have become concentrated in the hands of a few, creating inequality between the rich and the poor.
➨Overexploitation of resources has caused major environmental problems such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, pollution, and land degradation.
➨An equitable distribution of resources is necessary to ensure a better quality of life and global peace.
➨If resources continue to be overused, the needs of future generations will be at risk.
➨ Therefore, resource planning and conservation are essential for the sustainable development of all living beings.
Sustainable Development : -
➨ Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
➨It aims to achieve economic development while protecting the environment.
➨The main goal of sustainable development is to ensure the balanced use and conservation of natural resources.
Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit (1992) : -
➨ The Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992.
➨ More than 100 world leaders participated in the conference.
➨ The summit focused on environmental protection and socio-economic development.
➨ The participating countries signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological Diversity.
➨ The summit also adopted Agenda 21 to promote sustainable development worldwide.
Agenda 21 : -
➨ Agenda 21 is an action plan adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
➨ Its main objective is to achieve global sustainable development.
➨ Agenda 21 encourages countries to work together to protect the environment, reduce poverty, control diseases, and conserve natural resources.
➨ It also recommends that every local government should prepare its own Local Agenda 21 for sustainable development.
Resource Planning : -
➨ Resource planning is the careful and balanced use of natural resources for sustainable development.
➨ It is especially important in India because resources are unevenly distributed across different regions.
➨ Some regions have an abundance of certain resources, while others face a shortage of vital resources.
For example:
⦾ Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh are rich
in minerals and coal.
⦾ Arunachal Pradesh has abundant water resources but
lacks infrastructure.
⦾ Rajasthan has high potential for solar and wind
energy but faces water scarcity.
⦾ Ladakh has a rich cultural heritage but lacks water,
infrastructure, and some important minerals.
Therefore, balanced resource planning is necessary at the national,
state, regional, and local levels.
Resource Planning : -
➨ Resource planning is the systematic and balanced use of natural resources for sustainable development.
➨ In India, some regions are rich in resources, while others face a shortage of important resources. Therefore, balanced resource planning is necessary at the national, state, regional, and local levels.
➨ Resource planning is a complex process that involves the following steps:
Steps of Resource Planning : -
1. Identification and Inventory of Resources
The first step is to identify and survey resources in different regions.
It includes mapping, measurement, and qualitative and quantitative assessment
of resources.
2. Planning for Resource Development
The second step is to prepare resource development plans using
appropriate technology, skilled manpower, and institutional support.
3. Matching with National Development Plans
➨ The final step is to integrate resource development plans with the country's overall national development plans.
➨ Resources contribute to development only when they are supported by modern technology and effective institutions.
➨ India started resource planning from the First Five-Year Plan after Independence.
➨ To prevent the overuse and wastage of resources, resource conservation is essential for sustainable development.
Land Resources : -
➨ Land is one of the most important natural resources because we live on
it and carry out all our economic activities on it.
➨ It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human settlements, agriculture, industries, transport, and communication.
➨ Since land is limited in quantity, it should be used carefully and wisely through proper planning.
➨ India has different relief features, such as mountains, plateaus, plains, and islands.
➨ About 43% of India's land area consists of plains, which are suitable for agriculture, industries, and human settlements.
➨ Around 27% of India's land area consists of plateaus, which are rich in minerals, fossil fuels, and forests.
➨ The diverse relief features make land a valuable resource for the country's economic development and environmental sustainability.
Land Utilisation : -
➨ Land resources in India are used for agriculture, forestry, grazing,
settlements, industries, transport, and other purposes.
Land utilisation in India is classified into five major categories -
1. Forests
➨ Forest land is covered with natural vegetation and trees. It helps
maintain ecological balance, conserves biodiversity, and provides forest
products.
2. Land Not Available for Cultivation
➨ This category includes land that cannot be used for farming.
⦿ Barren and Waste Land: Rocky, desert, and
uncultivable land.
⦿ Land Put to Non-Agricultural Uses: Land used for
buildings, roads, railways, industries, factories, and settlements.
3. Other Uncultivated Land (Excluding Fallow Land)
➨ This includes land that is not cultivated but can be used for other purposes.
⦿ Permanent Pastures and Grazing Land: Used for grazing
livestock.
⦿ Land under Miscellaneous Tree Crops and Groves: Land
covered with trees that are not included in the net sown area.
⦿ Culturable Waste Land: Land left uncultivated for
more than five agricultural years, but which can be brought under cultivation.
4. Fallow Lands : -
Fallow land is agricultural land left uncultivated to restore its fertility.
⦿ Current Fallow: Land left uncultivated for one year
or less.
⦿ Other than Current Fallow: Land left uncultivated for
one to five years.
5. Net Sown Area : -
⦿ The net sown area is the total area on which crops
are sown and harvested at least once during an agricultural year.
⦿ When the net sown area is added to the area sown more
than once in the same agricultural year, it is called the Gross Cropped Area.
Land Use Pattern in India : -
➤ Land use in India is influenced by both physical and human factors.
➤ The physical factors include topography (relief), climate, and soil type.
➤ The human factors include population density, technological development, culture, and traditions.
➤ India has a total geographical area of about 3.28 million square kilometres.
➤ The net sown area (land used for cultivation) varies from state to state. It is more than 80% in Punjab and Haryana, but less than 10% in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
➤ According to the National Forest Policy (1952), about 33% of India's geographical area should be under forests to maintain ecological balance. However, the actual forest area is still below this target.
➤ Waste land includes rocky, barren, arid, and desert areas that are not suitable for cultivation.
➤ Land used for non-agricultural purposes includes settlements, roads, railways, industries, and other infrastructure.
➤ The continuous use of land without proper conservation has resulted in land degradation, which affects both the environment and human society.

