Resources and Development
Discover the vital link between resources and development in Geography. Explore India’s diverse landscapes and the significance of soils, land use, and erosion. Uncover the impact of human activities and natural forces on this delicate balance. Learn about sustainable solutions for resource planning and equitable distribution in this Chapter.
Resources
Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided, it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as ‘Resources’
– Transformation of things involves a relationship between nature, technology, and institutions.
– Human interaction with nature is mediated by technology and facilitated by institutions to boost economic development.
– Resources are not free gifts of nature; they result from human activities.
– Human beings are integral to resource creation and utilization.
– Resources can be categorized based on origin (biotic and abiotic), exhaustibility (renewable and non-renewable), ownership (individual, community, national, international), and development status (potential, developed stock, reserves).
DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES
– Resources are crucial for human survival and quality of life.
– Past belief in resources being free gifts led to indiscriminate use, causing significant problems.
– Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.
– Equitable resource distribution is vital for global peace and sustained quality of life.
– Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation
– Unsustainable trends in resource depletion endanger the planet’s future.
– Resource planning is essential for all life forms’ sustainable existence, a component of sustainable development.
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 Earth Summit, 1992
– June 1992: Over 100 heads of states gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the first International Earth Summit.
– Summit aimed to address global environmental and socioeconomic issues.
– Leaders signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological Diversity.
– Rio Convention supported the global Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for Sustainable Development in the 21st century.
Agenda 21
– Declaration signed at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
– Goal: Achieve global sustainable development.
– Addresses environmental damage, poverty, and disease through global cooperation.
– Emphasizes common interests, mutual needs, and shared responsibilities.
– Major objective: Encourage every local government to create its own local Agenda 21.
RESOURCE PLANNING
– Planning is crucial for resource management, especially in diverse countries like India.
– India’s regions vary in resource availability, some rich in certain resources, while others lack vital ones.
– Examples: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh rich in minerals, Arunachal Pradesh abundant in water but lacking infrastructure.
– Rajasthan has solar and wind energy but lacks water resources.
– Ladakh is culturally rich but faces water and infrastructure deficiencies.
– Need for balanced resource planning at national, state, regional, and local levels to address these disparities.
Resource Planning in India
– Resource planning involves:
(i) Identifying and inventorying resources through surveys, mapping, and estimation.
(ii) Establishing a planning structure with technology, skills, and institutions.
(iii) Aligning resource development plans with national development plans.
– India has made efforts for resource planning since the First Five Year Plan.
– Mere resource availability without technology and institutional changes can hinder development.
– Colonization history shows how technology aided resource exploitation.
– Development in India requires appropriate technology, human resources, and historical experiences.
Conservation of Resources
– Resource conservation is crucial to prevent socio-economic and environmental problems.
– Gandhiji emphasized resource conservation and criticized greed and exploitative technology.
– He advocated production by the masses over mass production.
Gandhiji Said, “There is enough for everybody’s need and not for any body’s greed.”
LAND RESOURCES
– Land is a crucial and finite natural resource that sustains various aspects of life and economic activities.
– India’s land is diverse, consisting of mountains, plateaus, plains, and islands.
– Approximately 43% of the land is plain, ideal for agriculture and industry.
– Mountains cover 30% of the country, supporting rivers, tourism, and ecology.
– Plateau region makes up 27% of the land, containing abundant mineral, fossil fuel, and forest reserves.
LAND UTILISATION
Land resources are utilized for the following purposes:
1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation:
(a) Barren and waste land
(b) Land used for non-agricultural purposes like buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land):
(a) Permanent pastures and grazing land
(b) Land under miscellaneous tree crops and groves (not part of the net sown area)
(c) Culturable waste land (uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
4. Fallow lands:
(a) Current fallow (left uncultivated for one or less than one agricultural year)
(b) Other than current fallow (uncultivated for 1 to 5 agricultural years).
5. Net sown area: The land area where crops are sown and harvested.
Gross cropped area includes the net sown area plus areas sown more than once in an agricultural year.
LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA
– Land use is influenced by physical factors (topography, climate, soil) and human factors (population density, technology, culture).
– India’s total geographical area is 3.28 million sq km, but land use data is available for only 93% due to incomplete reporting from some regions.
– Decrease in permanent pasture land raises concerns about feeding the cattle population and its consequences.
– Many other fallow lands have poor quality or high cultivation costs, leading to occasional cultivation.
– Net sown area varies significantly between states, with extremes in Punjab, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Andaman Nicobar Islands.
– Forest area is below the desired 33% outlined in the National Forest Policy, affecting ecological balance and livelihoods.
– Waste land includes rocky, arid, and desert areas, while land for non-agricultural use includes settlements, roads, railways, and industry.
– Uncontrolled land use has caused land degradation with significant impacts on society and the environment.
LAND DEGRADATION AND CONSERVATION MEASURES
Land Degradation
– Land is a shared resource with past and future generations, providing 95% of basic needs.
– Human activities cause land degradation, worsened by natural forces.
– Deforestation, overgrazing, mining contribute significantly to land degradation.
– Abandoned mining sites and over irrigation in certain states lead to severe land degradation.
– Industrial activities like mineral processing and waste disposal pollute land and water.
Conservation Measures
– Solutions include afforestation, proper grazing management, and stabilizing sand dunes in arid areas.
– Managing waste lands, controlling mining, and proper disposal of industrial effluents can reduce degradation in industrial areas.
SOIL AS A RESOURCE
– Soil is a crucial renewable resource supporting plant growth and various life forms.
– It takes millions of years to form just a few cm of soil and is influenced by relief, parent rock, climate, vegetation, and time.
– Natural forces like temperature changes, water, wind, glaciers, and decomposers contribute to soil formation.
– Soil comprises organic (humus) and inorganic materials.
Classification of Soils
India’s diverse relief, climate, and vegetation have led to the development of various soil types, classified based on multiple factors.
Alluvial Soils
– Alluvial soil is widely spread and essential, mainly in the northern plains, deposited by Himalayan rivers (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra).
– Found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and eastern coastal plains (deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri).
– Consists of varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay, with bigger particles inland near river valleys.
– Classified based on age as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar).
– Alluvial soils are fertile, suitable for sugarcane, paddy, wheat, and other crops.
– Regions with alluvial soils are intensely cultivated and densely populated, while drier areas can be productive with proper treatment and irrigation.
Black Soil
– Black soils, also known as regur soils, are black in color and ideal for cotton cultivation.
– Formation influenced by climatic conditions and parent rock material, typical of Deccan trap (Basalt) region.
– Found in the northwest Deccan plateau, covering Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
– Made up of fine clayey material, with high moisture retention capacity and rich in soil nutrients (calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, lime).
– Poor in phosphoric content and develop deep cracks during hot weather, aiding soil aeration.
– Sticky when wet, challenging to work on unless tilled immediately after rainfall.
Red and Yellow Soils
– Red soil forms on crystalline igneous rocks in low rainfall regions of the eastern and southern Deccan plateau.
– Yellow and red soils are also present in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain, and the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
– The reddish color is due to iron diffusion in crystalline and metamorphic rocks, appearing yellow when hydrated.
Laterite Soil
– Laterite soil derived from the Latin word ‘later,’ meaning brick.
– Develops in tropical and subtropical climates with alternating wet and dry seasons.
– Result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
– Mostly deep to very deep, acidic, and deficient in plant nutrients.
– Found in southern states, Western Ghats, Maharashtra, Odisha, parts of West Bengal, and North-east regions.
– Supports humus-rich forests but becomes humus-poor in semi-arid environments.
– Prone to erosion and degradation due to landscape position.
– Adoption of soil conservation techniques allows its use for tea and coffee cultivation in hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
– Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala suitable for cashew nut crops.
Arid Soils
– Arid soils range from red to brown and are sandy and saline.
– Some areas have high salt content, allowing for common salt production by evaporating water.
– Dry climate and high temperature result in faster evaporation, leading to soil lacking humus and moisture.
– Lower horizons contain Kankar due to increasing calcium content downwards, restricting water infiltration.
– Proper irrigation can make these soils cultivable, as seen in western Rajasthan.
Forest Soils
– Forest soils are found in hilly and mountainous regions with sufficient rainfall.
– Soil texture varies with the mountain environment, being loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse-grained in upper slopes.
– In snow-covered Himalayan areas, these soils experience denudation, becoming acidic with low humus content.
– Soils in lower valley parts, river terraces, and alluvial fans are fertile.
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
– Soil erosion is the denudation and washing down of soil cover.
– Soil formation and erosion typically maintain a balance, but human activities and natural forces can disturb it.
– Deforestation, over-grazing, construction, mining, wind, glacier, and water contribute to erosion.
– Gullies and ravines form when running water cuts through clayey soils, rendering the land unfit for cultivation.
– Sheet erosion occurs when water flows as a sheet over large areas, washing away topsoil.
– Wind erosion happens when loose soil is blown off flat or sloping land.
– Defective farming methods, like ploughing up and down slopes, lead to channels for water flow and soil erosion.
– Contour ploughing, terraces, strip cropping, and shelter belts (rows of trees) are effective erosion control measures.