Ch 1 - Resources and Development (Geography)

Q1. Define Resource.

Ans 1. Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided
it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable is defined as
Resource.

Q2. How does the process of transformation of resources take place?

Ans 2. The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an
interactive relationship between nature, technology and institutions. Human beings interact
with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic
development.

Q3. Are resources a free gift of nature? Explain.

Ans 3. Resources are not a free gift of nature. They are a function of human activities. Human
beings themselves are essential components of resources. They transform material available in
our environment into resources and use them.

Q4. Classify resources.

Ans 4. Resources can be classified in the following ways:
a) On the basis of origin – biotic resources (forests, animals, birds, fish, etc.) and abiotic
resources (air, water, sunlight, soil, minerals, etc.)
b) On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable resources (Solar energy, Wind energy,
Geothermal energy, Water, Air, Soil) and non-renewable resources (oil, minerals, coal,
natural gas, etc.)
c) On the basis of ownership – individual resources (house, car, book, etc.), community
resources (educational institutions, cinema halls, libraries, hospitals, parks, etc.), national
resources (railways, forests, wildlife, etc.) and international resources (seas, oceans, etc. )
d) On the basis of status of development – potential resources (wind and solar energy in
Gujarat), developed stock resources (rivers, lakes, forests, petroleum, fruits, etc.) and
reserve resources (Water in the dams, forests, minerals, fossil fuels, etc.).

Q5. Which problems arise due to indiscriminate use of resources?

Ans 5. Indiscriminate use of resources leads to the following major problems:
a) Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.
b) Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into two
segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
c) Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.

Q6. Define sustainable development.

Ans 6. Sustainable economic development is defined as development taking place utilising the
resources wisely, without damaging the environment such that development in the present
does not compromise with the needs of the future generations.

Q7. When and where did the first Earth Summit occur? What was its aim?
Ans 7. In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first
International Earth Summit. The assembled leaders signed the Declaration on Global Climatic
Change and Biological Diversity. The aim of the summit was to address urgent problems of
environmental protection & socioeconomic development at the global level, endorse the global
Forest Principles, and adopt Agenda 21 for achieving Sustainable Development in the 21st
century.
Q8. What is agenda 21? State its aim.
Ans 8. Agenda 21 is the declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. It aims at achieving global sustainable development and combating environmental
damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and
shared responsibilities. One major objective of Agenda 21 is that every local government should
draw its own local Agenda 21.

Q9. What is resource planning and why do we need this in India?

Ans 9. Resource planning is a strategy for judicious use of resources. It is essential for the
sustainable existence of all forms of life. It has importance in a country like India, which has
enormous diversity in the availability of resources.

Q10. Explain how India has diversity in availability of resources.

Ans 10.
a) The states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal
deposits.
b) Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural
development.
c) The state of Rajasthan is very well endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks in
water resources.
d) The cold desert of Ladakh is relatively isolated from the rest of the country. It has a very
rich cultural heritage but it is deficient in water, infrastructure and some vital minerals.
This calls for balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional and local levels.

Q11. How is resource planning done in India?

Ans 11. Resource planning is a complex process which involves :
a) Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country. This involves
surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the
resources.
b) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and
institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.
c) Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.

Q12. Why is the mere availability of resources not enough for development?
Ans 12. The availability of resources is a necessary condition for the development of any region,
but mere availability of resources in the absence of corresponding changes in technology and
institutions may hinder development. There are many regions in our country that are rich in
resources but these are included in economically backward regions (like Orissa and Jharkhand).
On the contrary there are some regions which have a poor resource base but they are
economically developed (like Punjab and Haryana).

Q13. How has colonisation helped in development in India?

Ans 13.
a) The history of colonisation reveals that rich resources in colonies were the main
attractions for the foreign invaders.
 b) It was primarily the higher level of technological development of the colonising countries
that helped them to exploit resources of other regions and establish their supremacy
over the colonies.
c) Therefore, resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by
appropriate technological development and institutional changes.
d) India has experienced all this in different phases of colonisation. Therefore, in India,
development, in general, and resource development in particular, does not only involve
the availability of resources, but also the technology, quality of human resources and the
historical experiences of the people.

Q14. Why is there a need to conserve resources?

Ans 14. Resources are vital for any developmental activity. But irrational consumption and over-
utilisation of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems. To overcome
these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important. This had been the main
concern of the leaders and thinkers in the past. For example, Gandhiji was very apt in voicing
his concern about resource conservation in these words: “There is enough for everybody’s need
and not for anybody's greed.”

Q15. Why is land an important resource for us?

Ans 15. Ninety-five per cent of our basic needs for food, shelter and clothing are obtained
from land. We live on land, we perform our economic activities on land and we use it in different
ways. It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport and
communication systems. Thus, land is a natural resource of utmost importance.

Q16. Why should land-use be done in a planned manner?

Ans 16. Land is an asset of a finite magnitude, therefore, it is important to use the available land
for various purposes with careful planning.

Q17. Explain the distribution of land resources in relief features in India.

Ans 17.
a) About 43% of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.
b) Mountains account for 30% of the total surface area of the country and ensure perennial
flow of some rivers, providing facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
c) About 27% of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of
minerals, fossil fuels and forests.

Q18. How are land resources used?

Ans 18. Land resources are used for the following purposes:
a) Forests
b) Land not available for cultivation
i) Barren and waste land
ii) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
c) Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)
i) Permanent pastures and grazing land,
ii) Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area),
iii) Cultruable waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
d) Fallow lands
i) Current fallow- (left uncultivated for one or less than one agricultural year),
ii) Other than current fallow- (left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years).
e) Net sown area
 The physical extent of land on which crops sown are harvested is known as net sown
area.
Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as gross
cropped area.
Q19. Define Fallow Land.
Ans 19. Fallow land is the agricultural land that is left for the soil to regain its fertility.

Q20. Define Net Sown Area.

Ans 20. The physical extent of land on which crops sown are harvested is known as net sown
area.

Q21. Define Gross Cropped Area.

Ans 21. Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as gross
cropped area.

Q22. What factors does the use of land depend on?

Ans 22. The use of land is determined both by physical factors (like topography, climate, soil
types) as well as human factors (like population density, technological capability, culture and
traditions etc.)

Q23. Compare the two pie Charts and write the percentage of land under various land use
categories. Also give reasons for their increase or decrease.

Ans 23.
Land use categories 1960-61 Latest Increase / Reason for Increase / Decrease
(% age) (% age) Decrease

Net Sown Area 4.95 % 8.7 % Increase In order to feed the growing population

Forests 18.11 % 23.3 % Increase In order to conserve the nature essential for
survival

Barren and unculturable 12.01 % 5.5 % Decrease Due to new technologies and usage of various
waste land methods to convert it into usable land.

Area under non 45.26 % 45.5 % Increase In order to set up people, settle industries, etc.
agricultural use

Permanent pastures 4.71 % 3.3 % Decrease Due to increase in food demand, population
growth, etc.
 Culturable waste land 6.23 % 4% Decrease Due to increased use for non agricultural and
agricultural purposes

Current Fallow 3.73 % 4.9 % Increase Due to erratic monsoon And Labour scarcity
Q24. Why has land under forest not increased much since 1960-61?
Ans 24. From 18.11% in 1960-61, land under forests is still only 22.57% which is far lower than the
desired 33% as outlined by the National Forest Policy (1952).
Reasons for marginal increase in forest area because of depletion of forests:
a) Increasing population
b) Technological developments
c) Expansion of agriculture
d) Development of transport and communication facilities
e) Overgrazing
f) Felling of trees

Q25. Define land degradation. What causes land degradation?

Ans 25. Damage to the land, bringing down its quality is called land degradation.
Continuous use of land over a long period of time without taking appropriate measures to
conserve and manage it, results in land degradation. This, in turn, has serious repercussions on
society and the environment.
a) Some human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mining and quarrying too
have contributed significantly in land degradation:
b) Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars and
traces of over-burdening. In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and
Odisha deforestation due to mining have caused severe land degradation.
c) In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra overgrazing is one of
the main reasons for land degradation.
d) In the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation is responsible for
land degradation due to water logging leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the
soil.
e) Mineral processing produces large quantities of dust in the atmosphere, which on
settling down on land, retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil.
f) In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land and
water pollution in many parts of the country.

Q26. How can the problem of land degradation be solved?

Ans 26. There are many ways to solve the problems of land degradation:
a) Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to some extent.
b) Planting of shelterbelts of plants, control on overgrazing, stabilisation of sand dunes by
growing thorny bushes are some of the methods to check land degradation in arid areas.
c) Proper management of waste lands, control of mining activities, proper discharge and
disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can reduce land and water
degradation in industrial and suburban areas.

Q27. What is soil? How is it an important resource for us?

Ans 27. Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. Soil is a living system. It takes
millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth. It is an important resource because it is the
medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on the earth.

Q28. Name six types of soils found in India.

Ans 28.
 a) Alluvial soil b) Red and yellow soil
c) Black soil d) Laterite soil
e) Arid soil f) Forest and mountainous soils
Q29. Explain the main factors responsible for soil formation.
Ans 29.
a) Relief, parent rock or bedrock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are
important factors in the formation of soil.
b) Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions of running water, wind
and glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil.
c) Chemical and organic changes which take place in the soil are equally important in soil
formation.
d) Soil also consists of organic (humus) and inorganic materials.

Q30. Draw a well labelled diagram of soil profile.

Ans 30.

Q31. Which is the most widely spread and important soil? Explain.
Ans 31. Alluvial Soils are the most widely spread and important soil. The entire northern plains
are made of alluvial soil.
a) These have been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems – the Indus, the
Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
b) These soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor. Alluvial soil
is also found in the eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
c) The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. As we move inlands
towards the river valleys, soil particles appear somewhat bigger in size.
d) In the upper reaches of the river valley i.e. near the place of the break of slope, the soils
are coarse. Such soils are more common in piedmont plains such as Duars, Chos and
Terai.
e) According to their age alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new
alluvial (Khadar). The Bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than the
Khadar. It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the Bangar.
 f) They are very fertile, mostly containing an adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric
acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal
and pulse crops.
g) Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely
populated. Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper
treatment and irrigation.
Q32. Which soil is also known as Regur soil? Explain.
Ans 32.
a) Black Soils are black in colour and are also known as regur soils. Black soil is ideal for
growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.
b) Climatic conditions and the parent rock material are the important factors for the
formation of black soil.
c) It is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau and
is made up of lava flows. They are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material. They are
well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.
d) They cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh and extend in the south east direction along the Godavari and the Krishna
valleys.
e) They are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime
and are generally poor in phosphoric contents.
f) They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the
soil.
g) These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after
the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.

Q33. How does red soil develop and in which part of India? What makes it look red and yellow?
Ans 33.
a) Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and
southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
b) Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the
middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
c) These soils develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and
metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

Q34. Write the characteristics of laterite soils. Why are they called laterite?
Ans 34.
a) Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘later’ which means brick.
b) The laterite soil develops under tropical and subtropical climate with alternate wet and
dry seasons. This soil is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
c) Lateritic soils are mostly deep to very deep, acidic (pH<6.0), generally deficient in plant
nutrients and occur mostly in southern states, Western Ghats region of Maharashtra,
Odisha, some parts of West Bengal and North-east regions.
d) Where these soils support deciduous and evergreen forests, it is humus rich, but under
sparse vegetation and in a semi-arid environment, it is generally humus poor.
e) They are prone to erosion and degradation due to their position on the landscape. After
adopting appropriate soil conservation techniques particularly in the hilly areas of
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.
f) Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for crops
like cashew nuts.
Q35. Write the main characteristics of arid soils.
Ans 35.
a) Arid soils range from red to brown in colour. They are generally sandy in texture and
saline in nature.
b) In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating
the water. Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil
lacks humus and moisture.
c) The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing calcium
content downwards. The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the
infiltration of water.
d) After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable as has been in the case of western
Rajasthan.

Q36. Write the main features of forest soils.

Ans 36.
a) These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are
available.
b) The soil texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are formed.
They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
c) In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic
with low humus content. The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on
the river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.

Q37. What is soil erosion? Write the main causes of soil erosion.
Ans 37. The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil
erosion.
The processes of soil formation and erosion go on simultaneously and generally there is a
balance between the two. Sometimes, this balance is disturbed due to human activities like
deforestation, overgrazing, construction and mining etc., while natural forces like wind, glacier
and water lead to soil erosion.

Q38. Explain three types of soil erosion mostly observed in India. Mention human activities that
are responsible for soil erosion.
Ans 38.
Three types of soil erosion mostly observed in India are:
a) Gully erosion:
The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels,
called gullies. They make the land unfit for cultivation. Such lands are called ‘Bad lands’.
In the Chambal basin such lands are called ravines.
b) Sheet erosion:
Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. In this case the top layer
of the soil is washed away.
c) Wind erosion:
Wind blows off loose and dry soil from flat and sloping land causing erosion.
Human activities that are responsible for soil erosion are defective methods of farming.
Ploughing in a wrong way, i.e., up and down the slope form channels for the quick flow of water
leads to soil erosion.

Q39. How can soil be conserved?

Ans 39.
 a) Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This
is called contour ploughing.
b) Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion.
Western and central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming.
c) Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow between the crops.
This breaks up the force of the wind. This method is known as strip cropping.
d) Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way. Rows of such trees are
called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to the stabilisation
of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India.

Q40. How was awareness about sustainable development spread through the years?
Ans 40.
a) At the international level, the Club of Rome advocated resource conservation for the first
time in a more systematic way in 1968.
b) Subsequently, in 1974, Gandhian philosophy was once again presented by Schumacher in
his book Small is Beautiful.
c) The seminal contribution with respect to resource conservation at the global level was
made by the Brundtland Commission Report, 1987.
d) This report introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ and advocated it as a
means for resource conservation, which was subsequently published in a book entitled
Our Common Future.
e) Another significant contribution was made at the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
in 1992.