UDGAM SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN

Std. X Social Science (2024-25)

Ch.1: Resources and Development Notes

Name: _________________________ Sec.: ________ Roll No.: _____ Date: _______

Q1. List down the major problems created as a result of thoughtless utilization of natural
resources. OR
“Indiscriminate use of resources has led to numerous issues.” Justify thestatement.
Ans. Resources are essential for human survival as well as for ensuring the quality of life.
Considering them as gifts of nature, human beings use them indiscriminately which has led to major
problems like:
a. Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.
b. Accumulation of resources in a few hands, which in turn, divide the society into two sections,
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.
d. Human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction, and mining have led to soil
erosion.
e. Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete, leaving deep scars and traces of
over-burdening.
f. If the trend of resource depletion by few individuals continues then the future will be
endangered.

Q2. What is Sustainable Development? Discuss the measures taken to accomplish

sustainable development.
Ans. Sustainable development means development that should take place without damaging the
environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future
generations.
The measures taken to accomplish Sustainable Development are as follows:
a. Use of Proper Technology: Selection of proper fuel and technology will give better output and
reduce wastage. For e.g.: Drip irrigation system and rainwater harvesting can be used in the
regions with water scarcity. Government should invest in construction of Multipurpose projects
instead of only dams so that there are multiple benefits like development of fisheries, water
transport, flood control and generation of hydroelectricity etc.
b. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Approach: We should use renewable sources of energy like
solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and hydel power rather than fossil fuels to reduce the harmful
effects of global warming and pollution. Water and other resources can be reused keeping in mind
their quality. Plastics, paper, metals etc. can be recycled to preservea sizeable number of resources for
future needs.
c. Promoting environment education and awareness: Topics based on Conservation of
environment like afforestation, methods to prevent soil erosion, steps to preserve wildlife etc.
must be included in school and college level syllabus to make the citizens aware of their
responsibilities towards the nature by way of hands-on activities.
d. Resource utilization as per carrying capacity: There should be restrictions on the overuse of
certain resources like forests, minerals etc. which can lead to their depletion. These resources
need time to redevelop and so laws should be made to use them as per their carrying capacity.
e. Improving quality of life including Social, Cultural and Economic Dimension: Farmers
must be encouraged to use natural fertilizers and carry out crop rotation to regain the lost
fertility of the soil. Use of Organic farm products can improve the health conditions of the
people. Construction of gardens and parks in residential areas for recreational facilities will
improve the quality of life of the people. Government should make laws to reduce air, water,
land, and noise pollution.

Std. X/Social Science/ Ch.1 (Geo.)/ Notes/2024-25 Page 1 of 4

Q3. Explain Rio de Janerio Earth Summit, 1992.
a. Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992, was the first International Earth Summit organized in Rio
de Janeiro in Brazil in June 1992 where more than 100 heads of states met. It was organized to
address urgent economic problems of environmental protection and socio-economic
development at the global level.
b. The assembled leaders signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological
Diversity.
c. The Rio Convention endorsed the Global Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for
achieving sustainable development in the 21st century.

Q4. What is Agenda 21? What are the objectives of Agenda 21?
Agenda 21 is a declaration signed by the world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED). Agenda 21 was adopted at the first International Earth
Summit held in 1992 at Rio de Janerio, Brazil with an aim at achieving Global Sustainable
Development.
The objectives of Agenda 21 are as follows:
a. It is an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease etc.
b. It focuses on global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared
responsibilities.
c. It is a comprehensive plan of action and every local government should draw its own Agenda 21.

Q5. What is Resource Planning? Why is there a need for Resource Planning?
Resource planning is a technique or skill of proper utilization of resources. As the resources are
limited and unevenly distributed over the country, their planning is essential.
There is a need for resource planning because:
a. It helps to identify the various resources present in different regions of the country.
b. It helps in equal distribution of resources among the regions that have acute shortage of it.
c. It helps in the conservation of various non-renewable resources thus reducing wastage of
resources.
d. It enables us to keep track of remaining resources for the future generations.
Thus, resource planning is necessary for sustaining quality of life and global peace.

Q6. (a) What is Conservation of Resources? Why do we need to conserve resources?

(b) What were Gandhiji’s views about conservation of resources?
(a) Conservation of resources refers to the proper management of a resource, to prevent its
destruction or exploitation. The ethical use and protection of valuable resources
is vital for any developmental activities.
We need to conserve resources as:
a. They are available in limited quantity and take millions of years for their formation.
b. They are non- renewable. Their irrational consumption and over utilization of resources may
lead to socio- economic and environmental problems.
c. These resources should be conserved to maintain ecological balance and save themfor future
generations.
d. Hence, to overcome the depletion of resources conservation is important at various levels.

b) Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern about resource conservation as - “There is enough
for everybody’s need but not for anybody’s greed.”
a. He was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the production by the masses.
b. He blamed the greedy and the selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology
as the root cause for resources depletion.
c. According to him the irrational consumption and over utilization of resources has led to the
socio- economic and environmental problems.
d. We can overcome this situation through conservation of resources at various levels. If resources
are used up at the same rate as they are formed, they will sustain for the future generations.

Std. X/Social Science/ Ch.1 (Geo.)/ Notes/2024-25 Page 2 of 4

Q7. “In India, some regions are rich in certain types of resources but are deficient in some
other resources.” Do you agree with this statement?
Yes, I agree with this statement because there are regions which are rich in certain resources but
are deficient in some other resources. There is uneven distribution of natural resources. For e.g.
a. Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural development.
b. Rajasthan is endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks in water resource.
c. Ladakh has rich cultural heritage but lacks in water resource and infrastructure.
d. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh are rich in coal and mineral deposits.
Q8. State the significance of land as a resource.
a. Land is a natural resource of utmost importance.
b. We live and perform our economic activities on land in different ways.
c. It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, economic activities, transport and communication system.
d. It is an asset of a finite magnitude.
e. It is important to use the available land for various purposes with careful planning.

Q9. Explain in detail the methods adopted to solve the problem of land degradation.
The methods adopted to solve the problem of land degradation are:
a. Afforestation – Afforestation is the process of planting trees, or sowing seeds, in a barren land
devoid of any trees to create a forest. It is important because it helps to check the over- use and
destruction of natural forests.
b. Planting of Shelter Belts – Shelter belts are a barrier of trees or shrubs that provides protection
to an area, especially a field of crops. They help to reduce soil erosion caused due to high-speed
winds. They also help in conservation of soil.
c. Control on overgrazing and proper management - Overgrazing is an environmental hazard
whereby the wildlife or livestock excessively feeds on pasture which leads to soil erosion,
decreased water retention and loss of soil nutrients etc. Proper sustainable management
strategies like rotational grazing, monitoring rainfall patterns and providing stored livestock feed
etc. is implemented.
d. Stabilization of sand dunes - Sand dunes, a common feature of desert and shoreline
environments provide habitat for highly specialized plants and animals. Thorny bushes are
planted to stabilize these dunes and protect them from further erosion.
e. Reclamation of waste lands - Land that is degraded due to any type of human activities is
considered as wasteland. Wastelands can be restored through proper reclamation measures and
management. Land reclamation is the process of improving land to make it more suitable for use.
f. Control of mining activities – The government is keeping an effective check on mining
activities across the country.
g. Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can reduce
land and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas.

Q10. Explain the human activities mainly responsible for land degradation in India. OR
Discuss the anthropogenic factor of land degradation.
Continuous use of land over a prolonged period without taking necessary steps to conserve and
manage it, has resulted in land degradation. Human activities responsible for land degradation in
India are as follows:
a. Mining
In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, deforestation due to mining
has caused severe land degradation. Mining sites are dug, drilled, or quarried and abandoned
after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars behind and traces of over- burdening.
b. Processing of minerals
Mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for
ceramic industry generate huge quality of mineral dust in the atmosphere. It retards the process
of infiltration of water into the soil, after it settles down on the land. Discharge of industrial
effluents and wastes cause pollution and land degradation in industrial regions.
c. Over grazing
In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra overgrazing leads to land degradation. During

Std. X/Social Science/ Ch.1 (Geo.)/ Notes/2024-25 Page 3 of 4

 long dry periods, grass is grazed from the roots by the animals which leads to loosening of the
soil and is eventually washed away by rains.
d. Over – irrigation
The states like Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have played a significant role in
making India self - sufficient in food production during the Green Revolution. Introduction of high
yielding variety of seeds, excessive use of pesticides, fertilizers and over-irrigation has led to
water logging which in turn has increased salinity and alkalinity in the soil and reduced its fertility.
e. Deforestation
Deforestation refers to the indiscriminate cutting of trees on a large scale. It leads to erosion and
desertification of land.
f. Faulty methods of farming
The most outstanding methods are wrong ploughing, lack of crop rotation and practice of shifting
cultivation. If the fields are ploughed along the slope, there is no obstruction to the flow of water
andthe water washes away the topsoil easily.
g. Land Pollution
The people in India improperly dispose of their home wastes, industrial wastes and effluents
which degrades the quality of land.

Q11. What is soil erosion? Explain the types of soil erosion.

The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion.
The types of soil erosion are as follows:
a. Gully erosion - The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels as
gullies, thus causing gully erosion. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad
land. For e.g. In the Chambal basin such lands are called ravines.
b. Sheet erosion - When water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope and the top soil is
washed away, it is known as sheet erosion.
c. Wind erosion - Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land. This is known as wind erosion.

Q12. What is soil conservation? Explain the various methods of soil conservation.
Soil conservation is the protection and preservation of soil from erosion and other types of
deterioration, to maintain soil fertility and productivity. Various methods of soil conservation are:
a. Contour Ploughing
Ploughing along the contour lines decelerates the flow of water down the slopes.
b. Terrace cultivation
It is a method of carving multiple, flat leveled areas into hills to restrict erosion. Steps known as
terraces prevent run off and hold the soil nutrients in the beds. This type of farming is practiced
in Western and Central Himalayas.
c. Strip Cropping
The growing of different crops on alternate strips of ground that usually follow the contour of the
land, is called strip cropping. Even strips of grass are left to grow between the crops to break
the force of the wind and to minimize erosion.
d. Shelter Belts
Rows of trees or shrubs that provide protection to an area, especially a field of crops are known
as shelter belts. They help to reduce soil erosion caused due to high-speed winds and also help
to conserve soil.
Q13. Distinguish between the following:
a Current fallow land Other than current fallow land
Land left without cultivation for one or less Land left uncultivated for the past one to five
than one agricultural year. agricultural years.
b Waste – land Culturable waste- land
It includes rocky arid and desert areas which Arable land which is left uncultivatedfor more
are lying waste now. than five agricultural years.
c Net sown area Gross cropped area
It is the total area under cultivation. Area sown more than once in an agricultural
year plus net sown area.

Std. X/Social Science/ Ch.1 (Geo.)/ Notes/2024-25 Page 4 of 4