Resources and Development is the first chapter in CBSE Class 10 Geography, which discusses the concept of resources and their various forms. The chapter covers the different types of resources such as natural, human-made, and human resources, and their utilization for the development of society. It also discusses the process of resource development and planning in India, focusing on the need for sustainable development. 

Additionally, the chapter covers the topics of soil conservation and erosion, highlighting the causes and effects of soil erosion and various methods of soil conservation. Overall, this chapter provides an overview of the various resources available on Earth and their importance in the development of human society. The Resources and Development notes cover all the necessary topics that are extremely important for the board examination 2024. It can save you time and will positively affect your result.

Class 10 Geography Chapter 1: Resources and Development

1. Resources 

Everything in the environment around us that can be used to fulfil our requirements, and is technologically accessible, economically practical, and culturally acceptable, is referred to as a ‘Resource’. Human actions also function as resources. Humans are necessary components of resources. They convert the components in our surroundings into resources and consume them.

Classification of Resources

Resources can be classified in the following ways and types:

1. On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic
2. On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable and non-renewable
3. On the basis of ownership – individual, community, national and international
4. On the basis of the status of development – potential, developed stock, and reserves.

Classification of Resources

1. On the Basis of Origin- Biotic and Abiotic

Biotic Resouces: These are taken from the biosphere and contain life, such as humans, plants and wildlife, fisheries, ruminants, and so on. 

Abiotic Resouces: The abiotic resource is anything that is made up of nonliving items such as rocks and metals.

2. On the Basis of Exhaustibility- Renewable and Non-Renewable

Renewable Resources: Renewable or replenishable resources are those that can be replaced or reproduced by physical, chemical, or mechanical processes, such as solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife, and so on. Renewable resources can be further divided into continuous or flow.

Non-renewable Resources: These occur throughout a wide range of geological periods. These resources take millions of years to form. Minerals and fossil fuels are examples of resources that take millions of years to create. Some resources take like metals are recyclable, whereas some fossil fuels cannot be recycled and get exhausted.

3. On the Basis of Ownership- Individual, Community, National, and International

Individual Resources: These are privately held by people. Personal resource ownership includes plantations, pasture fields, ponds, water in wells, and various other things.

Community Resources: These are communal resources that are available to all members of the community, such as grazing fields, burial sites, village ponds, public spaces, picnic areas, playgrounds, and so on. 

National Resources: Technically, the country owns all of the resources. The nation has the legal authority to acquire private property for the public interest. The nation owns all minerals, water resources, forests, animals, and land within its political limits, as well as the oceanic region up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the shore, referred to as territorial water and its resources.

International Resources: Some resources are regulated by international institutions. Beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone, marine resources belong to open waters, and no one country can use them without the approval of an international authority.

4. On the basis of the Status of Development- Potential, Developed Stock, and Reserves

Potential Resources: These resources exist in a region but have not been used. For example, the western areas of India, notably Rajasthan, and Gujarat offer huge potential for wind and solar energy development, but they have yet to be completely developed.

Developed Resources: These are resources that have been surveyed and their quality and quantity determined for use. The development of resources is determined by technologies and their level of sustainability.

Stock: Stock refers to materials in the environment that have the potential to meet human requirements but lack the required technology to accomplish so. For example, Hydrogen is a valuable source of energy. However, we need advanced technology to put it to use.

Reserves: Reserves are a subset of the stock that can be used with the technology ‘know-how’ but has not yet been used. These can be utilized to satisfy requirements in the future. For example, Water in dams, woods, and other sources of water is a reserve that can be utilized in the future.

Read More: Resources and its Types

2. Development of Resources

Resources are essential for human life; however, they have been utilized indiscriminately by humans, resulting in problems such as:

1. The centralized control of resources in a few hands split society into two groups, rich and poor.
2. Consumption of resources to satisfy the avarice of a few people.
3. It has resulted in worldwide environmental issues such as global warming, ozone depletion, pollution, and land degradation.

A fair utilization of resources has become critical for long-term quality of life and world peace. However, its abolition by a few individuals or countries may endanger the planet. Resource planning is important for the sustainable existence of different forms of life and Sustainable Economic Development refers to the development which takes place without damaging the environment, and development happening at the present shouldn’t compromise with the generations to come.

3. Resource Planning

The commonly acknowledged technique for prudent resource utilization is planning. There are locations in India that are rich in certain sorts of resources but poor in others.  There are certain locations that can be called self-sufficient in terms of resource availability, while others have severe shortages of critical resources. This necessitates resource planning that is balanced at the national, state, regional, and local levels.

Resource Planning in India

Resource planning is a complicated process that includes:

1. Identifying and inventorying resources across the country. This includes collecting data, mapping, and both quantitative and qualitative resource estimates and measurements.
2. Developing a planning framework that is equipped with the necessary technology, skills, and institutional infrastructure to carry out resource development plans.
3. Linking resource development strategies with long-term national development goals.

From the First Five Year Plan, released after independence, India has made coordinated efforts to achieve resource planning goals. The availability of resources alone may hinder progress in the absence of equivalent advances in technology and institutions. Resources when accompanied by proper technical progress and institutional adjustments, contribute to development.

Resource conservation at many levels is critical for overcoming irrational consumption and over-utilization of resources.

4. Land Resources

Land is a vital natural resource, but it is a finite property; thus, it is critical to use the existing land for varied purposes with careful consideration. India contains land with a range of relief features, including mountains, plateaus, plains, and islands.

Land Resources

Land Utilization

The following uses are made of land resources:

1. Forests
2. Land that is not suitable for farming
   1. Barren and Wasteland
   2.  Land put out for non-agricultural uses
3. Fallow lands
4. Other uncultivated lands which exclude fallow land
5. Net Sown area

Land Use Pattern in India

The usage of land is influenced by both physical and human causes:

1. Physical Factors: These refer to the factors such as topography, climate, and soil types.
2. Human Factors: The human factors include population density, technological capability, culture, traditions, etc.

General Land Use Categories

Wasteland refers to the land which has been put out for other non-agricultural uses and includes rocky, arid, and desert regions, roads, railways, and so forth. The continuous use of the land resource over a long period of time, without taking appropriate measures for management and conservation, results in what is known as land degradation.

Read More: Land Utilization and Land Use Pattern in India

Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

Human activities including deforestation, overgrazing, mining, and extraction have not only caused land degradation but have also accelerated the rate at which natural processes cause land harm.

There are several approaches for resolving land degradation issues:

1. Afforestation and adequate grazing maintenance.
2. Planting of plant shelter zones.
3. Sand dunes are stabilized by the growth of prickly shrubs.
4. Wastelands must be managed properly.
5. Mining activity supervision.
6. After-treatment release and removal of industrial wastewater and wastes.

Read More: Land Degradation and Conservation

5. Soil as a Resource

The most significant renewable natural resource is soil. Various natural factors such as temperature variations, the acts of running water, wind, glaciers, decomposer activities, and chemical and organic changes that occur in the soil all contribute to the development of soil:

1. Soil takes millions of years to be formed up to only a few cm in depth. There are various factors and forces of nature such as temperature, actions of running water, wind, etc. which contribute to the formation of soil.
2. The parent rock or bedrock, climate, vegetation, etc. are forms of life and time, important in the formation of soil.
3. Chemical and also organic changes also play important roles in soil formation.
4. Soil consists of both organic as well as inorganic materials.

6. Classification of Soils

India has a wide range of environmental characteristics, landforms, climate zones, and flora kinds. These have aided in the formation of distinct soil formations, color, thickness, texture, age, chemical as well as physical properties, soils of India can be classified as:

Alluvial Soils

1. This is the most widely distributed and significant soil. Alluvial soil covers the whole northern plains. 
2. It can also be found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the eastern coastal plains, namely in the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri rivers.
3. These were deposited by three major Himalayan river systems: the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra.
4. Sand, silt, and clay are the components of alluvial soil.
5. Based on age, Alluvial soils can be classified as:
6. Old Alluvial (Bangar): The Bangar soil has a higher concentration of Kanker nodules than that of Khadar.
7. New Alluvial (Khadar): It has more fine particles and is more fertile as compared to Bangar.
8. Alluvial soils are mostly very fertile and contain an adequate amount of potash, phosphoric acid, and lime, ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat, and other pulses crops.

Alluvial Soil

Black Soil

1. These black soils are also referred to as regur soils. These are great for cotton cultivation.
2. The parent rock material, as well as the climatic conditions, are essential elements in the production of black soil.
3. The soil extends southeast along the Godavari and Krishna basins and covers the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
4. The black soils are composed of exceedingly fine clayey minerals. They are widely known for their ability to retain moisture.
5. They are high in soil nutrients such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime.
6. This type of soil is found mostly in the Deccan Trap region and spread over the northwest Deccan plateau and is also made up of lava flows.
7. The soil has a sticky nature and is difficult to work with unless it is tilled immediately after the first shower during pre-monsoon periods.

Black Soil

Red and Yellow Soils

1. Red soil forms on crystalline igneous rocks in low-rainfall sections of the Deccan plateau’s eastern and southern regions.
2. Yellow and red soils may be found in regions of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, the southern Ganga plain, and the Piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
3. The reddish color of these soils is caused by iron diffusion in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
4. When it is hydrated, it has a yellow appearance.

Red and Yellow Soil

Laterite Soils

1. Laterite soil forms in tropical and subtropical climates with alternating wet and dry seasons. 
2. This soil is the product of heavy rain’s extensive leaching.
3. They are mainly deep to variable depths, acidic in nature (pH 6.0), and often low in plant nutrients. This type of soil is generally found in the southern states, the western Ghats area of Maharashtra, Odissa, some portions of West Bengal, and the Northeastern states.
4. The soil supports deciduous and evergreen woods, but it is deficient in humus.
5. This soil is extremely beneficial for growing tea and coffee.

Laterite Soil

Arid soils

1. Arid soils have a sandy texture and are salty in character. 
2. Evaporation occurs faster due to the dry environment and high temperatures, and the soil lacks humus and moisture.
3. Kankar occupies the bottom layer of the soil because of the rising calcium concentration downwards.
4. The colour of arid soils ranges from red to brown.

Arid Soils

Forest Soils

1. These soils are found in hilly and mountainous areas where there is enough rainforest.
2. The valley sides are loamy and silty, whereas the top slopes are coarse-grained.
3. The texture of the soil changes depending on the alpine environment in which it is generated.
4. Fertile soils may be found in the lower valleys, particularly on river terraces and alluvial fans.

Forests Soils

The map below shows the distribution of soil in India:

Major types of soil

Read More: Soil Formation

7. Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

Soil erosion is defined as the degradation of the soil cover and subsequent washing away. Soil erosion is caused by human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, building, and mining, as well as natural processes such as wind, glaciers, and water. Running water breaks through the clayey soils, forming deep channels known as gullies. 

The land has become unsuited for agriculture and is referred to as bad land. Such regions are known as ravines in the Chambal basin. Water can flow in a sheet across huge portions of the slope at times. This is referred to as sheet erosion. Wind erosion occurs when the wind sweeps loose dirt off the flat or sloping ground. Defective agricultural techniques also contribute to soil erosion.

Read More: Soil Erosion

Different Ways for Soil Conservation

1. Ploughing following contour lines slows the flow of water down the hills. This is known as contour ploughing.
2. Terrace cultivation helps to prevent erosion. This form of farming is practised in the Western and Central Himalayas.
3. When a vast field is split into strips and grass is allowed to grow in between the crops. This then splits up the wind’s power. Strip cropping is the name given to this technique.
4. Planting lines of trees to provide cover aids in the stability of sand dunes in the western Indian desert. Shelter Belts are rows of such trees.

FAQs on CBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 1: Resources and Development

Q 1. What is a Resource?

Answer-

Everything in the environment around us that can be used to fulfill our requirements, and is technologically accessible, economically practical, and culturally acceptable, is referred to as a ‘Resource’.

Q 2. Name the types of Resources.

Answer-

The types of resources include Natural, Human and Human Made resources.

Q 3. Why are resources important?

Answer-

Resources are important as without resources none of our needs are satisfied and all the raw materials are obtained mostly from resources.