Resources and Development PDF

The process of transformation of things Can you identify and name the various items used in making life comfortable in our available in our environment involves an villages and towns. List the items and name inter -...

The process of transformation of things Can you identify and name the various items used in making life comfortable in our available in our environment involves an villages and towns. List the items and name inter - dependent relationship between the material used in their making. nature, technology and institutions. Human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions to Everything available in our environment accelerate their economic development. which can be used to satisfy our needs, Do you think that resources are free gifts provided, it is technologically accessible, of nature as is assumed by many? They economically feasible and culturally are not. Resources are a function of human acceptable can be termed as ‘Resource’. activities. Human beings themselves are essential components of resources. They transform material available in our environment into resources and use them. These resources can be classified in the following ways – (a) On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic (b) On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable and non-renewable (c) On the basis of ownership – individual, community, national and international Fig. 1.1: Interdependent relationship between (d) On the basis of status of development – nature, technology and institutions potential, developed stock and reserves. Fig. 1.2: Classification of resources 2015-16  playgrounds in urban areas are de facto Identify at least two resources from each accessible to all the people living there. category. National Resources: Technically, all the resources belong to the nation. The country TYPES OF R ESOURCES has legal powers to acquire even private property for public good. You might have seen On the Basis of Origin roads, canals, railways being constructed on Biotic Resources: These are obtained from fields owned by some individuals. Urban biosphere and have life such as human beings, Development Authorities get empowered by the flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc. government to acquire land. All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within Abiotic Resources: All those things which are the political boundaries and oceanic area upto composed of non-living things are called abiotic 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the coast resources. For example, rocks and metals. termed as territorial water and resources therein belong to the nation. On the Basis of Exhaustibility Renewable Resources: The resources Inter national Resources: There ar e which can be renewed or reproduced by international institutions which regulate some physical, chemical or mechanical processes resources. The oceanic resources beyond 200 are known as renewable or replenishable nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to open ocean and no individual resources. For example, solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife, etc. The country can utilise these without the concurrence of international institutions. renewable resource may further be divided into continuous or flow (Fig.1.2). Non-Renewable Resources: These occur over a very long geological time. Minerals and fossil Do you know that India has got the right to fuels are examples of such resources. These mine manganese nodules from the bed of resources take millions of years in their the Indian Ocean from that area which lies formation. Some of the resources like metals beyond the exclusive economic zone. Identify are recyclable and some like fossil fuels cannot some other resources which are international be recycled and get exhausted with their use. in nature. On the Basis of Ownership On the Basis of the Status of Development Individual Resources: These are also owned Potential Resources: Resources which are privately by individuals. Many farmers own found in a region, but have not been utilised. land which is allotted to them by government For example, the western parts of India against the payment of revenue. In villages particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have there are people with land ownership but there enormous potential for the development of wind are many who are landless. Urban people own and solar energy, but so far these have not been plots, houses and other property. Plantation, developed properly. pasture lands, ponds, water in wells etc. are Developed Resources: Resources which are some of the examples of resources ownership surveyed and their quality and quantity have by individuals. Make a list of resources owned been determined for utilisation. The by your household. development of resources depends on Community Owned Resources: There are technology and level of their feasibility. resources which are accessible to all the Stock: Materials in the environment which members of the community. Village commons have the potential to satisfy human needs but (grazing grounds, burial grounds, village human beings do not have the appropriate ponds, etc.) public parks, picnic spots, technology to access these, are included among 2 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II 2015-16 stock. For example, water is a compound of An equitable distribution of resources has two inflammable gases; hydrogen and oxygen, become essential for a sustained quality of life which can be used as a rich source of energy. and global peace. If the present trend of resource But we do not have the required technical depletion by a few individuals and countries ‘know-how’ to use them for this purpose. continues, the future of our planet is in danger. Hence, it can be considered as stock. Therefore, resource planning is essential for Reserves are the subset of the stock, which sustainable existence of all forms of life. can be put into use with the help of existing Sustainable existence is a component of technical ‘know-how’ but their use has not sustainable development. been started. These can be used for meeting future requirements. River water can be used Sustainable development for generating hydroelectric power but Sustainable economic development means presently, it is being utilised only to a limited ‘development should take place without extent. Thus, the water in the dams, forests etc. damaging the environment, and development is a reserve which can be used in the future. in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.’ Prepare a list of stock and reserve, resources that you are familiar with from your local area. Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first Resources are vital for human survival as well International Earth Summit. The Summit was as for maintaining the quality of life. It was convened for addressing urgent problems of believed that resources are free gifts of nature. environmental protection and socio- As a result, human beings used them economic development at the global level. indiscriminately and this has led to the The assembled leaders signed the following major problems. Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Depletion of resources for satisfying the Biological Diversity. The Rio Convention greed of few individuals. endorsed the global Forest Principles and Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, adopted Agenda 21 for achieving in turn, divided the society into two segments Sustainable Development in the 21st century. i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor. Agenda 21 Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global It is the declaration signed by world leaders warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental in 1992 at the United Nations Conference pollution and land degradation. on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims at achieving global sustainable 1. Imagine, if the oil supply gets exhausted development. It is an agenda to combat one day, how would this affect our life style? environmental damage, poverty, disease 2. Plan a survey in your colony/village to through global co-operation on common investigate people’s attitude towards interests, mutual needs and shared recycling of the domestic/agricultural responsibilities. One major objective of the wastes. Ask questions about : Agenda 21 is that every local government (a) What do they think about resources should draw its own local Agenda 21. they use? (b) What is their opinion about the RESOURCE PLANNING wastes, and its utilisation? (c) Collage your results. Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources. It has importance RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 3 2015-16 in a country like India, which has enormous The availability of resources is a necessary diversity in the availability of resources. There condition for the development of any region, but are regions which are rich in certain types of mere availability of resources in the absence of resources but are deficient in some other corresponding changes in technology and resources. There are some regions which can institutions may hinder development. There are be considered self sufficient in terms of the many regions in our country that are rich in availability of resources and there are some resources but these are included in economically regions which have acute shortage of some vital backward regions. On the contrary there are resources. For example, the states of some regions which have a poor resource base Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya but they are economically developed. Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits. Can you name some resource rich but Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water economically backward regions and some resources but lacks in infrastructural resource poor but economically developed development. The state of Rajasthan is very well regions? Give reasons for such a situation. endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks The history of colonisation reveals that rich in water resources. The cold desert of Ladakh is relatively isolated from the rest of the resources in colonies were the main attractions country. It has very rich cultural heritage but for the foreign invaders. It was primarily the higher level of technological development of the it is deficient in water, infrastructure and some vital minerals. This calls for balanced resource colonising countries that helped them to exploit resources of other regions and establish planning at the national, state, regional and local levels. their supremacy over the colonies. Therefore, resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate technological development and institutional Prepare a list of resources found in your state changes. India has experienced all this in and also identify the resources that are different phases of colonisation. Therefore, in important but deficit in your state. India, development, in general, and resource development in particular does not only involve Resource Planning in India the availability of resources, but also the technology, quality of human resources and Resource planning is a complex process which involves : (i) identification and inventory of the historical experiences of the people. resources across the regions of the country. Conservation of Resources: Resources are This involves surveying, mapping and vital for any developmental activity. But qualitative and quantitative estimation and irrational consumption and over-utilisation measurement of the resources. (ii) Evolving a of resources may lead to socio-economic and planning structure endowed with appropriate environmental problems. To overcome these technology, skill and institutional set up for problems, resource conservation at various implementing resource development plans. (iii) levels is important. This had been the main Matching the resource development plans with concern of the leaders and thinkers in the overall national development plans. past. For example, Gandhiji was very apt in India has made concerted efforts for achieving voicing his concern about resource the goals of resource planning right from the First conservation in these words: “There is enough Five Year Plan launched after Independence. for everybody’s need and not for any body’s greed.” He placed the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern What resources are being developed in your technology as the root cause for resource surroundings by the community/village depletion at the global level. He was against panchayats/ward level communities with the mass production and wanted to replace it with help of community participation? the production by the masses. 4 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II 2015-16  At the international level, the Club of Rome LAND UTILISATION advocated resource conservation for the first Land resources are used for the following time in a more systematic way in 1968. Subsequently, in 1974, Gandhian philosophy purposes: was once again presented by Schumacher 1. Forests in his book Small is Beautiful. The seminal 2. Land not available for cultivation contribution with respect to resource (a) Barren and waste land conservation at the global level was made (b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. by the Brundtland Commission Report, 1987. buildings, roads, factories, etc. This report introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ and advocated 3. Other uncultivated land (excluding it as a means for resource conservation, fallow land) which was subsequently published in a book (a) Permanent pastures and grazing land, entitled Our Common Future. Another (b) Land under miscellaneous tree crops significant contribution was made at the Earth groves (not included in net sown area), Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. (c) Cultruable waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years). LAND R ESOURCES 4. Fallow lands We live on land, we perform our economic (a) Current fallow-(left without cultivation for activities on land and we use it in different ways. one or less than one agricultural year), Thus, land is a natural resource of utmost (b) Other than current fallow-(left importance. It supports natural vegetation, wild uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 life, human life, economic activities, transport agricultural years). and communication systems. However, land is 5. Net sown area an asset of a finite magnitude, therefore, it is Area sown more than once in an important to use the available land for various agricultural year plus net sown area is purposes with careful planning. known as gross cropped area. India has land under a variety of relief features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains LAND USE P ATTERN IN I NDIA and islands. About 43 per cent of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture The use of land is determined both by physical and industry. Mountains account for 30 per factors such as topography, climate, soil types cent of the total surface area of the country and as well as human factors such as population ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide density, technological capability and culture facilities for tourism and ecological aspects. and traditions etc. About 27 per cent of the area of the country is Total geographical area of India is 3.28 the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves million sq km. Land use data, however, is of minerals, fossil fuels and forests. available only for 93 per cent of the total geographical area because the land use reporting for most of the north-east states except Assam has not been done fully. Moreover, some areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have also not been surveyed. Try to do a comparison between the two pie charts (Fig. 1.4 ) given for land use and find out why the net sown area and the land under forests have changed from 1960-61 Fig 1.3: India : Land under important Relief Features to 2008-09 very marginally. RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 5 2015-16  Source : Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, 2008-09 Fig. 1.4 The land under permanent pasture has Policy (1952). It was considered essential for also decreased. How are we able to feed our maintenance of the ecological balance. The huge cattle population on this pasture land livelihood of millions of people who live on and what are the consequences of it? Most of the fringes of these forests depends upon it. the other than the current fallow lands are either A part of the land is termed as waste land of poor quality or the cost of cultivation of such and land put to other non-agricultural uses. land is very high. Hence, these lands are Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert cultivated once or twice in about two to three areas and land put to other non-agricultural years and if these are included in the net sown uses includes settlements, roads, railways, area then the percentage of NSA in India comes industry etc. Continuous use of land over a to about 54 per cent of the total reporting area. long period of time without taking The pattern of net sown area varies greatly appropriate measures to conserve and from one state to another. It is over 80 per cent manage it, has resulted in land degradation. of the total area in Punjab and Haryana and less This, in turn, has serious repercussions on than 10 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, society and the environment. Manipur and Andaman Nicobar Islands. LAND D EGRADA TION AND CONSERVA TION Find out reasons for the low proportion of MEASURES net sown area in these states. We have shared our land with the past Forest area in the country is far lower than generations and will have to do so with the the desired 33 per cent of geographical area, future generations too. Ninety-five per cent of as it was outlined in the National Forest our basic needs for food, shelter and clothing 6 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II 2015-16 are obtained from land. Human activities have alkalinity in the soil. The mineral processing like not only brought about degradation of land grinding of limestone for cement industry and but have also aggravated the pace of natural calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry forces to cause damage to land. generate huge quantity of dust in the At present, there are about 130 million atmosphere. It retards the process of infiltration hectares of degraded land in India. of water into the soil after it settles down on the land. In recent years, industrial effluents as Approximately, 28 per cent of it belongs to the waste have become a major source of land and category of forest degraded area, 56 per cent water pollution in many parts of the country. of it is water eroded area and the rest is affected There are many ways to solve the problems by saline and alkaline deposits. Some human of land degradation. Afforestation and proper activities such as deforestation, over grazing, management of grazing can help to some extent. mining and quarrying too have contributed Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on significantly in land degradation. over grazing, stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes are some of the methods to check land degradation. 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. SOIL AS A RESOURCE Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is the medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on Top soil the upper soil layer Subsoil weathered rocks sand and silt clay Fig. 1.5 Substratum weathered parent rock material 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. In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra Unweathered overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land parent bed rock degradation. 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 Fig. 1.6: Soil Profile RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 7 2015-16 the earth. The soil is a living system. It takes reaches of the river valley i.e. near the place of millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in the break of slope, the soils are coarse. Such depth. Relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, soils are more common in piedmont plains vegetation and other forms of life and time are such as Duars, Chos and Terai. important factors in the formation of soil. Apart from the size of their grains or Various forces of nature such as change in components, soils are also described on the temperature, actions of running water, wind and basis of their age. According to their age alluvial glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) to the formation of soil. Chemical and organic and new alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has changes which take place in the soil are equally higher concentration of kanker nodules than important. Soil also consists of organic (humus) the Khadar. It has more fine particles and is and inorganic materials (Fig. 1.6). more fertile than the bangar. On the basis of the factors responsible for Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile. soil formation, colour, thickness, texture, age, Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion chemical and physical properties, the soils of of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are India can be classified in different types. ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat Classification of Soils and other cereal and pulse crops. Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively India has varied relief features, landforms, cultivated and densely populated. Soils in the climatic realms and vegetation types. These drier areas are more alkaline and can be have contributed in the development of various productive after proper treatment and irrigation. types of soils. Black Soil Alluvial Soils These soils are black in colour and are also This is the most widely spread and important known as regur soils. Black soil is ideal for soil. In fact, the entire northern plains are made growing cotton and is also known as black of alluvial soil. These have been deposited by cotton soil. It is believed that climatic condition three important Himalayan river systems– the along with the parent rock material are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. These important factors for the formation of black soil. soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap through a narrow corridor. Alluvial soil is also (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan found in the eastern coastal plains particularly plateau and is made up of lava flows. They in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers. Fig. 1.7: Alluvial Soil The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. As we move inlands towards the river valleys, soil particles appear some what bigger in size. In the upper Fig. 1.8: Black Soil 8 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II 2015-16 India: Major Soil Types RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 9 2015-16 Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the soil is low because most of the micro extend in the south east direction along the organisms, particularly the decomposers, like Godavari and the Krishna valleys. bacteria, get destroyed due to high The black soils are made up of extremely temperature. Laterite soils are suitable for fine i.e. clayey material. They are well-known cultivation with adequate doses of manures for their capacity to hold moisture. In addition, and fertilizers. These soils are mainly found in they are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime. These Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Odisha and soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents. Assam. After adopting appropriate soil They develop deep cracks during hot weather, conservation techniques particularly in the hilly which helps in the proper aeration of the soil. areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to this soil is very useful for growing tea and work on unless tilled immediately after the first coffee. Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra shower or during the pre-monsoon period. Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for crops like cashew nut. Red and Yellow Soils Arid Soils Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks Arid soils range from red to brown in colour. They in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and are generally sandy in texture and saline in southern parts of the Deccan plateau. Yelllow nature. In some areas the salt content is very and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha, high and common salt is obtained by evaporating Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle the water. Due to the dry climate, high Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil the Western Ghats. These soils develop a lacks humus and moisture. The lower horizons reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks the increasing calcium content downwards. The yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form. Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons Laterite Soil restrict the infiltration of water. After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable as has Laterite has been derived from the Latin word been in the case of western Rajasthan. ‘later’ which means brick. The laterite soil develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall. This is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain. Humus content of Fig. 1.10: Arid Soil Forest Soils These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain Fig. 1.9: Laterite Soil forests are available. The soils texture varies 10 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II 2015-16 according to the mountain environment where they are formed. They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes. 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. Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion. The processes of soil formation and Fig. 1.12: Gully Erosion erosion, go on simultaneously and generally there is a balance between the two. Sometimes, water flows as a sheet over large areas down a this balance is disturbed due to human slope. In such cases the top soil is washed away. activities like deforestation, over-grazing, This is known as sheet erosion. Wind blows construction and mining etc., while natural loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind forces like wind, glacier and water lead to soil erosion. Soil erosion is also caused due to erosion. The running water cuts through the defective methods of farming. Ploughing in a clayey soils and makes deep channels as wrong way i.e. up and down the slope form gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation channels for the quick flow of water leading to and is known as bad land. In the Chambal soil erosion. basin such lands are called ravines. Sometimes Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing. Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. Western and central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming. 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. 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 Fig. 1.11: Soil Erosion western India. State of India’s Environment The village of Sukhomajri and the district of Jhabua have shown that it is possible to reverse land degradation. Tree density in Sukhomajri increased from 13 per hectare in 1976 to 1,272 per hectare in 1992; Regeneration of the environment leads to economic well-being, as a result of greater resource availability, improved agriculture and animal care, and RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 11 2015-16  consequently, increased incomes. Average annual household income in Sukhomajri ranged from Rs 10,000-15,000 between 1979 and 1984; People’s management is essential for ecological restoration. With people being made the decision-makers by the Madhya Pradesh government, 2.9 million hectares or about 1 per cent of India’s land area, are being greened across the state through watershed management. Source: The Citizens’ Fifth Report,1999 Centre of Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi E XERCISES E XERCISES EXERCISES EXERCISES E XERCISES 1. Multiple choice questions. (i) Which one of the following type of resource is iron ore? (a) Renewable (c) Flow (b) Biotic (d) Non-renewable (ii) Under which of the following type of resource can tidal energy be put? (a) Replenishable (c) Abiotic (b) Human-made (d) Non-recyclable (iii) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab? (a) Intensive cultivation (c) Over irrigation (b) Deforestation (d) Overgrazing (iv) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised? (a) Punjab (c) Haryana (b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh (d) Uttarakhand (v) In which of the following states is black soil found? (a) Jammu and Kashmir (c) Rajasthan (b) Gujarat (d) Jharkhand 12 CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II 2015-16 2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. (i) Name three states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it. (ii) What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main features of this type of soil. (iii) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas? (iv) What are the biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples. 3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words. (i) Explain land use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not increased much since 1960-61? (ii) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources? P ROJECT/A CTIVITY 1. Make a project showing consumption and conservation of resources in your locality. 2. Have a discussion in the class – how to conserve various resources used in your school. 3. Imagine if oil supplies get exhausted, how will this affect our life style? 4. Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the hidden answers. S F G S F O B R O M S U A P J Q G A F F O R E S T A T I O N P N R E C P R S L D M I L N F S N A T Q X U O V A I O L A L O D E I D R J U J L D B N B D T G H M I N E R A L S A X M W B V J K M E D C R U P F M H R L A T E R I T E M V A Z T V L A B Z O E N M F T I S D L R C C G N N S Z I O P A X T Y J H K J G K D T D C S L S E G E W (i) Natural endowments in the for m of land, water, vegetation and minerals. (ii) A type of non-renewable resource. (iii) Soil with high water retaining capacity. (iv) Intensively leached soils of the monsoon climate. (v) Plantation of trees on a large scale to check soil erosion. (vi) The Great Plains of India are made up of these soils. RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT 13 2015-16