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What is a Resource ? Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided, it is : * Technologically accessible, * Economically feasible and e Culturally acceptable can be termed as ‘Resource’. The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an interactive relationship between nature, technology and institutions. Physical Environment (Nature) Human beings interact with nature through technology and | create institutions to accelerate their economic development. HUMAN BEINGS a Fa Technology Institutions On the Basis of Exhaustibility : ¢ Renewable - Resources can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes For example, solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife, etc. e Non-Renewable - The resources once consumed cannot be replaced are known as non-renewable resources, These resources take millions of years in their formation. For example: Oil, Coal etc. On the Basis of Ownership : « Individual Resources - The resources owned privately by individuals are called Individual resources. For example: Plot, houses etc. owned by a person. « Community-owned Resources - The resources which are accessible to all the members of the community. For example: Public parks, picnic spots owned by a community. « National Resources - The resources which come under nation are known as National Resources. All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within the political boundaries and oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the coast termed as territorial water and resources therein belong to the nation. On the Basis of Status of Development : ¢ Potential Resources: - Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised. For example, the western parts of India particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly. « Developed Resources: - Resources which are surveyed and their quality and quantity have been determined for utilisation. * Stock : The resources that have been surveyed, but cannot be used due a lack of technology.Example : Hydrogen and Oxygen from water. « Reserves: The resources that have been surveyed and we can use them with present technology but their use has not been started are known as Reserves. For example: the water in the dams, forests etc. * It was believed that resources are free gifts of nature so, human beings used them indiscriminately and this has led to the following major problems: — Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals. — Accumulation of resources in few hands which divides the society into rich and poor. —> Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation. e Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first International Earth Summit. Why ?: For addressing urgent problems of environmental protection and socioeconomic development at the global level. What Happened : The assembled leaders signed the Declaration on Globa Climatic Change and Biological Diversity. The Rio Convention endorsed the global Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for achieving Sustainable Development in the 21st century. So what is Agenda 21 ? ¢ It 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. ¢ One major objective of the Agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21. So Now we know that Resource planning is important for development. ¢ But mere availability of resources in the absence of corresponding changes in technology and institutions may hinder development. « India has made concerted efforts towards achieving the goals of resource planning, right from the First Five Year Plan launched after Independence. COLONISATION AND RESOURCES ¢ Rich natural resources of colonies were the main attractions for foreign invaders. ¢ Technological development of the colonising countries helped them to exploit resources of the colonised regions. ¢ India has experienced by colonisation that the availability of resources as well as the technology and quality of human resource are needed for proper development. International efforts for conservation of resources : ¢ The Club of Rome advocated resource conservation for the first time in a more systematic way in 1968. ¢ Subsequently, in 1974, Gandhian philosophy was once again presented by Schumacher in his book Small is Beautiful. ¢ The seminal contribution with respect to resource conservation at the global level was made by the Brundtland Commission Report, 1987. This report introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’. ¢ Another significant contribution was made at the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. LAND RESOURCES e Land Resource is one of the ¢ It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport and communication systems. Land is an asset of finite magnitude. BB Pains |_| Mountains CL] Plateaus LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA Determined by both physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types as well as human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture and traditions etc. ¢ Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq km. ¢ However, Land use data is available only for 93% of the total geographical area. (Why?) ¢ 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. General land use categories—1960-61 General land use categories-2014-15 Reporting Area: 100 Per cent 18.11% 45.5% 3.73% 3.50% © 23% 4.9% 3.6% i Forest @ Culturable waste land @ Barren and unculturable waste land @ Fallow other than current fallow @ Area under non-agricultural uses @ Current fallow @ Permanent pasture and grazing land @ Net sown area @ Area under misc. tree crops and groves 
