Resources and Development

Question 1

What is a resource?

Answer 1

Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs provided, it is technologically accessible, economically fesible and culturally acceptable can be termed as a resource.

Question 2

How do humans interact with nature?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

How can resources be classified?

Answer 3

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 status of development - potential, developed, stock and reserves.

Question 4

What the major problems that came as a result of resources being used indiscriminately?

Answer 4

• Depletion of resources for satisdying the greed of a few individuals.
• Accumulation of resources in few hands, dividing the society into two segments (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

Question 5

Why is resource planning important?

Answer 5

An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace. If the trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues, the future o four planet is in danger. Therefore, resource planning is essential for sutainable existence of all forms of life. Sustainable existence is a component of sustainable development.

Question 6

Define Sustainable Development.

Answer 6

Sustainable economic development means “development should take place wihtout damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.”

Question 7

Describe the significance of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992.

Answer 7

In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first International Earth Summit. The Summit was convened for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection and socioeconomic development at the global level. The assembled leaders signed the Declaration on Global 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

Question 8

What is Agenda 21?

Answer 8

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. It is an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities. One major objective of the Agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.

Question 9

Why is resource planning important in a country like India?

Answer 9

Resource planning is important in a country like India, which has enormous diversity in the availability of resources. There are regions which are rich in certain resources but are deficient in other. Some regions are considered self sufficient in terms of the availability of resources and there are some regions which have acute shortage fo some vital resources. For example, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits.