CBSE Class 10 SST: Resources & Development — Geography Notes 2026

Classification of Resources

• On basis of origin: biotic (trees, fish) and abiotic (soil, water, minerals)
• On basis of exhaustibility: renewable (solar, wind, forests — if managed) and non-renewable (coal, petroleum)
• On basis of ownership: individual (land, house), community (parks, ponds), national (minerals, forests), international (oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles)

Resource Development

• Resources developed through combination of nature and human technology over time
• Unequal development: some regions resource-rich but capital-poor; others capital-rich but resource-poor
• Sustainable development: Brundtland Commission 1987: development that meets needs of present without compromising future

Land Resources in India

• Total geographical area: 3.28 million km²; arable land ~52%; forests ~23%; wasteland and others ~25%
• Net sown area: ~142 million hectares; area sown more than once (double-cropped): ~62 million ha
• Land use change: urbanisation converting agricultural land; India loses ~100,000 ha farmland/year to cities

Land Degradation

• Causes: overgrazing, deforestation, mining, improper irrigation (waterlogging), use of chemical fertilisers
• Waterlogging: excess irrigation raises water table; salts accumulate on surface (salinisation); Punjab, Haryana affected
• Desertification: Rajasthan — encroachment of Thar Desert; wind erosion in arid zones

Soil as a Resource

• Soil formation: parent rock + climate + organisms over thousands of years; top 15–20 cm is most fertile humus layer
• Soil erosion: removal of topsoil by water (sheet erosion, rill erosion, gully erosion) or wind
• CBSE important: gully erosion creates badlands (ravines) in Chambal valley, UP

Soil Conservation Measures

• Afforestation: planting trees reduces wind and water erosion; roots bind soil
• Contour ploughing: along contour lines, creates ridges that trap water and reduce runoff
• Shelter belts: rows of trees in semi-arid regions (Rajasthan); windbreaks that reduce wind erosion and desertification

CBSE Map & Exam Tips

• Map: mark types of soil regions on India map; alluvial (Indo-Gangetic), black (Deccan plateau)
• Define: Biotic, Abiotic, Renewable, Non-renewable resources with examples
• Gully erosion and badlands in Chambal: frequently asked 2–3 mark CBSE question