RESOURCES (VIII SST - GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER 1)

CLASS – VIII – SOCIAL SCIENCE

                         GEOGRAPHY – CHAPTER 1, RESOURCES

MEANING OF RESOURCE

Anything that can be used to satisfy a need or has value can be called a resource.

Water, electricity, rickshaw, vegetable and textbook all have utility and hence are considered as resources.

 All the resources have value or worth. Some resources have economic value, some do not. Some may become valuable only over a period of time.

• Time and technology are  the two factors that that change substances to resources
• People themselves are the most important resource. and discoveries that lead to the creation of more It is their ideas, knowledge, inventions resources.
• Each discovery or invention leads to many others. For example-
• Discovery of fire led to the practice of cooking
• Invention of the wheel resulted in the development of newer modes of transport.

  

TYPES OF RESOURCES:

• Resources are categorized into natural, human-made and human.

1. Natural resources are those resources that are drawn from nature and are used without much modification-air, water, soils, minerals are the natural resources.

• Natural resources are classified into different groups depending upon their level of development and use, origin, renewability and distribution
• Natural resources also called as ‘gifts of nature’.
•  

(i) On the basis of level of their development and use, natural resources can be classified into –

ACTUAL RESOURCES	POTENTIAL RESOURCES
Those resources whose quantity is known.	Those resources whose entire quantity may not be known
These resources are being used in the present.	These are not being used at present and could be used in the future.
For e.g. Coal of Germany, Petroleum in the West Asia	For e.g. The Uranium in Ladakh

(ii) On the basis of origin, the natural resources can be

BIOTIC RESOURCES	ABIOTIC RESOURCES
It includes all the living things.	It includes all the non-living things.
For example- Plants & animals	For example- Soil, rocks, minerals

iii) On the basis of renewability, natural resources can be categorized into

RENEWABLE RESOURCES	NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Those which can get renewed or replenished quickly are called as Renewable resources. They are also called as Inexhaustible resources.	Those which have a limited stock. Once the stocks are exhausted it may take thousands of years to be renewed or replenished are called as Non-renewable resources. They are also called as Exhaustible resources
For e.g. solar and wind energy.	For e.g. such as coal, petroleum and natural gas.

(iv) On the basis of distribution, natural resources can be classified into-

UBIQUITOUS RESOURCES	LOCALIZED RESOURCES
Ubiquitous resources are found everywhere on the earth. Land, water, air are ubiquitous resources.	Localized resources are found only in certain places, like copper and iron ore.

(v) The distribution of natural resources depends upon, number of physical factors like terrain, climate and altitude (height).

(vi) The distribution of resources is unequal across the earth.

2. Human Made Resources:

Human resource refers to the number (quantity) and abilities (mental and physical) of the people.

(i) The resources which are created from the natural resources by the human resources by the human beings to produce useful products are known as Human made resources. Like roads, machinery, vehicles, etc.

(ii) Technology is also a human made resources.

3. Human Resources:

(i) Human resources refers to the number and abilities of the people. People can make the best use of nature to create more resources when they have the knowledge, skill and the technology.

(ii) People are human resources.

(iii) Improving the quality of people’s skills so that they are able to create more resources is known as Human resource development.

CONSERVING RESOURCES:

(i) Conservation of resources refers to using natural resources carefully so that they could be renewed and continue to be used in future.

(ii) Sustainable use of resources refers to carefully utilizing resources and balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future generation.

(iii) It is our duty to ensure that all uses of renewable resources are sustainable.

(iv) The diversity of life on the earth should be conserved.

(v) The damage to natural environmental system should be minimized.

(vi) There are many ways of conserving resources. Each person can contribute by reducing consumption, recycling and reusing things.

    MOREOVER – REMEMBER THESE- REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE (3R)