Q1 What is agenda 21? List its principles?
Ans Agenda 21 Adopted at the first international Earth Summit 1992 at Rio de Janeiro Earth, Brazil
- Achieving global sustainable development.
- Combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities.
- Every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.
Q2 Why is it essential to have resource planning?
- It helps us to use resources judiciously
- It helps to identify the various resources present in different regions of the country.
- It helps in the conservation of various
- It helps in reducing wastage of resources.
- It helps in equal distribution of resources among the regions that have acute shortage of it.
- It helps in keeping track of remaining resources.
- It helps to take care of future generations.
Q-3 In India some regions are rich in certain types of resources but deficient in some
other resources? Do you agree with the statement? Support your answer with any
three examples.
- India has enormous diversity in the availability of resources.
- There are some regions which can be considered self sufficient in terms of the availability of resources
- There are some regions which have acute shortage of some important resources.
For example
- Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh – rich in minerals and coal deposits.
- Arunachal Pradesh – abundance of water resources. Lacks in infrastructural development.
- Rajasthan – Abundance solar and wind energy. Lacks in water resources.
- Ladakh – Very rich cultural heritage. Lacks in water, infrastructure and some vital minerals.
Q-4 What is the main cause of Land Degradation in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh. How can it be checked? Explain.
Ans Overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation
It can be checked by-
- Proper management of grazing and afforestation
- Control overgrazing
Q-5 List measures of controlling Land Degradation?
Ans 1) Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to some extent.
2) Planting of shelterbelts of plants
3) Control on overgrazing
4) In arid areas-Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes.
5) Proper management of waste lands
6) Control of mining activities
7) In industrial and suburban areas- Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents
and wastes after treatment, water degradation.
Q-6 Indiscriminate use of resources had led to numerous problems. Justify the answer.
Ans Indiscriminate use of resources had led to
- Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.
- Accumulation of resources in few hands. It divided the society into two segments i.e., rich and poor.
- Global ecological crises such as, global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation
Q-7 What are the three stages of resource planning in India.
Ans (i) Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country.
This involves surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and
measurement of the resources.
(ii) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and
institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.
(iii) Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.
Q-8 Why is land considered a resource?
Ans 1) We live on land, we perform our economic activities on land
2) We use it in different ways.
3) It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport and
communication systems.
Q-9 Explain some human activities that lead to land degradation.
Ans Human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mining and quarrying
- Mining sites are left abandoned after excavation work is complete
- Deforestation due to mining in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have caused severe land degradation.
- Overgrazing in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
- Over irrigation in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh is responsible for land degradation due to water logging. It leads to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
- The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantities of dust in the atmosphere. It retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil after it settles down on the land.
- In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land and water pollution in many parts of the country.
Q10 What are the uses of forest?
Ans 1) It was considered essential for maintenance of the ecological balance.
2) The livelihood of millions of people who live on the fringes of these forests depends upon it.
Q-11 Define
- Current fallow – land left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year
- Culturable waste land – land left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years.
- Gross cropped area – Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area.
- Resource – Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided, it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable
Q12 What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?
Ans 1) Contour ploughing can decrease the speed of water flow down the slopes.
2) Step or terrace farming controls soil erosion.