Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 3 min read
1. Classification of resources
| Basis | Types | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Renewability | Renewable — replenished naturally within human time-scales | Forests, water, solar, wind, fisheries |
| Non-renewable — finite, formed over geological time | Coal, petroleum, natural gas, minerals | |
| Inexhaustible | Solar energy, wind, tides | |
| Origin | Biotic (from living things) and abiotic (non-living) | Forests, fish / water, minerals |
| Development | Actual (surveyed and in use) and potential (known but not yet used) | Coal mined today / Rajasthan's wind potential |
| Ownership | Individual, community, national, international | Private land / village commons / minerals / ocean beyond 200 nm |
- A renewable resource becomes effectively non-renewable if used faster than it regenerates (e.g. groundwater mining, over-fishing).
2. Land resources
- Land supports agriculture, forests, settlements, industry and infrastructure.
- India has about 2.4% of the world's land area but supports about 18% of its population.
Land degradation
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Soil erosion by water and wind | Loss of fertile topsoil |
| Deforestation and overgrazing | Erosion, desertification |
| Waterlogging and salinity | Over-irrigation without drainage (canal command areas) |
| Mining and quarrying | Spoil heaps, loss of land |
| Excess fertilisers and pesticides | Soil pollution, loss of soil life |
| Urbanisation | Loss of farm land, sealing of soil |
Soil conservation
- Contour ploughing, strip cropping, terracing, bunding, shelter belts, cover crops, check dams, gully plugging, afforestation, controlled grazing, crop rotation.