CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · Geography: Resources and DevelopmentWhat is a resource? Explain in detail the classification of resources on the basis of Ownership and Status of Development with suitable examples.

Definition of Resource\nEverything available in our environment that can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable, is known as a Resource.

1. Classification on the Basis of Ownership

• Individual Resources: These are owned privately by individuals.
  • Examples: Land or plots owned by farmers, urban houses, plantations, pasture lands, and private ponds.
• Community-Owned Resources: These resources are accessible to all the members of a particular community.
  • Examples: Village commons (grazing grounds, burial grounds), public parks, picnic spots, and playgrounds in urban areas.
• National Resources: Technically, all the resources located within the political boundaries of a country belong to the nation. The government has legal powers to acquire private property for public welfare.
  • Examples: Roads, railways, canals, forests, wildlife, and minerals within the political boundaries and territorial sea (up to 12 nautical miles from the coast).
• International Resources: These resources are regulated by international institutions. No individual country can utilize them without the concurrence of international bodies.
  • Examples: Oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

2. Classification on the Basis of Status of Development

• Potential Resources: Resources that are found in a region but have not been fully utilized due to lack of technology or planning.
  • Examples: Wind and solar energy potential in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Developed Resources: Resources that are surveyed and their quality and quantity have been determined for utilization. Their development depends on technology and level of feasibility.
  • Examples: Coal fields and petroleum reserves currently being extracted.
• Stock: Materials in the environment that have the potential to satisfy human needs, but human beings do not have the appropriate technology to access or use them.
  • Examples: Water ($H_2O$) is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, which are rich sources of energy, but we lack technical know-how to use them on a large scale.
• Reserves: Reserves are the subset of the stock, which can be put into use with the help of existing technical know-how, but their use has not been started on a large scale yet; they are kept for meeting future requirements.
  • Examples: River water used for generating hydroelectric power or water in dams and forests.