ON BASIS OF ORIGIN AND EXHAUSTIBILITY
Renewable Resources:
The resources which can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes are known as renewable or replenishable resources. For example, solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife, etc. The renewable resource may further be divided into continuous or flow (Fig.1.2).
Figure 1.2: Classification of resources
Non-Renewable Resources:
These occur over a very long geological time. Minerals and fossil fuels are examples of such resources. These resources take millions of years in their formation. Some of the resources like metals are recyclable and some like fossil fuels cannot be recycled and get exhausted with their use.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
ON BASIS OF OWNERSHIP
Individual Resources:
These are also owned privately by individuals. Many farmers own land which is allotted to them by the government against the payment of revenue. In villages, there are people with land ownership but there are many who are landless. Urban people own plots, houses and other properties. Plantation, pasture lands, ponds, water in wells, etc. are some of the examples of resource ownership by individuals. Make a list of resources owned by your household.
Community Owned Resources:
There are resources which are accessible to all the members of the community. Village commons (grazing grounds, burial grounds, village ponds, etc.) public parks, picnic spots, playgrounds in urban areas are de facto accessible to all the people living there.
National Resources:
Technically, all the resources belong to the nation. The country has legal powers to acquire even private property for the public good. You might have seen roads, canals, railways being constructed on fields owned by some individuals. Urban Development Authorities get empowered by the government to acquire land. All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within the political boundaries and oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the coast termed as territorial water and resources therein belong to the nation.
International Resources:
There are international institutions which regulate some resources. The oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to the open ocean and no individual country can utilise these without the concurrence of international institutions.
Activity:
Do you know that India has got the right to mine manganese nodules from the bed of the Indian Ocean from that area which lies beyond the exclusive economic zone. Identify some other resources which are international in nature?
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
ON THE BASIS OF THE STATUS OF DEVELOPMENT
Potential Resources:
Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised. For example, the western parts of India particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly.
Developed Resources:
Resources which are surveyed and their quality and quantity have been determined for utilisation. The development of resources depends on technology and the level of their feasibility.
Stock:
Materials in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but human beings do not have the appropriate technology to access these, are included among stock. For example, water is a compound of two gases; hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen can be used as a rich source of energy. But we do not have advanced technical ‘know-how’ to use it for this purpose. Hence, it can be considered as stock.
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. These can be used for meeting future requirements. River water can be used for generating hydroelectric power but presently, it is being utilised only to a limited extent. Thus, the water in the dams, forests etc.
Activity:
Prepare a list of stock and reserve, resources that you are familiar with from your local area.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK