Class 8 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 Question Answer | Resources | English Medium

Class 8 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 Question Answer | Resources | English Medium | ASSEB

Resources

Welcome to HSLC Guru! In this lesson, we explore Class 8 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 — Resources from the ASSEB (Assam State School Education Board) curriculum. This chapter introduces students to the meaning, types, and classification of resources, the importance of conserving them, and the global commitment to sustainable development through Agenda 21. The notes below include a clear summary, complete textbook question answers, additional practice questions, and a glossary to help you master the chapter for exams.

Summary

Anything available in our environment that can be used to satisfy human needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable, is called a resource. The substances themselves do not become resources until human beings find a use for them. For example, coal lying underground was not a resource until people learned to mine and burn it for energy. Therefore, the value of a resource is closely linked to utility. Utility may be of three kinds — time utility (a thing becomes useful at a particular time, such as warm clothes in winter), place utility (a thing becomes useful at a particular place, such as petroleum at a refinery), and form utility (a thing becomes useful when its form is changed, such as cotton woven into cloth).

Resources are broadly classified into three groups — natural resources, human-made resources, and human resources. Natural resources are those obtained directly from nature, such as soil, water, air, sunlight, forests, and minerals. They are further divided on the basis of exhaustibility into renewable resources (such as solar energy, wind, water, and forests) which can be replenished, and non-renewable resources (such as coal, petroleum, and minerals) which take millions of years to form. On the basis of origin, natural resources are biotic (obtained from living things — plants, animals, fish, fossil fuels) and abiotic (obtained from non-living things — air, water, minerals, rocks). On the basis of status of development, they are potential resources (whose entire quantity has not been fully utilised, e.g., uranium in Ladakh), developed resources (surveyed, evaluated and being used), stock (materials available but humans lack the technology to use them, e.g., hydrogen and oxygen in water as a source of energy) and reserve (a part of stock that can be used with existing technology in the future, e.g., water in dams used for hydroelectricity).

Resources are also classified on the basis of distribution as ubiquitous (found everywhere, like air) and localised (found in particular regions, like copper or iron ore). Human-made resources are those created by people using natural raw materials — bridges, machines, buildings, vehicles, medicines and technology. Human resources refer to the number and abilities of people; education, health, and skills make humans the most important resource because they convert physical materials into valuable items. The unequal distribution of resources is due to differences in physical factors such as terrain, climate and altitude.

Because resources are limited and human wants are unlimited, conservation is essential. Conservation means using resources carefully and giving them time to renew. The best way is the judicious use of resources combined with sustainable development — that is, using resources to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. The Earth Summit held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992 brought together more than 100 countries which adopted Agenda 21, a global action plan to combat environmental damage, poverty, and disease through international cooperation and sustainable development. Conservation methods include the three R’s — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle — along with afforestation, rainwater harvesting, and the use of renewable energy.

Textbook Question Answers

1 Mark Questions

Q1. What is a resource?

Answer: Anything that has utility and can be used to satisfy human needs is called a resource.

Q2. Give one example of a renewable resource.

Answer: Solar energy is a renewable resource.

Q3. Give one example of a non-renewable resource.

Answer: Coal is a non-renewable resource.

Q4. What is meant by biotic resources?

Answer: Resources obtained from the living world (plants, animals, fish and fossil fuels) are called biotic resources.

Q5. What is meant by abiotic resources?

Answer: Resources obtained from non-living things, such as air, water, soil and minerals, are called abiotic resources.

Q6. Where and when was the Earth Summit held?

Answer: The Earth Summit was held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992.

Q7. What is Agenda 21?

Answer: Agenda 21 is a global action plan adopted at the Earth Summit, 1992, to achieve sustainable development in the 21st century.

Q8. Name two human-made resources.

Answer: Buildings and machinery are two human-made resources.

Q9. What is meant by stock?

Answer: Stock refers to materials in the environment that have the potential to satisfy human needs but humans do not have the appropriate technology to use them.

Q10. Name the three R’s of conservation.

Answer: The three R’s are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

2-3 Marks Questions

Q1. What is meant by time utility and place utility? Give one example of each.

Answer: Time utility means a thing becomes useful at a particular time, for example, woollen clothes are useful in winter. Place utility means a thing becomes useful at a particular place, for example, petroleum becomes useful when transported from oil wells to a refinery. In both cases, the substance gains value because of context.

Q2. Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources.

Answer: Renewable resources are those which can be renewed or replenished by natural processes within a short time, such as solar energy, wind energy, water and forests. Non-renewable resources are those which take millions of years to form and once used, cannot be replaced quickly. Examples include coal, petroleum and natural gas. Hence, renewable resources are inexhaustible while non-renewable resources are exhaustible.

Q3. Distinguish between potential and developed resources.

Answer: Potential resources are those whose entire quantity may not be known and they are not being used at present, but can be used in the future. For example, the uranium found in Ladakh is a potential resource. Developed resources are those which have been surveyed and their quantity and quality have been determined for utilisation. Their development depends on the level of technology and feasibility of use.

Q4. Why are human beings considered the most important resource?

Answer: Human beings are considered the most important resource because they have the knowledge, skills and technology to convert raw materials of nature into valuable products. Without educated and healthy people, even rich natural resources cannot be utilised properly. Therefore, improving the education, health and skills of people, that is, human resource development, is essential for the progress of any nation.

Q5. What is sustainable development?

Answer: Sustainable development means the careful use of resources so that the present generation can meet its needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It maintains a balance between economic growth and conservation of the environment. The Earth Summit of 1992 promoted sustainable development worldwide through Agenda 21.

Q6. What are ubiquitous and localised resources?

Answer: On the basis of distribution, resources are classified into ubiquitous and localised. Ubiquitous resources are those found everywhere, such as the air we breathe and sunlight. Localised resources are those found only in certain places, such as copper and iron ore deposits. The unequal distribution is caused by physical factors like terrain, climate and altitude.

5-6 Marks Questions

Q1. Classify resources on the basis of origin, exhaustibility, distribution and status of development.

Answer: Resources are classified in different ways according to their characteristics:

On the basis of origin: Biotic resources are those obtained from the biosphere — plants, animals, fish and fossil fuels. Abiotic resources are obtained from non-living things — soil, rocks, minerals, air and water.
On the basis of exhaustibility: Renewable resources can be replenished by nature, such as solar energy, wind, water and forests. Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced once exhausted, such as coal, petroleum and natural gas.
On the basis of distribution: Ubiquitous resources are available everywhere (air, sunlight) while localised resources are restricted to specific regions (copper, iron ore).
On the basis of status of development: Potential resources exist in a region but have not been used; developed resources have been surveyed and are utilised; stock is the material that cannot yet be used due to lack of technology; reserve is a part of stock that can be used with existing technology in the future.

Q2. Explain the importance of conservation of resources and describe the methods of conservation.

Answer: Resources are limited but human wants are unlimited. The growing population, industrialisation and consumption have placed great pressure on natural resources. If they are used carelessly, future generations will be deprived of basic things like clean air, water and soil. Therefore, conservation, which means the careful and planned use of resources, is essential for human survival.

Methods of conservation include:

Judicious use: Using resources only as much as required and avoiding wastage.
Three R’s: Reduce consumption, Reuse items wherever possible, and Recycle waste materials.
Use of renewable energy: Adopting solar, wind and biogas energy in place of fossil fuels.
Afforestation: Planting trees to maintain forests and prevent soil erosion.
Rainwater harvesting: Collecting and storing rainwater to recharge groundwater.
Sustainable development: Using resources in a balanced manner so that the needs of future generations are not compromised.

Q3. What was the Earth Summit, 1992? What is Agenda 21? Mention its objectives.

Answer: The Earth Summit was a major conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992. More than 100 heads of state met to discuss problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development at the global level. They concluded that environmental issues like deforestation, pollution and climate change could not be solved by countries acting alone, and adopted a global action plan known as Agenda 21.

Agenda 21 is a declaration which aims at achieving global sustainable development in the 21st century. Its main objectives are:

To combat environmental damage, poverty and disease through global cooperation.
To promote sustainable use of natural resources for present and future generations.
To encourage every local government to draw its own local Agenda 21.
To protect biodiversity, oceans, atmosphere and forests.
To create awareness and partnership between governments and people.

Q4. Distinguish between natural resources, human-made resources and human resources with examples.

Answer: The three categories differ in their source and nature:

Natural resources are those obtained directly from nature without much modification by humans. Examples are air, water, sunlight, soil, minerals, forests and wildlife. They may be renewable or non-renewable, biotic or abiotic.
Human-made resources are those that human beings create by using their skill and technology to transform natural materials. Examples include buildings, bridges, roads, machinery, vehicles and medicines. Technology itself is also a human-made resource.
Human resources refer to the number, knowledge, ability and skill of human beings. Educated, healthy and skilled people are considered the greatest asset of a nation, since they alone can convert other resources into wealth.

Q5. “Resources are not, they become.” Explain.

Answer: The statement means that the substances available in nature are not resources by themselves; they become resources only when human beings discover their utility and develop the technology to use them. For example, coal and petroleum existed in the earth for millions of years but became valuable resources only after humans learned to mine and refine them. Similarly, uranium became an important resource only after the development of nuclear technology. Wind has always existed, but it became a resource of energy with the invention of windmills. Hence, the value of any natural substance depends on human knowledge, ability, technology and need. As technology advances, more substances become resources, which is why the saying “Resources are not, they become” is true.

Additional Practice — MCQs

Q1. Anything that has utility and can satisfy human needs is called a —

(a) want (b) resource (c) commodity (d) service

Answer: (b) resource

Q2. Which of the following is a renewable resource?

(a) Coal (b) Petroleum (c) Solar energy (d) Natural gas

Answer: (c) Solar energy

Q3. Which of the following is an abiotic resource?

(a) Forests (b) Fish (c) Minerals (d) Animals

Answer: (c) Minerals

Q4. The Earth Summit was held in —

(a) Rio de Janeiro (b) New York (c) Geneva (d) Johannesburg

Answer: (a) Rio de Janeiro

Q5. Agenda 21 was adopted in the year —

Answer: (b) 1992

Q6. Materials in the environment that have the potential to satisfy human needs but lack technology for use are called —

(a) Reserve (b) Stock (c) Potential resource (d) Developed resource

Answer: (b) Stock

Q7. Uranium found in Ladakh is an example of —

(a) Developed resource (b) Reserve (c) Potential resource (d) Stock

Answer: (c) Potential resource

Q8. Which of the following is a human-made resource?

(a) Soil (b) Forest (c) Bridge (d) River

Answer: (c) Bridge

Q9. Which one is a ubiquitous resource?

(a) Iron ore (b) Copper (c) Air (d) Petroleum

Answer: (c) Air

Q10. The three R’s of conservation stand for —

(a) Read, Recall, Repeat (b) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (c) Repair, Restore, Renew (d) Reach, Refine, Reuse

Answer: (b) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Fill in the Blanks

Q1. Anything that has _______ and can satisfy human needs is a resource.

Answer: utility

Q2. Coal and petroleum are examples of _______ resources.

Answer: non-renewable

Q3. Resources obtained from living things are called _______ resources.

Answer: biotic

Q4. The Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro was held in the year _______.

Answer: 1992

Q5. The careful and planned use of resources for the future is called _______.

Answer: conservation

True or False

Q1. Solar energy is a non-renewable resource.

Answer: False

Q2. Human beings are considered the most important resource.

Answer: True

Q3. Buildings and bridges are natural resources.

Answer: False

Q4. Agenda 21 was adopted at the Earth Summit, 1992.

Answer: True

Q5. Reserve is a part of stock that can be used with existing technology.

Answer: True

Glossary

Term	Meaning
Resource	Anything having utility that can satisfy human needs.
Utility	The capacity of a thing to satisfy human wants.
Time Utility	Usefulness of a thing at a particular time, e.g., warm clothes in winter.
Place Utility	Usefulness of a thing at a particular place, e.g., petroleum at a refinery.
Natural Resource	Resource obtained directly from nature, e.g., water, soil, minerals.
Human-made Resource	Resource created by humans using natural materials, e.g., bridges, machines.
Human Resource	The number, knowledge and skills of people which create wealth.
Renewable Resource	Resource that can be replenished by nature within a short period.
Non-renewable Resource	Resource that takes millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly.
Biotic Resource	Resource obtained from the living world.
Abiotic Resource	Resource obtained from non-living things.
Potential Resource	Resource which exists but has not been used yet.
Developed Resource	Resource that has been surveyed, evaluated and is being used.
Stock	Material with potential utility but lacking the technology for use.
Reserve	Subset of stock that can be used with existing technology in future.
Ubiquitous Resource	Resource available everywhere, e.g., air.
Localised Resource	Resource found in particular regions, e.g., copper, iron ore.
Conservation	Careful and planned use of resources to ensure availability for future.
Sustainable Development	Development that meets present needs without compromising future generations.
Agenda 21	Global action plan adopted at the Earth Summit, Rio 1992, for sustainable development.
Earth Summit	UN Conference on Environment and Development held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.
Three R’s	Reduce, Reuse and Recycle — methods to conserve resources.