Classify resources on the basis of development into four groups. Explain the main features of each group.
Answers
On the basis of the status of development, resources are classified into four groups, namely potential, developed, stock and reserve.
(i) Potential Resources : Potential resources are those which are found in a region, but have not been utilised. For example, solar energy and wind energy, available in Rajasthan and Gujarat, have not been developed properly.
(ii) Developed Resources : Developed resources are those which are estimated in terms of their quantity and quality for utilisation, e.g., water, soil, forests.
(iii) Stock Resources : Materials in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but are not technologically accessible to human beings, e.g., use of water as a rich source of energy.
(iv) Reserve Resources : Reserve is a part of stock which can be put to use in the near future with the help of existing technology, e.g., water in dams, forests.