GCSE Geography - The Challenge of Resource Management: Part 1

food security

when people have a reliable supply of nutritious and affordable food to eat

food insecurity

when people go hungry or are malnourished

food surplus

food supply exceeds demand

food deficit

demand for food exceeds supply

water surplus

supply for water is greater than demand

water deficit

demand for water is greater than supply

water stress

demand for water exceeds available amount

global energy consumption

HICs and NEEs consume a lot of energy, due to high usage of technology and high standard of living, citizens are usually connected to a national electricity grid

What has made imported foods possible?

* globalisation
* increased economy
* immediate transport

food miles

distance covered supplying food to consumers

4 ways food miles can be reduced

eating locally produced food, eating seasonal produce, growing own food, limiting imported food

3 advantages of buying local food products

reduces carbon emissions, supports local farms, increased quality of food

carbon footprint

a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce, expressed as tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent

agribusiness

treating food production from farms as a large-scale business

3 drawbacks of agribusiness

negative environmental impact (hedgerow removal), loss of business in supermarkets, money needs to be invested back to workers rather than business growth

water pollutants

* industrial waste
* agricultural chemicals
* impervious surfaces
* runoff from roads
* landfill

data manipulation

calculations from the given data (eg. 20% increase)

example of global inequality in food

food shortage in Kenya as limited and valuable farmland is being used to export food to HICs, food is too expensive for most locals to buy

example of global inequality in water

water insecurity in Nigeria as only 38% of people have access to sanitary water, however Canada has 20% of the entire worlds freshwater resources

factors affecting water availability

* climate
* geology
* pollution
* over-abstraction
* limited infrastructure
* poverty

strategies to increase water supply

* dams
* reservoirs
* water transfers
* desalination

example of a large-scale water transfer scheme

Indira Gandhi Canal

water conservation

limiting water usage

groundwater management

* monitoring extraction of groundwater
* encouraging lower usage of fertiliser and pesticides

recycled water

water that undergoes treatment that can be used for irrigation, industry and even drinking, often referred to as reclaimed water

grey water

recycled water, largely from waste water from homes, can be used for most purposes but not drinking

local scheme in a LIC to increase sustainable supplies of water

sand dams

What do water transfer schemes help tackle?

uneven water distribution

impacts of water pollution

* poison wildlife
* spread disease
* contaminate supply of drinking water

water pollution management strategies

* legislation
* education campaigns
* waste water treatments
* improved treatment plants and investing in new infrastructure
* pollution traps
* green roofs and walls

energy mix

balance of different sources of energy used by a country

changing demand for energy in the UK

as fossil fuels are running out and we are becoming more aware of our climate situation, fossil fuel usage is decreasing and renewable energy is increasing

economic challenges of fossil fuels

* much of remaining coal is in areas which are difficult to access, meaning they are expensive to mine
* mining coal causes environmental issues such as waste heaps which are expensive to clean up
* miners often suffer diseases related to their job which incurs a cost to health services
* expensive to explore more remote areas, heavily populated areas (Sussex), sensitive areas (Dorset)

economic opportunities of fossil fuels

* creates jobs
* brings money and jobs to an area

environmental challenges of fossil fuels

* burning fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases which contributes to climate change and acid rain
* waste heaps from coal mining can create visual pollution
* opencast coal mines create dust and noise which disturbs local people and wildlife
* access roads can destroy wildlife habitats
* gas and oil coastal terminals take up space
* fracking

environmental opportunities of fossil fuels

* carbon capture storage is more efficient but expensive

economic challenges of nuclear energy

* huge costs to build nuclear power stations
* huge costs to store and transport nuclear waste
* huge costs to decommission power stations

economic opportunities of nuclear energy

* creates jobs in research and development (for new technology in nuclear power industry)
* after initial investment, energy generated by nuclear power is cheaper

environmental challenges of nuclear energy

* nuclear waste - must be stored safely for many years to avoid contamination
* nuclear accidents - can cause considerable long-term danger to the environment and lead to release of radiation into the atmosphere which has long-term impacts wildlife and people

environmental opportunities of nuclear energy

* cleaner and less polluting than fossil fuels

economic challenges of renewable energy

* expensive
* impact on visual environment can impact tourism

economic opportunities of renewable energy

* creates jobs in manufacturing, research and development

environmental challenges of renewable energy

* wind turbines can affect bird migration patterns and bat life
* wind turbines are ugly
* access roads can impact untouched land
* wind turbines are noisy so disturb people and wildlife nearby

environmental opportunities of renewable energy

* emit much lower carbon emissions
* land used for wind turbines can support farming and leisure activities
* offshore wind turbines act as an artificial reef, creating habitats for marine wildlife

changing demand for food in the UK

increased demand for seasonal produce all year round, exotic fruits