Geography_ Term 3 & 4

Development, Resource use and sustainability

Characteristics of the developed world

- industrialized and wealthy
- democratically elected governments
- capitalist economy

Characteristics of the developing world

- poorer and still undergoing industrialization
- often unstable governments
- often economically dependent on other countries

Brandt line

- proposed by W.Brandt
- divided the world into the rich north and poor south

Industrialized nations

Have many manufacturing industries

Gross National Income (GNI)

Value of all goods and services produced by a country in one year

GNI per capita

GNI divided by the number of people in the country
- gives an indication of the amount of money available to each person in the country if its income is evenly shared

Millenium summit (2000)

Meeting held by the 189 member states of the United Nations, where 147 signed the Millennium Declaration in which they committed themselves towards a world of peace and security

Goals of the Millennium Declaration

- eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- achieve universal primary education
- reduce child mortality
- improve maternal health

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Measures the value of economic activity within a country
- sum of the market values/prices of all final goods and services produced in an economy during a period of time

GDP per capita

GDP divided by the number of people in a country
- shows the average amount of money available to each person in a country

Human Development Index (HDI)

Measure that looks at income, health and education to assess how well economies are doing

Gini Coefficient

Measure of the distribution of income across a population
- often used as a gauge of economic inequality

Birth rate

Number of babies born per 1000 people in a population per year

Death rate

Number of deaths per 1000 people in a population per year

Infant mortality

Number of infant deaths per 1000 live births per year
- indicates the the medical systems in the country and how well the most vulnerable in society are looked after and protected in their early years

People per doctor

The number of people there are for every doctor in a country or place

Literacy rate

Percentage of the country who are able to read and write as adults
- social measure, helps to indicate the standard of education

Access to safe water

Percentage of people who have access to sanitary and safe water that is free from bacteria and parasites

Life expectancy

Average age a person can expect to live at birth
- reveals how good food security , water quality, shelter and medical care are

3 aspects looked at in HDI

Wealth: how much money citizens earn
Health: access to medical care and life expectancy
Education: how good is the system and who has access to it

Development

Sustained combined effort of policy makers and the community to promote a good standard of living while protecting the environment

EPI

Environmental Performance Index

Historical factors affecting development and why

Colonialism - Colonial powers stole raw materials from colonies at a low cost and sole them at an expensive cost

The slave trade - Physically and mentally strong humans were taken from colonies and sold into slavery

Geographical factors affecting development and why

Climate - The poorest countries are in the tropics (infertile land, scarce water, disease)

Location - Landlocked countries have no direct access to the sea/overseas markets

Resources - Quantity and availability of natural resources + the skills needed to process them affect the rate of economic growth

Political factors affecting development and why

Conflicts & Corruption - Unstable political environment may reduce investment and economic development

Social factors affecting development and why

Health - Healthy populations live longer, are more productive and save more

Education - Raises people's productivity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances

Economic factors affecting development and why

Technology - Applications of better technology means the same amount of labour will be more productive and economic growth will advance at a lower cost

Infrastructure - Improvements and investments in roadways/machinery/factories will reduce cost and increase efficiency

Trade factors affecting development and why

Balance of Trade - Poorer countries export lower-value raw materials, richer countries export higher-value manufactured goods

Unfair Trade - Developed countries make business laws that put themselves at an advantage over trading partners

Balance of Trade

Value of exports minus the value of imports

Economic indicators

Provide information about health and income
- GDP
- GDP per capita

Social indicators

Measures things that are about quality of life
- Gini-coefficient
- Infant mortality
- Life expectancy
- Literacy levels

Environmental indicators

Show the impact of human activity on the environment
- water quality in rivers and lakes
- rate of deforestation
- carbon dioxide emissions

Indicators of the economic aspects of development

Per capita income
How a country earns it income (economic sectors)

Indicators of the social aspects of development

Quality of life
Access to social services
Infrastructure
Access to basic needs

Indicators of the environmental aspects of development

Sustainability

Environmentally sustainable development

Causes as little long-term damage to the environment as possible, leaving enough resources for future generations

LEDCs

Less Economically Developed Countries
- export mainly raw materials with less value and therefore earn less

MEDCs

More Economically Developed Countries
- export manufactured and specialized equipment

Trade

The exchange of goods and services from producers to consumers

Sustainable resource use

The use of natural resources in a way and at the rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations

Resource

Any physical material constituting part of earth that people need and value

Renewable resource

A natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted

Non-renewable resource

Resources that are not easily replenished by the environment

Overgrazing

When plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods

Overfishing

The removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate that the species cannot replenish in time, resulting in those species either becoming depleted or very underpopulated in that given area

Food security

When all people at all times, have physical social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy and active life

Genetically modified crops

Foods derived form organisms whose genetic material have been modified in a way that does not occur naturally

Sustainable farming

Farming in ways which meet society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

Sustainable fishing

Leaving enough fish in the ocean, respecting habitats and ensuring people who depend on fishing can maintain their livelihoods

Unsustainable resource

There are finite amounts of these resources on Earth and once they are depleted they are gone forever

Causes of soil degradation

Overgrazing
Deforestation
Agricultural activities
Overexploitation
Industrialization

Consequences of overgrazing

- loss of species of herbs and grasses
- compacting soil, preventing seeds form germinating
- soil becomes loose and susceptible to wind and water action
- soil loses infiltration capacity

Rotational grazing

Process of planned grazing that encourages pasture growth

Sustainable land use for farming

Shifting large herds of livestock form already overstocked communal land
Controlled breeding and early weaving
Feeding livestock on a crop residue
Reserving communal land for small-scale farmers
Quota system whereby a number of livestock is allowed to graze on a pasture land

Effects of overfishing

Loss of habitat
Loss of coral reefs
Loss of a a valuable food source many depend upon

Gill nets

Involves the use of a net, up to 32km in extent, that is generally anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide
- can scoop up half a ton of fish
- results in an over harvesting of non-commercial marine species

By-catch

All the animals caught in nets or on lines which are unintentional and are usually dead and thrown overboard

Drift nets

Nets hang vertical in the water column without being anchored at the bottom
- used to snare fish by their gills

Longlines

Includes a main fishing line up to 100km in length, with secondary lines branching off it, each set with hundreds or thousands of barbed, baited hooks
- used to catch fish in open waters
- targets tuna, swordfish and Patagonian tooth fish

Purse seine nets

Large wall of netting deployed around an entire area or school of fish
- will close at the bottom by means of passing a line through rings attached along the lower edge of the net
- usually used to catch tuna

Trawlers

Grid of bars with and opening either at the top or bottom
- grid is fitted into the neck of a shrimp trawl, small animals like shrimp slip through the bars into the bad end of the trawl
- large animals, when caught at the mouth of the trawl, strike the grid bars and are ejected through the opening

Invasive species

Harm not only the environment but also have industrial, social, recreational and economic impacts

Overcapacity

Oversized fishing fleet takes more than our oceans can sustainably support

Unselective fishing practices and gear

Cause destruction on non-target species

Sustainable fishing practices

Reduce the use of fishmeal
Introduce quota policy
Effective regulation should be consistent with biology
Establish Marine Protected Areas and Marine reserves
Improve fisheries

Carbon footprint

Amount of carbon dioxide, or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere by the activities of an individual, company, country

Tips on reducing pressure on resources as an individual

Take shorter showers
Do not let the tap run while brushing teeth
Install fluorescent bulbs in every room in the house
Unplug appliances not in use
Recycle

Tips on reducing pressure on resources as a business

Use electric vehicles, locomotives, and fuel efficient planes when delivering goods
Use energy efficient machinery
Try to make sure bus routes end up near the company
Try to recycle all your paper
Turn off computer and lights when leaving the building

Tips on reducing carbon emissions as the government

Set policies to curb the emission of greenhouse gases
Give incentives to companies that minimizes their emission of greenhouse gases
Impose fines to those who exceed the limit of emissions
Setting targets to reduce emissions
Advocacy campaign on lowering carbon footprint