AS GeographyCase Studies

AS Geography: HumanPopulation

Case Study:Over population:

Haiti

Core Themes

Rapid growth for

LEDCs

Impacts of overpopulation

Stage 2 country

Malthus – optimistic

theory

Background

Poorest country in western

hemisphere80% live in absolute poverty

GDP = $1,500

Hurricanes, flooding and earthquakes

Population

Pop = 8.1million

Doubled in less than 50 years

Fertility rate = 5.2 children per

woman Pop density = 295 people per

sq/kmPopulation pressure

High birth rate+ Youthful population

Sharp drop – AIDs (6% of

adults)Low life

expectancy (53)

Population pressure on Human environment

Spreading disease - TBPoor health care

HIV/AIDs – 300,000 cases - highest in Latin America and

the Caribbean

Solutions

Sun Oven – reduced deforestation and its

cheap to make

Afforestation – help soil

fertility – reduce over land

flow source of food

Other ideas;Intercropping,Plant nitrogen fixers for soil

fertility

Case Study:Under population:

Singapore

Background

Population 4million

Core Themes

Population decline MEDC

Gov – control pop numbers

Stage 5 country

Gov – control pop movement

GNP = $30,550Fertility rate =

1.4 children per woman

Initial policy

1960s gov sponsored family planning scheme to stem

growth

‘Stop at 2’ media campaigns

Legalise abortions and sterilisations

Social and economic incentives- paid maternity leave, cheaper healthcare, free education, tax

reliefHigh life expectancy – better quality

of life

Females live longer than

men

Large number middle aged –

previous high birth rate

Drop in base

reflects success of

policy – Low BR + smaller

families

Success?

Other factors for the fall in fertility rate

Reversing the decline

Too successful – BR decline

for the last 20 years

Fertility rate now 1.4 well below the 2.1 replacement

level

Impacts – Falling economic growth,

Ageing pop. – health service + pensions,

Jobs unfilled – 40% workforce migrants

Tend to suffer stress – reduced

desire for children

50% women work – careers priorityChildren

costly

Targeted educated

young women

1987 – “have 3” slogan

Get £3750 for each of their first

3 children + no tax

Gov. Part fund

education

Less educated -

housing

SDS – graduate

blind dates

Ext. Maternity leave

Case Study:Affects of migration and population

change in Rural areas:Isle of Purbeck, Dorset

Population dynamics Qualifications

EthnicityAgePopulation

Structure

None27.4

Level 220.9

Level 4-517.6

White98.8

Black0.6

Chinese0.6

65+21.77

45-6427.50

BR = 10.1DR = 11.9

Females22,895 Males

21,521Total

44,416

Rural service decline What happened?What is not there?

Village Schools

Post offices

Food shops

Elderly and poor left

Dormitory village

Deprivation

Private education

Transport

Grants for community

bus

Combined servicesHave to travel

Library's

Mobile ones

Health care GP

closure

Isolation

Locals cannot afford local houses

Second home commuters – services unused

- pollution

Conflict between locals and

newcomers

No village activity

Case Study:Affects of migration and population

change in Urban areas:Sau Paulo, Brazil

Population dynamics

PopulationStructure

Rapid for LEDCs

1870 - 25,000people

1990 - 15 mil people

Push and Pull factors-Why?

City attractions

Machines take over farming jobs

Rapid population

growth

Move to cities for work

In -migration

BR high DR falls

Decline in industries

Textiles etc. Cheaper

elsewhere

JobsHousing

Services

Medias positive image

Affects of Urban growthCrime -

gangs

TransportUnemployment/

underemploymentPollution; noise, air,

visual

Housing

What they didLack of formal employment –shoe shining

etc.

Land – inappropriate –

riverside

40% live in shanty towns

Shortage of affordable housing

Authorities cleared slums

Site and service schemes – given land for them to work and have an address

Rehab – encouraged to work as community to build

schools etc.

Developments – tower blocks (crime,

poorly built)

Charities – jobs and medical – gap years

Industrial estates Transport

Case Study:Attempts to manage population change to achieve sustainable

development (over population) :China – One Child Policy

Chinese government concerned about population growth

China could only have a rising living

standard if the population was

controlled

They wanted to avoid a Malthusian type

disaster

So they set limits on who could have children and when

Advantages

DisadvantagesStages of the policy

Infanticide – couples

wanted males, killed if girl` -

males spoilt – . little

emperor . syndrome

Population control could cause social unrest – they

could research life elsewhere

Unsuccessful in countryside

– hard to enforce in rural areas

Allowed second child if

first a girl

Source of cheap labour + kept going till

they had a boy

Financial and educational incentives for one child –

fines , abortions and sterilisations for more

With one child the average families would fall to 370 million

Successful in urban areas, with 90% of children being only

children e.g. Beijing

Elderly dependent population –

younger would have to create more wealth to

maintain the same quality of

life

Aimed to stabilise population growth

by 20501950-59Large pop.

(Famine in 59)

1960-73Pop. Boom55 million

1974-79Encouraged to

reduce -Longer, later, fewer – Wan-

xi-shao

1979-90Didn’t work well – still

increased - contraception – granny police – one child policy

1990+One child more

relaxed ageing pop social

influences from west successful in urban

Report pregnancy babies killed

2006+Growth fallen 0.6%

Fertility rate 1.6Better health service –

ratio 118:100

Extra info: 23 sewing needles woman - infanticideChinas elderly care conundrum –heavy burden

Case Study:Attempts to manage population change to achieve sustainable

development (under population):Russia

Percentage of potential parents of child baring age

within the Russian population is so small

Slow depopulation

Cause

Effect

Alcohol abuse and smoking – highest in the world

Threat of HIV/Aids

Aged workforce

Urgent, polarised and angry debate

Population decline

Destroyed RussiaLong term consequences

Muslim population groups that are experiencing very

rapid growth

Russia census – 50% increase

Scare-mongering

Muslim majority nation

Case Study:Change of population structures

because of migration: (Poland to) Slough, UK

Population changes

A lot of middle aged people due to

migration

Social Impacts

Economic Impacts

Employment in healthcare services

High birth rates as migrants

have children Migrants experience racism and prejudice

More diverse and multi-cultural society

More interesting – experience

different cultures

(e.g. Celebrating Chinese new

year)

Businesses get cheap labour with

flexible hours

Send money back to the

loosing country

Help other countries

become more affluent and developed

Takes money away from the

receiving country

3000-4000 more permanent jobs created because

of labour shortage

Companies based in UK may move

overseas if they could not get the workers

As their are more people of working age they will have

more children putting more strain

on hospitals – especially maternity

wards)

This growth in the population will

cause huge strain on health services

as when they become elderly they will need

care

This strain on the healthcare service will cause an increase in the numbers of staff

needed to work – these will all also need to be

trained

AS Geography: PhysicalRivers

Case Study:Hard Engineering (extensive

modification): Three Gorges Dam, China

Environmental

Dams + Weirs – to regulate

water

Political SocialEconomic

What?

Diversion channels – send away from

flood risk areas

Dredging – make deeper channel (greater volume

allowed pass)Increased flood plain

height

Retention basins + balance lakes - divert when high

dischargeBanks/channel modification –

strengthen and raise artificially

Generate electricity

from HEP for Central and

Eastern china

Clean energy – no fossil fuels

Deforestation (3000 acres), land slides

and animals disturbed

Reservoir 100m high,

2.3km longFarmland

and tourist attractions destroyed

Between 1998-2004 sediment transport

fell by 50%

Increased downstream

erosion

Expensive + a lot of

workNo

flooding and less

problems in future

Reservoir behind

dam £25billion

Sediment build-up needing dredging

Need for maintenance

Reduced risk of flooding for 15

million

85 billion kilowatts created

Forced Resettlement of 1.3million

people Improved navigation along river – useful for

trade14million homeless

Community and history disappears-2300 years worth

Also withstand

earthquake

Toxins – 16,000 factories

Case Study:Soft Engineering (Slow down the rate and/or reduce the amount):

River Quaggy restoration scheme, UK

Environmental

Political SocialEconomic

What?

Afforestation – interception –

slows down water reaching river

Contour ploughing and strip farming –

reduce runoff

Floodplain zoning – some areas allowed to flood naturally

Wetland + river bank

conservation schemes

Forecasting floods and warnings -

shelter and protect

River restoration scheme – to original stat before

being managed

Artificial channels built for diversion

New lake and floodplains created – collect naturally

Environment agency – more sustainable

Diverse environment for

wildlife

Flood management

and park quality

improved

Park lowered

and shaped

Reduced risk to 600 homes and businesses

Flood zones don't save people in

poorer areas

Can collect 85,000m3

–(3 Olympic pools)

Might not always work

Introduce schemes to

do less later

Won 2007 Natural

environment category

Case Study:Flooding in LEDCs:

Bangladesh, Asia -1998

Location

North Eastern,

South Asia

Physical Causes

Human Causes

Primary Effects(instant)

Secondary Effects(as a result)

Short term response

Long term response

Borders India and Burma

On bay of Bengal

80% river flood plains

Population – 120 million

(dense)

4 rivers meet here – Ganges,

Meghna etc.

Wettest climate World poorest countries (GNP

$200)

On a floodplain and delta

Monsoon rains

Snow melt – Global

warming

Less than 1-2 meters above

flood level

All 3 rivers peak flow at same

time

Global warmingUrbanisation

Farakka dam

Deforestation Build up flood plains

¾ of Bangladesh under water

980,571 flooded

1000 died

26,564 cattle killed

Cost $1billion

Spread of disease

1 million people to refuge

Shortage of clean drinking water

30 million affected

Communications down

7 new damsFlood action plan

Improve forecasts

5000 flood shelters

Afforestation - Napal

7 meters of embankment

Cut cost to 6 billion

Medicine and health

care

Aid agenciesWater

purification tabletsGovernment

gave rice and money

Fodder – food for live

stock

Food and plastic sheets

Repair and construct

houses

Sanitation

International aid

Case Study:Flooding in MEDC’s: Carlisle, UK - 2005

Location

Cumbria, northwest

England

Physical Causes

Human Causes

Primary Effects(instant)

Secondary Effects(as a result)

Short term response

Long term response

Confluence of River EdenPopulation

71,773

History – 3 major floods in

four years

Relief – low gradient in

Carlisle

Soils – Alluvium +

deeper soils

Geology – sand and lime stone

in Eden

Vegetation

Rainfall – 73% runoff in Eden

Urbanisation – increased spread of towns and villages in

valley areas

1915 homes and businesses flooded

to 2 meters

40,000 homes without power

Upstream storage – large scale – reservoirs and dams

Unsupportable – economic and environmental cost

Risk to property and

lives

Emergency services – police and hospital on

standby

News warnings

10 miles south of Scottish border

3,000 homeless

(some for more than 3 months)

3 people died

120 injuries People stranded

Communications affected

3000 jobs at risk

Damage in public perceptions of

the area

Extreme financial cost

Emotional impact

Option 1 Option 2Option 3

Lower Eden strategic + planning Appraisal Report (SPAR)

Minimal – keep present level of flood defence

Up streamed managed

realignment, move flood defence,

larger flood plain and raise existing

defences

This selected – environ.

acceptable

AS Geography: HumanHealth

Case Study:Patterns of morbidity:

Influenza

Symptoms

One form: Spanish Flu History

Impacts

Affects

Nose, throat bronchi and Lungs Fever,

headache, severe malaise, cough and sore

throatBurden on hospitals

Killed 40 million

world wide in 1918-19

Three times in the last century

Lasts a week (aprox.)

Recover 1-2 weeks without

treatment

People with: medical conditions, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, kidney/heart problems

Vulnerable groups

As a result can lead to infection, complications,

pneumonia and deathOccurrence

Seasonal epidemics

250,000 – 300,000 deaths every year

High attack and case-mortality

rates

2002- Madagascar 27,000 cases in 3 months, 800 deaths

Severe health consequences

in poorly nourished

populations – also limited

access to health care

Genetic mutations = global pandemics

Large death and disease tolls

Death rates highest among healthy young adults

Another form: Bird Flu – H5N1 (subtype)

Transmitted from birds to humans

Hong Kong -1993

2003 – threats of pandemic

Case Study:HIV/AIDs: Botswana

Impact on health

Impacts on LifestyleImpact on economic

development

24% of adults infected - out of a 1.6million

population

Income seven times Sub-

Saharan Africa's

Government provided free anti-retroviral

drug

None specific to HIV in Botswana

50% of expectant mothers in urban

areas

Life expectancy below 40 (first time since 1950)

In 2006 – 34 years- Without AIDS In 5 months raised to 74 (estimated)

Currently at 26 years and 8 months

Gov. Had money

through diamond industry

Economy one third smaller (33%) by

2021 than it would be without aids

Because of a lack of workers

Case Study:HIV/AIDs: Thailand

Impact on health

Impacts on LifestyleImpact on economic

development

66,000 AIDs deaths

Vulnerable groups –

prostitutes, drug users

1999 – 1 million infected 1984 – first case

diagnosed

‘100% condom programme’

60million free condoms

to sex workers

Prostitution infection rates

30% by the 1990’s

Rapid spread – drug users,

low condom use, sex workers

1995 – 5,000 infected babies

Rise to 90% condom use

for prostitutes after gov

intervention

Promoted by TV, Radio and posters

Case Study:Disease of affluence:

Coronary Heart Disease

Impacts on health

Impacts on lifestyle

Impact on economic development

Cardiovascular disease costs

the NHS £14.4billion -

2006

Public Smoking ban (UK) -2007

Smoking related

conditions costs NHS

£2.7billion -2008

USA – ban on customers suing fast food

companies because of obesity

Japan – gov health

education - advertise

reduce in high BP

Causes

Tobacco Alcohol abuseHigh blood

pressure (stress)

High cholesterol

Obesity

(LEDC)Lack of

nutrition

95,000 deaths per year (UK)

Obesity costs the NHS £0.5billion a

year

The additional cost of the unemployed

due to health

Last 10 years, rates of people over 65 decreased by 45% due to

lifestyle improvements

New Zealand – recognisable healthy food

logos GlasgowHealth

Lifestyle

Heart attack every 15mins

LE average – 69.3 years (UK lowest)

2005 – 10,331 deaths

Glasgow women highest rate of

heart attacks in the world

Social deprivation – high rates of heart disease

5-a-side football teams

Social class – working twice as likely to have a heart attack

than middle

Improvements in diet, quitting smoking and exercise – reduced

by 27% in 2008

High risk lifestyles –

alcohol, smoking, diet

Case Study:Pharmaceutical Transnational's:

GlaxoSmithKline, GSK

Research

Production (making the drug)

Distribution (shipping/transporting)

We make almost four billion packs of medicines and

healthcare products every year

Our business employs over

100,000 people in 117 countries

Mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to

do more, feel better and live longer

2006- we donated 155 million tablets

to eliminate elephantiasis, making 600

million treatments in total

We supply ¼ of the worlds vaccines and by Feb ‘07 we had

23 vaccines in clinical development

We are a research based pharmaceutical company

Every hour we spend more than £300,000 to find new medicines

Only pharmaceutical company to tackle the three priority diseases

identified by the WHO – HIV, TB and Malaria

15,000 people work in our research team to discover

new medicines

We screen about 65million compounds every year for

new medicines

2006- we shipped 206 million HIV

treatments to developing countries

GSK process

Design new drugs in HQ in

the UK

GSK people travel to LEDCs to find

factories to make the drugs – they

use these factories so that

they don't have to pay workers as

much – big profit

Factory owners want to

make profit – so they

make their workers

work long hours with little pay

LEDC factories to ship drugs

mainly to MEDCs for us

to buy

We are encouraged to by

GSK by adverts and campaigns

Case Study:Tobacco Transnational's:

Mauritius – British American Tobacco (BAT)

British American Tobacco

Mauritius

Annual revenue: £33,921million

½ a class of 11-14 year olds smoke

Factories in 44 countries

Worlds largestPlants in more

than 60 countries

Make more money than the combined GDP of Costa Rica,

Lithuania and 4 other countries

Aware of BAT brands (e.g.

Embassy)

Children not aware of the dangers of smoking

1/3 of all children 13-15 smoke – poorest sector

of society

Can buy single sticks from 7p

each

Single sticks make more

accessible to children

Free pots to shop owners to contain

single sticks

BAT controls 98.9% of the market

Advertising banned but carries on in a disguised

form

Given leaflets – shops also painted in

BAT coloursBAT offer to paint cardiac

hospital –sponsorship

Case Study:Famine: Somalia

Cause

EffectSolution

Lack of rain fall – reduces water supply, ruins soils, takes away

nutrients

Rise in price of food – including animals as

their land deteriorates

Population increase greater than food

production – migration (war or drought)

Improvements in farming

productivity – fertilisers, seeds,

irrigation schemes

Food aid – non gov aid –e.g. Red

cross

Drought occurs In 2000 rains

failed

Improved infrastructure – insure produce can get to markets for selling e.g.

Better roads.

People and cattle go in search for water and

pasture

Too many on areas which used to have

enough

People and livestock die

No livestock – no food source

What livestock is left

is worthlessPrice of food

rises

People abandon land and head for

city

People wont fit in cities and stay in cams were foods

scares

Case Study:Obesity:

Pacific Islands

Effect

CauseDependent on high in fat imported foods

Social status

Exchange canoes for cars

Response

WHO – must be addressed through public health policy – promote

healthy food and physical activity

Different work – moved from farming

to modern (not physical)

Biggest are most attractive

Hereditary diabetesAverage 20-39 male 8,700

calories a day

Do not take advantage of health care

Not a lot of money for rural health

Limited medical access – transport to and from the island costly and time consuming

WHO- comprehensive and effective clinical

programmes and education – essential in

tackling the problem

Diabetes – only takes 20 yrs to appear in populations that adopt a high calorie

and lack of exercise lifestyle

Need of a healthier diet using local food to benefit

the economy as well as themselves

Tonga – weight loss programmes annually

between 1995 and 2002 – prises given and local media

involvement

AS Geography: PhysicalCold Environments

Case Study:Tundra region:

Alaska

Why is it fragile?

What are the challenges to humans

How have people adapted to the

conditions sustainably?

(Inuit)

How have people exploited it over

time

How have new comers adapted to the environment

Trans Alaskan Pipeline

Exxon Valdez

Impacts

Slow rate of plant growth

If disturbed could take up to 50 years

to return to original state.

Limited species

Fluctuations in energy in food chain Low

precipitationPermafrost Poor thin

soils

Snow lies for long periods

Low temperatures

Short summers (growing)

Surface thaw(water

logging)

Blizzards

Inuit’s just take what they need to

survive

Sustainable –don’t exploit

Use all of what is hunted – no

waste

17th Century – Sealing, whaling, trapping for fur and mining for gold.

20th Century – Fishing, mining for oil, HEP, Tourism.

WW2 – Trans Alaskan highway – Transport weapons to Tundra areas.

Post war (cold war)– Alaska close to Russia – strategically significant.

Elevate small buildings – piles

driven into permafrost

for circulation

Aggregate pads for large buildings

– layers of sand and gravel

Utilidors – above ground insulated box for pipes

Hunting – over

exploitation

Transport – damaged ground

Tourism – litter, vegetation

removal, etc

Air pollution

1968 – oil discovered in Prudhoe bay

Could not be transported by tanker because

of ice seas

Transport to SouthAlaska

Pipeline built – 5 years to design, 3 to build and

costing $8billion1.4million

barrels per day

Adaptations

Above ground – prevent melt

Zigzag –earth quakes

Insulation – melt – refrigeration units

Strong pilings – prevent frost heave

Anglo-AmericanDamage worlds most vulnerable salmon

habitats

Open pit gold and copper mine – destroy breeding / ground

24th Mar ’89

Location made it difficult

40mil. Litres spilt, cover 1300 sq

miles

11,000 workers and residents

restoredSkimmers reduce

to 112,000lt

Case Study:Glaciated region:

Antartica/Southern ocean

TourismAntarctica Treaty

-PEP

Impacts

Use of the Southern ocean

Sustainable management

Why is it fragile?

Slow rate of plant growth

If disturbed could take up to 50 years

to return to original state.Limited species

Fluctuations in energy in food

chain

Visitor NumbersWhy go?

Sealing used for fur

Fishing - krill

Affects food web

Over 3 years 300,000 killed

Whaling

300 employed

Sail from USA and UKSpecies running dangerously low

International whaling convention -1946

19th Century – 275001964 – 1000-2000

(after restrictions) More than 5000 whales left

12 Nations

Protocol for environmental protection – ‘91

Stop cruses over 500

people from stopping

2/3 worlds population – 45

singatories

Bans on mineral resource activity

Comprehensive monitoring to

prevent human impacts

100 visitors at a time

Free access and research rights

Peaceful – no military/nuclear

Cruise Ships

Over-flights

Glacial landscapes , wildlife – seals whales and

penguins

Camping

Naturalist, photographers, journalists

6700 in 199245,000 in 2009

1000-5000 researchers a yearOver flying

causing stress

Foot prints remain for a

long time

Tern colonies

suffer disturbances

Damage – natural causes

guidelines

Code of conduct

No litter

Scott Polar research

Antarctic tourism shows environmental

concern