IGCSE Geog WB Answers
IGCSE Geog WB Answers
IGCSE Geog WB Answers
17 There is a strong negative correlation whereby the total fertility rate falls significantly as the
percentage of girls enrolled in secondary school rises.
18 The average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live under current mortality levels.
19 Highest – North America; lowest – Africa
20 In low-income countries in particular.
21 The difference between countries where population growth remains high and those with very
slow-growing, stagnant or declining populations.
22 Sub-Saharan Africa
23 Any two of the six factors bullet-pointed in the right-hand column on page 10 of the textbook.
24 The size of population that permits the full utilisation of the natural resources of an area, giving
maximum per capita output and standard of living.
25 Any two factors from the six bullet points listed on page 13 of the textbook.
26 The measures taken by a government aimed at influencing population size, growth, distribution
or composition.
27 a Pro-natalist
b Anti-natalist
28 The one-child policy was very effective in reducing fertility. The birth rate, which was over
40/1000 in the early 1950s, fell to 25/1000 in the late 1970s (Figure 1.28, page 17 of the
textbook). It fell further to under 20/1000 in the late 1980s and by 2016 it was down to
12/1000. The latter figure is on a par with many developed countries. The one-child policy was
most effective in urban areas.
29 The one-child policy created a number of problems. It impacted on the gender ratio, which at
birth in China is currently 119 boys to 100 girls. This compares with the natural rate of 106 to
100. Because of the excess of males, many men are unable to find a female partner. Population
ageing is also a growing problem, with one adult child often having to support both his/her
parents and grandparents.
30 Countries such as France have encouraged fertility because of concerns about: the
socioeconomic implications of an ageing population; the decrease in the supply of labour; the
long-term prospect of population decline.
10 a The northeast.
b For example, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington.
c Two from: first area of substantial European settlement; the development of the
‘manufacturing belt’; good conditions for farming; highly developed infrastructure.
2 Africa
3 Africa
4 Europe, North America and Latin America
5 There are more jobs, and more high-paying jobs. There are also more jobs in the informal
economy. There are more schools and so the opportunities for increased education are
improved. There is greater access to healthcare services, such as specialist medical services.
6 There may be overcrowding, which can lead to the spread of infectious disease. There are not
enough jobs to go round so there may be unemployment and poverty. Cities are often unable to
provide sufficient housing for all those who migrate to the city, so people end up living in slum
conditions.
Urban settlements in LICs, MICs and HICs
1 The proportion of small settlements is much greater in low-income countries (73%) compared
with middle-income (55%) and high-income countries (22%).
2 The proportion of large settlements (over 1 million inhabitants) is higher in high-income
countries (over 50%) compared with middle-income (20%) and low-income countries (11%).
3 In large settlements there are generally more jobs and different types of jobs. It is more
economic to provide healthcare and education services to a large concentration of people rather
than to a dispersed population.
4 Small settlements offer lower land and house prices. There is less traffic and congestion (and
better air quality) and fewer inequalities in wealth.
Urban growth in Shanghai
1
2 Shanghai’s growth was steady between 1978 and 1995. It then grew at a slightly faster rate
until 2005, and then grew more rapidly until 2010. Since 2010 growth has slowed down.
3 In-migration and natural increase (birth rate – death rate)
4 In-migration is the likely cause of urban growth in Shanghai, as China’s one-child policy would
have limited the natural increase.
5
6 Population density is highest (over 30,000 people/km2) in the city centre and drops off quickly
towards the edge of the city. Population density is higher north of the city centre compared with
the south.
7 a Population density is higher in Hongkou because it is part of the city centre and there is
likely to be a high concentration of employment and housing. It is also a relatively small
area.
b In contrast, Chongming is a much larger area; it is separated from the main city by a river,
and is also formed from three islands.
Urban quality of life
1 Shanghai
2 Mumbai
3 Mumbai
4 Istanbul
5 a London
b Mumbai
c 60,831/1871 = 32.5:1
6 a Hong Kong
b Johannesburg
7 Mumbai
8 Levels of car ownership are very high in São Paulo, Mexico City, New York and London. In
contrast, they are quite low in Shanghai, Mumbai and Hong Kong.
9
In general, there is a positive correlation between levels of GDP and CO2 emissions, i.e. as
GDP increases, CO2 emissions increase. For example, Mumbai has the lowest GDP and the
lowest CO2 emissions, whereas London, New York and Hong Kong have high GDP and high
CO2 emissions. However, Shanghai is an exception – it has a relatively low GDP but it has the
highest CO2 emissions for any of the selected cities.
b Because there are more people and more buildings here, the risk of damage and danger is
greater. Although A is closer to the epicentre, the relative lack of buildings and people
reduces the potential risk.
4 a Liquefaction means the soil behaving like a liquid.
b It is a potential problem as it may cause buildings to collapse (the diagram suggests a tilted
building) and cause water pipes, gas pipes and electricity cables to be fractured.
5 a An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after the main earthquake, and is usually
less severe.
b It is a problem as aftershocks can damage (or even destroy) buildings weakened in the
original earthquake.
c Contaminated water; disease, e.g. cholera; damaged transport infrastructure
Waimakariri valley
1 a 1846 m
b Anti Crow Hut, 695 m
2 a The trail is relatively flat. It avoids steep ground. It is relatively low lying, although above
the level of the floodplain in some places.
b Flooding due to seasonal floods – braiding is evidence of seasonal flow; shifts in river
channels/meander migration (erosion of outer banks); avalanches/rock falls in areas close
to the steep slopes.
3 a The river is relatively flat, the channel meanders greatly and the river is split into a number
of (braided) channels.
b The stream is in a single channel, flows relatively straight and has a steep gradient.
c There are major differences in gradient – the Waimakariri is very flat, and can spread out in
all directions, whereas the stream is confined in a steep channel. The Waimakariri has
many tributaries, whereas the stream has only one tributary (there is another that has no
tributary). The Waimakariri carries a large load (as shown by the large amount of shingle
on the valley floor), whereas the stream probably has a much more limited load in terms of
quantity.
Lowland rivers
1 a A – floodplain; B – oxbow lake
b C – erosion; D – deposition
c Levée
2 a See Figure 2.43 on page 118 of the textbook.
b See Figure 2.45 on page 119 of the textbook.
Floods
1 A flood occurs when a river is unable to contain all the water in the main channel and it
overflows, covering some or all of the floodplain.
2 a Floods can kill people and animals, ruin homes and businesses, damage transport
infrastructure and spread diseases such as cholera.
b Floods bring water, which can be used in the post-flood period (especially by farmers).
They contribute to soil moisture, and they bring fertile silt, which is used to grow crops.
3 a The natural causes of floods include prolonged heavy rain, intense rain storms, snow melt,
high tides causing more water in estuaries, storm surges and hurricanes.
b Factors such as urbanisation, land use changes (deforestation) and dam failures can lead to
increased flooding. In some cases they increase the proportion of impermeable surface and
reduce the amount of interception and infiltration, therefore contributing to floods.
4 Some floods may be more intense because the natural factors (rainfall, intensity of rain, size of
hurricane, etc.) are on a large scale. However, the same size storm can generate bigger floods in
small catchment areas, where the rock/soil is less permeable, where gradients are steeper, or
where the number of stream channels is greater. All of these allow more water to flow over the
surface, and to reach points downstream quicker.
3 Spits are more likely to develop when there is a large supply of sediment, longshore drift and
an irregular, indented coastline, such as a river mouth.
Coastal conflicts
1
2 Both increased rapidly. Container loads increased slowly at first, but then increased rapidly
from 1995 to 2008, when they peaked at 2210 (’000 TEU). They then declined to 1936 (’000
TEU) in 2010. In contrast, the number of cruise passengers kept on rising, especially after
1998. It peaked in 2013 at 2.6 million passengers.
3 Cruise passengers may find the view/noise of the containers being unloaded unattractive. As
the number of cruise ships increases, it may be difficult for other users to gain access to the
port. This includes not only the container ships but also oil tankers, fishing fleets and yachts.
Increased traffic in the port may lead to oil pollution. This can have an impact on the quality of
water/beaches and may have a negative impact on the area’s potential for recreation and
tourism.
the ground surface. Others have very deep roots to reach the water table. In woody species the
wood prevents the collapse of the plant even when the plant is wilting.
4 Animals are adapted to hot desert environments in a number of ways. For example, they can: be
nocturnal (active only at night) in order to avoid the heat of the day; use panting and/or have
large ears help to reduce body heat; remain in underground burrows during the day; secrete
highly concentrated uric acid in order to reduce water loss; migrate during the hottest season to
escape the heat; adopt a strategy of long-term aestivation (dormancy, or sleep), which ends only
when moisture and temperature conditions become more favourable; have light-coloured coats
to reflect heat. Many predators get most of their moisture from their prey.
The effects of deforestation
1
Industrial uses Ecological uses Subsistence uses
Charcoal Soil erosion control Fuelwood
Medicines Flood control Fodder for agriculture
Tourism Climate regulation Weaving materials and dyes
2 Because there is less vegetation, there is reduced interception and increased surface runoff. As
a result of the intense surface runoff and soil erosion, rivers have a higher flood peak and a
shorter time lag.
3 As a result of reduced interception and increased soil compaction, there is a decrease in
infiltration. The increase in overland runoff causes more surface erosion.
4 Sandification is a process of selective erosion. Raindrop impact washes away the finer particles
of clay and humus, leaving behind the coarser and heavier sand.
5 As deforestation progresses, there is a reduction of water that is re-evaporated from the
vegetation, hence the recycling of water must diminish. Thus, mean annual rainfall is reduced
and the seasonality of rainfall increases.
Climate graphs
1 a
1 b
13 A country that has undergone rapid and successful industrialisation since the 1960s.
14 South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong
15 For example: Brazil, China, India
16 For example: landlocked countries have generally developed more slowly than countries with a
coastline; tropical countries have grown more slowly than those in temperate latitudes.
17 Institutional quality includes good and stable government, effective law and order, and lack of
corruption.
18 The Gini coefficient
19 a For example: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany
b For example: Chile, Peru, South Africa, Papua New Guinea
20 Label the top line ‘Economic core’ and the lower line ‘Periphery’. The economic core region is
the most highly developed region in a country, with advanced systems of infrastructure and
high levels of investment generally resulting in high average incomes. The periphery lies
outside the economic core, with lower average incomes and a poorer quality of life in general.
21 Regional economic divergence is a widening of the economic gap between the core and the
periphery in a country. Regional economic convergence is a narrowing of this gap.
22 Residence, ethnicity and employment, education, land ownership
23 The formal sector of an economy will be known to the government department responsible for
taxation and to other government offices. The informal sector operates outside official
recognition. The formal sector generally provides better pay and much greater security than
jobs in the informal sector.
24 Teaching is classed as a service and thus it is part of the tertiary sector.
25 For example: primary – farming, fishing; secondary – the production of processed food, the
manufacture of motor vehicles; tertiary – retail worker, doctor; quaternary – computer scientist,
aerospace engineer.
26 a In the post-industrial sector of the diagram, the top line should be labelled ‘tertiary’, the
middle line ‘secondary’ and the bottom line ‘primary’.
b As farming and other primary activities gradually become mechanized, the demand for
labour in these activities declines. As technology develops, manufacturing industry
expands and as more wealth is created, the demand for services increases. As
manufacturing becomes more and more automated, production can increase as employment
in this sector falls. As a country continues to become more affluent, employment in the
service sector increases further.
27 Triangular graph
28 Globalisation is the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world
economically, culturally and politically.
29 A firm that owns or controls productive operations in more than one country through foreign
direct investment.
30 Major advances in transport and telecommunications systems have significantly reduced the
geographical barriers separating countries. As time has progressed, the diffusion of new ideas
has speeded up so that a technical breakthrough in one part of the world has had an impact on
other parts of the world much more quickly than ever before. The internet has been essential to
the development and speed of globalisation.
31 For example:
1 The rapid growth of newly industrialised countries has brought about major changes in the
economic strength of countries. In 1990 the developed world controlled about 64% of the
global economy as measured by gross domestic product. This fell to 52% by 2009 – one of
the most rapid economic changes in history.
2 The emergence of a network of global cities has been an important part of the process of
globalisation. A global city is one that is judged to be a significant nodal point in the global
economic system. These are major financial and decision-making centres. New York,
London and Tokyo are the world’s major global cities.
3 In recent decades the international movement of workers has spanned a much wider range
of countries than ever before. This refers to both countries of origin and destination. There
are now over 100 million migrant workers around the world. Migration of labour is a key
feature of globalisation.
32 For example:
1 People in many countries are concerned about the apparent loss of sovereignty.
2 High levels of international migration have increased cultural diversity in many countries.
33 Small local businesses have found it hard to compete with major global companies. Many local
areas have mounted ‘support local shops’ campaigns. The unique character of shopping areas
can be damaged if too many local shops close, and valuable jobs can be lost.
13 The effects of food shortages are both short and longer term. Malnutrition can affect a
considerable number of people, particularly children, within a relatively short period when food
supplies are significantly reduced. With malnutrition, people are less resistant to disease and
more likely to fall ill. Malnutrition reduces people’s capacity to work, so that land may not be
properly tended and other forms of income successfully pursued.
14 Relief food aid is delivered directly to people in times of crisis. Programme food aid is
provided directly to the government of a country for sale in local markets. This usually comes
with conditions from the donor country. Project food aid is targeted at specific groups of people
as part of longer-term development work.
15 The UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
and the Food Aid Convention.
16 The selling of heavily subsidised US-produced food in African countries can undermine the
ability of African farmers to produce for local markets, making countries even more dependent
on aid to avoid famine.
17 a For example:
1 Yields are twice to four times greater than traditional varieties.
2 The shorter growing season has allowed the introduction of an extra crop in
some areas.
b For example:
1 High inputs of fertiliser and pesticide are required to optimise production. This
is costly in both economic and environmental terms. In some areas rural
indebtedness has risen sharply; high-yielding varieties require more weed
control and are often more susceptible to pests and disease.
2 Middle- and higher-income farmers have often benefited much more than the
majority on low incomes, thus widening the income gap in rural communities.
Increased rural-to-urban migration has often been the result.
• Localisation economies, which occur when a firm locates close to suppliers or firms that it
supplies. This reduces transport costs, allows for faster delivery, and facilitates a high level
of personal communication between firms.
13 An industrial estate is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development.
14 The reasons include: concentrating dedicated infrastructure in a small area to reduce the per-
business expense of that infrastructure; attracting new business by providing an integrated
infrastructure in one location; separating industry from residential areas to try to reduce the
environmental and social impact; eligibility of industrial estates for grants and loans under
regional economic development policies.
15 a The global shift in manufacturing industry from the developed world to NICs and
developing countries has been a major part of the process of globalisation. Many industries
that were once important in developed countries are now located mainly in NICs.
b The most significant locational change has been from traditional manufacturing regions,
more often than not on coalfields, to higher-quality-of-life regions offering the hard and
soft infrastructural requirements of modern industry. There has been a significant shift of
industry from urban areas towards ‘greenfield’ rural locations.
c At the urban scale, the relative shift from inner city to suburbs increased as the twentieth
century progressed. Suburban areas generally offer more space for modern industrial
development and lower land costs than inner-city areas.
8 Air (54%)
9 7%
10 Europe
11 Seasonality is the major problem with tourism as a source of employment, having a major
impact on incomes and the quality of life at the less popular times of the year.
12 The direct economic impact of tourism is the obvious part of the industry such as hotels, the
transport of tourists, recreational and entertainment facilities for tourists, and restaurants.
Examples of the indirect impact are the manufacture of aircraft that carry tourists, the
production of food and beverages for the tourist industry, and the manufacture of the fixtures
and fittings in hotels and other aspects of tourist infrastructure. This is the less obvious impact
of the industry.
13 Beach artist
14 Economic leakages are the part of the money a tourist pays for a foreign holiday that does not
benefit the destination country because it goes elsewhere. With cheap package holidays, by far
the greater part of the money paid stays in the country where the holiday was purchased.
15 1 It is an important factor in the balance of payments of many nations. Tourism brings in
valuable foreign currency. This foreign currency is necessary for countries to pay for the
goods and services they import from abroad. Many small developing countries have few
other resources that they can use to obtain foreign currency.
2 Tourism benefits other sectors of the economy, providing jobs and income through the
supply chain. It can set off the process of cumulative causation whereby one phase of
investment can trigger other subsequent phases of investment.
3 It provides governments with considerable tax revenues, which help to pay for education,
health and other things for which a government has to find money.
16
Positive social and cultural impacts Negative social and cultural impacts
Tourism development can increase the range of The loss of locally owned land as tourism
social facilities for local people. companies buy up large tracts of land in the
most scenic and accessible locations.
It can lead to greater understanding between
people of different cultures. The abandonment of traditional values and
practices.
Visiting ancient sites can develop a greater
appreciation of the historical legacy of host The loss of housing for local people as more
countries. visitors buy second homes in popular tourist
areas.
17 Sustainable tourism is tourism organised in such a way that its level can be sustained in the
future without creating irreparable environmental, social and economic damage to the receiving
area.
18 Fly less and stay longer; carbon-offset air travel.
19 Ecotourism is a specialised form of tourism where people experience relatively untouched
natural environments such as coral reefs, tropical forests and remote mountain areas, and
ensure that their presence does no further damage to these environments.
20 Preservation is maintaining a location exactly as it is and not allowing development.
Conservation is allowing for developments that do not damage the character of a location.
Zero emissions of greenhouse gases. Along with Power plant accidents, which could release
hydropower, nuclear electricity is the major radiation into air, land and sea.
source of ‘carbon-free’ energy used today.
Radioactive waste storage/disposal. Most
Reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels. concern is over the small proportion of ‘high-
Nuclear power is seen by a number of level waste’. This is so radioactive it generates
governments as a tried and tested way of heat and corrodes all containers.
reducing reliance on energy imports.
Rogue state or terrorist use of nuclear fuel for
Not as vulnerable to fuel price fluctuations as oil weapons. As the number of countries with
and gas. Uranium – the fuel for nuclear plants – access to nuclear technology rises, such
is relatively plentiful, with most major mines in concerns are likely to increase.
politically stable countries.
High construction and decommissioning costs.
In recent years nuclear plants have demonstrated
a very high level of reliability and efficiency as
technology has advanced and experience has
been built up.
8 Countries are eager to harness renewable energy resources to: reduce their reliance on often
dwindling domestic fossil fuel resources; lower their reliance on costly fossil fuel imports;
improve their energy security with higher domestic energy production; cut greenhouse gas
emissions for a cleaner environment; and satisfy international obligations.
9 a Because it is a source of energy that has been in use for a long time.
b China, Canada, Brazil and the USA
c Most of the best HEP locations are already in use, so the scope for more large-scale
development is limited. Other possible locations are in protected areas, such as national
parks.
d Large dams and power plants can have a huge negative visual impact on the environment;
large areas of land may need to be flooded to form the reservoir behind the dam; the
obstruction of the river for aquatic life.
10 The graph shows the increase in the consumption of renewable energy (other than HEP) from
1995 to 2015. The rate of increase has been particularly sharp over the past decade, with global
renewable energy consumption reaching over 250 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2015.
11 a The worldwide capacity of wind energy reached 432 GW by the end of 2015, up from 10
GW in 1998.
b The leaders in global wind energy are China, USA, Germany and Spain. Together these
countries account for over 67% of the world total.
c Compared with most other forms of renewable energy, it can generate significant amounts
of electricity and it can be harnessed to a reasonable degree in most parts of the world.
d People are concerned that huge turbines located nearby could blight their homes and have a
significant impact on property values; concerns about the hum of turbines disturbing both
people and wildlife; skylines in scenically beautiful areas might be spoiled forever.
12 a Biofuels are fossil fuel substitutes that can be made from a range of crops including
oilseeds, wheat and sugar. They can be blended with petrol and diesel.
b USA and Brazil
c Biofuel production reduces the amount of oil required in a country’s energy mix.
Advocates of biofuels also argue that biofuels: come from a renewable resource (crops);
can be produced wherever there is sufficient crop growth, helping energy security; often
produce cleaner emissions than petroleum-based fuels.
d Increasing amounts of cropland have been used to produce biofuels, adding to the ‘global
food crisis’. Large amounts of land, water and fertilisers are needed for large-scale crop
production. The manufacture of biofuels also uses significant amounts of energy, creating
greenhouse gas emissions.
13 a Geothermal energy is the natural heat found in the Earth’s crust in the form of steam, hot
water and hot rock.
b The USA is the world leader in geothermal electricity.
c Extremely low environmental impact; geothermal plants occupy relatively small land
areas; not dependent on weather conditions (unlike wind and solar power).
d There are few locations worldwide where significant amounts of energy can be generated;
some of these locations are far from where the energy could be used; installation costs of
plant and piping are relatively high.
14 a 305 GW by the end of 2016
b China, Japan, Germany, USA and Italy
c Photovoltaic systems – these are solar panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
The other method – concentrating solar power (CSP) systems – uses mirrors or lenses and
tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. This concentrated light
is then used as a heat source for a conventional thermal power plant.
11 a Physical water scarcity is when physical access to water is limited. This is when demand
outstrips a region’s ability to provide the water needed by the population.
b Economic water scarcity exists when a population does not have the necessary monetary
means to utilise an adequate source of water.
12 A country is judged to experience water stress when water supply is below 1700 cubic metres
per person per year. When water supply falls below 1000 cubic metres per person a year, a
country faces water scarcity for all or part of the year.
13 Scientists expect water scarcity to become more severe, largely because: the world’s population
continues to increase significantly; increasing affluence is inflating per capita demand for
water; biofuel production has increased demand; biofuel crops are heavy users of water;
climate change is increasing aridity and reducing supply in many regions; many water sources
are threatened by various forms of pollution.
14 Effective methods of water management include: higher prices to encourage the systematic re-
use of used or ‘grey’ water, to spur investment in recycling and reclamation systems, and to
encourage greater investment in the reduction of water losses. Conserving irrigation water
would have more impact than any other measure. Most irrigation is extremely inefficient,
wasting half or more of the water used. More efficient use of water in industrial processes
could result in substantial water savings. Urban sanitation services are very heavy users of
water and demand could be reduced considerably by adopting low water use systems.
15 The atmosphere acts like a garden greenhouse, where the glass allows the heat from the Sun to
penetrate but not escape so easily. Natural greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap a certain
amount of the outgoing heat. The latter is vital to sustaining life on Earth.
16 Large-scale pollution of the atmosphere by economic activities has created an enhanced
greenhouse effect. This is causing temperatures to increase beyond the limits of the natural
greenhouse effect. Many parts of the world are experiencing changes in their weather that are
unexpected. Some of these changes could have disastrous consequences for the populations of
the areas affected if they continue to get more severe. As the economies of China, India and
other NICs expand even further, greenhouse gas emissions will continue to increase.
17 Three from: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone.
18 1 Global temperature variations and heatwaves: in general, higher latitudes and continental
regions will experience temperature increases significantly greater than the global average.
There will be a rising probability of heatwaves, with more extreme heat days and fewer
very cold days.
2 Rising sea levels: sea levels will respond more slowly than temperatures to changing
greenhouse gas concentrations. Sea levels are currently rising at around 3 mm per year and
the rise has been accelerating. Rising sea levels are due to a combination of thermal
expansion and the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. Thermal expansion is the increase in
water volume due to temperature increase alone. A global average sea level rise of 0.4 m
from this cause has been predicted by the end of this century.
3 Increasing acidity in oceans: as carbon dioxide levels rise in the atmosphere, more of the
gas is dissolved in surface waters, creating carbonic acid. Since the start of the Industrial
Revolution the acidity of the oceans has increased by 30%. This is having a significant
impact on coral reefs and shellfish.
19 Soil erosion involves both the physical loss and the reduction in quality of topsoil associated
with nutrient decline and contamination.
20 Globally it is estimated that 2 billion hectares of soil resources have been degraded. This is
equivalent to about 15% of the Earth’s land area. During the past 40 years, nearly one-third of
the world’s cropland has been abandoned because of soil erosion and degradation.
21 1 Deforestation occurs for a number of reasons, including the clearing of land for agricultural
use, for timber, and for other activities such as mining. Such activities tend to happen
quickly, whereas the loss of vegetation for fuelwood – a massive problem in many
developing countries – is generally a more gradual process.
2 Overgrazing is the grazing of natural pastures at stocking intensities above the livestock-
carrying capacity. Population pressure in many areas and poor agricultural practices have
resulted in serious overgrazing. This is a major problem in many parts of the world,
particularly in marginal ecosystems.
22 Desertification is the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert. It is arguably the
most serious environmental consequence of soil degradation.
23 For example: temporary drought periods of high magnitude and long-term climate change
towards aridity.
24 Overgrazing and deforestation
25 The increasing world population and the rapidly changing diets of hundreds of millions of
people as they become more affluent is placing more and more pressure on land resources.
Some soil and agricultural experts say that a decline in long-term soil productivity is already
seriously limiting food production in the developing world.
26 a Resource management is the control of the exploitation and use of resources in relation to
environmental and economic costs.
b Sustainable development is a carefully calculated system of resource management, which
ensures that the current level of exploitation does not compromise the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
27 For example, the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy.
28 a Recycling is the concentration of used or waste materials, their reprocessing, and their
subsequent use in place of new materials.
b Re-use involves extending the life of a product beyond what was the norm in the past, or
putting a product to a new use and extending its life in this way.
29 Landfill is undesirable for a number of reasons:
• Leachate pollution. Leachate is a solution formed when water percolates through a
permeable medium. The leachate may be toxic or carry bacteria when derived from solid
waste.
• Biodegradable waste rotting in landfill creates methane gas, which is 21 times more potent
than CO2.
• The increasingly large areas of land required for such sites.
30 a Carbon credits: a permit that allows an organisation to emit a specified amount of
greenhouse gases.
b Community energy: energy produced close to the point of consumption.
c Microgeneration: generators producing electricity with an output of less than 50 kW.
31 For example, walk rather than drive for short local journeys; use low-energy light bulbs; don’t
leave appliances on standby.
b Trellis
c In square 5313 it is steep, rising from 65 m to over 100 m. In contrast, in square 5212 it is
very flat and there is just one contour line present.
d Floodplain
e Confluence of rivers
f The southern part of square 5313 is very steep, whereas in 5314 it is less steep.