In a coastal district of the fictional country of Merida, a fieldwork team mapped household water sources after a long dry season. Fig. 1 is a sketch map fr...
Question 1 Report
In a coastal district of the fictional country of Merida, a fieldwork team mapped household water sources after a long dry season. Fig. 1 is a sketch map from the investigation. It shows a piped standpipe, a seasonal river, a private tanker-water seller and the settlement clinic. The team is studying development because safe water, time available for work, and health all influence human welfare. The box on the map identifies a densely populated informal settlement where many homes have no connection to the piped supply.
(a) Identify the water resource closest to the informal settlement in Fig. 1. [1]
(b) Describe the location of the clinic in relation to the standpipe. [2]
(c) State two pieces of primary data the team could collect from households to investigate water access. [4]
(d) Explain two ways unreliable access to safe water can limit development for the settlement population. [6]
(e) Describe two limitations of using the distance on Fig. 1 alone to judge which water source households will use. [4]
(f) Which one additional HDI-related indicator would help the team assess human welfare? Give a reason for your choice. [3]
(g) Explain why a higher GDP per capita for Merida would not prove that all households in the boxed area have improved living standards. [5]
Answer Details
(a) The closest water resource to the informal settlement is the standpipe. [1]
(b) The clinic is east, or to the right, of the standpipe and is also slightly south, or below it. [2]
(c) Useful primary household data include time taken to collect water, litres collected per household per day, cost paid, usual source used, number of days when supply is unavailable, and reported diarrhoea cases. Any two, with each item clearly measured. [4]
(d) Unsafe water can spread disease, causing absence from school or work and reducing productivity. Collecting water from a distant source takes time away from education or paid work. Paying for tanker water can use a large share of household income, leaving less for food, housing or schooling. Any two explained chains. [6]
(e) Straight-line distance does not show actual walking routes or obstacles. It also does not show price, queues, opening hours, personal safety, water quality, or whether a source is seasonal. Any two limitations. [4]
(f) Life expectancy is a suitable additional indicator because it reflects health outcomes, including effects of water-related disease. Mean years of schooling is also acceptable if linked validly to time available for education. [3]
(g) GDP per capita is a national average. Income may be concentrated among richer groups, while informal-settlement residents may not receive improved water or other services. GDP does not directly measure water quality or water access. Therefore, a higher national GDP per capita does not prove that living standards in the boxed area have improved. [5]
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