(a) Describe any three factors responsible for the dominance of light industries in developing countries. (b) Highlight any four advantages of the concentra...

(a) Three factors responsible for the dominance of light industries in developing countries

• Shortage of capital: Light industries need relatively little capital to establish and run compared with heavy industries, so they suit the low investment capacity of developing countries.
• Low level of technology and skills: Light industries use simpler machinery and less skilled labour, which matches the limited technical know-how available.
• Small local market and low purchasing power: The market mostly demands consumer goods such as food, textiles and beverages, which light industries produce, rather than expensive heavy goods.
• Availability of agricultural raw materials: Many light (agro-based) industries process locally available farm produce such as cotton, cocoa and oil palm.

(b) Four advantages of the concentration of industries in an area

• It allows industries to share common infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water, thereby reducing cost.
• It provides a large pool of skilled and unskilled labour from which firms can draw.
• Industries can supply raw materials and semi-finished goods to one another (linkages), saving transport cost.
• It creates a large local market and supporting services such as banks, repair workshops and insurance.
• It encourages exchange of ideas and technology among firms, improving efficiency.

(c) Three disadvantages of the concentration of industries

• It causes overcrowding, traffic congestion and pressure on housing and social amenities.
• It leads to serious pollution of air, water and land in the concentrated area.
• It creates regional imbalance, since other areas remain undeveloped and depopulated as people migrate to the industrial zone.