Section C: Global Issues
Overview
Nearly all the water on Earth is salt. Most of the fresh water that remains is frozen. What is actually available to eight billion people, their farms and their factories is a fraction of one per cent of the planet's water, and it is not where the people are. The same is true of energy: the countries that use the most are rarely the countries that hold the most, and every pipeline, tanker route and transmission line on the map exists to close that gap.
This is the section of Paper 2 where you choose. One option is water and energy resources: where surplus and deficit lie, why demand keeps climbing, and what a country can actually do about it, from an enormous water transfer across China to a solar panel on a roof in Bangladesh. The other is population and communication: how the world reached eight billion people, what different countries have done about it, why people migrate across borders in the twenty-first century, and how ports, airports and the internet have rearranged the world economy. This lesson teaches both in full.
Objectives
- Demand for water resources is rising globally but supply can be insecure, which may lead to conflict.
- Different strategies can be used to increase water supply.
- Demand for energy resources is rising globally but supply can be insecure, which may lead to conflict.
- Different strategies can be used to increase energy supply.
- Population and communication Global population is increasing for a variety of reasons with significant impacts; strategies are in place to manage this.
- There are a number of reasons for international migration and significant impacts result from the process.
- Developments in ocean ports and airports offer many opportunities for growth and development, as well as presenting many
- challenges.
- The development of ICT has led to many worldwide opportunities for development.
- Areas of surplus (security) and deficit (insecurity):
- global inequalities in the supply and consumption of water
- global patterns of water surplus and deficit.
- Reasons for increasing water consumption:
- economic development, rising population
- factors affecting water availability: climate, geology, pollution of supply, over-abstraction, limited infrastructure, poverty
- impacts of water insecurity: waterborne disease and water pollution, food production, industrial output, potential for conflict where demand exceeds supply. Overview of strategies to increase water supply:
- diverting supplies and increasing storage, dams and reservoirs, water transfers and desalination
- an example of a large-scale water transfer scheme to show how its development has both advantages and disadvantages. Moving towards a sustainable resource future:
- water conservation, groundwater management, recycling, ‘grey’ water
- an example of a local scheme in an LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supplies of water. Areas of surplus (security) and deficit (insecurity):
- global inequalities in the supply and consumption of energy
- global distribution of energy consumption and supply
- reasons for increasing energy consumption: economic development, rising population, technology
- factors affecting energy supply: physical factors, cost of exploitation and production, technology and political factors.
- impacts of energy insecurity: exploration of difficult and environmentally sensitive areas, economic and environmental costs, food production, industrial output, potential for conflict where demand exceeds supply. Overview of strategies to increase energy supply:
- renewable (biomass, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, wave and solar) and non-renewable (fossil fuels and nuclear power) sources of energy
- an example to show how the extraction of a fossil fuel has both advantages and disadvantages. Moving towards a sustainable resource future:
- individual energy use and carbon footprints
- energy conservation: designing homes, workplaces and transport for sustainability, demand reduction, use of technology to increase efficiency in the use of fossil fuels
- an example of a local renewable energy scheme in an LIC or NEE to provide sustainable supplies of energy.
- The change in world population over time.
- Location and causes of the global increase in population - improved medical care, improved sanitation, role of aid, religion, status of women, role of children, age-structure education. Examples from one or more areas of the world to illustrate:
- economic, environmental and economic impacts of population change - population and resource balance, economic development, age structure, food supply, environmental degradation
- strategies to manage population growth - contrasting approaches to reducing the birth rate. Major international migrations in twenty-first century - examples should be used to illustrate the following:
- causes of different types of international migration - refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants
- demographic, economic, social and political impacts of international migration.
- the development of ocean shipping and ports and airports
- global patterns of movement by sea and air
- advantages of increasing international links for manufacturing industry, trade and tourism
- challenges presented by increasing airport development; a case study of airport expansion should be used to illustrate this.
- developments in ICT, increasing access to the internet and international phone links - cause and pattern
- examples should be used to illustrate the following:
- the role of ICT in leading to economic growth in NEEs with regard to call centres, investment by TNCs, development of trade and tourism.
Mind map
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Section C: Global Issues. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Roughly what share of global fresh water withdrawals is used by agriculture? A. About 10 per cent B. About 30 per cent C. About 50 per cent D. About 70 per cent Answer: D
- Which of the following is an example of managing demand rather than increasing supply? A. Building a desalination plant B. Transferring water between river basins C. Metering household water use and repairing leaking mains D. Constructing a new reservoir Answer: C
- Which of these energy sources is non-renewable? A. Geothermal B. Nuclear C. Tidal D. Biomass Answer: B
- In roughly which year did the world's population reach eight billion? A. 2011 B. 2016 C. 2022 D. 2026 Answer: C
- What is the main reason mobile phone networks spread faster than fixed telephone lines in lower income countries? A. Mobile phones are made locally B. One mast serves a whole district, so infrastructure cost per user is far lower C. Fixed lines cannot carry internet traffic D. Governments banned fixed line networks Answer: B
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