Case Studies Flashcards
Case Study on International Aid
Water Aid in Mali - West Africa
Non-governmental organisation
P1 - Problems Mali faced:
- desertification
- privatised water companies
- poor hygiene education
- poor health and sanitation (less people working and going to school) death from diarrhoeal diseases
- little rainfall
P2 - How Water Aid has helped
- Improved hygiene education
- Improved sanitation
- Improved water safety
- Built pumps
P3 - Advantages and Disadvantages D: - Relies on donations - Slow process, money cannot be quickly given to the people, they must be taught - Hard to tackle desertification
A:
- Uses appropriate technology
- Improving water, hygiene and sanitation means people are healthier and happier
- Healthier people means more people can work and earn more (and spend more on local businesses and tax)
- Healthier people means less money spent on medication
- Healthier children means more attending school and leading to higher education and jobs rather than agriculture
- The country becomes less reliant on aid and help
- Less time wasted travelling far to collect dirty water
- Teaches people skills which can be taught and passed down and taken pride of
Case Study on an MNC
Multinational corporation
Nike - Vietnam
P1 - about Nike:
- over 650,000 workers
- no factories in USA
- 75% + of the workforce is in Asia
- recent years’ revenue was $24.3 bn
- over 700 factories
- operating elsewhere is cheaper
- stakeholders include the government, consumers, workers, locals and nike.
- average wage of $5 a day
P2 - Advantages:
- cumulative causation, brings more MNCs to Vietnam
- multiplier effect
- increases the skill set of locals
- pays more than most other MNCs
- enables locals to spend more money on local businesses and pay tax
- provides jobs
- consumers get what they want
- plan to use less water in the future
P3 - Disadvantages:
- unreliable, they could move to a cheaper location
- may have a political influence
- may ruin their culture with Western culture and advertising
- exploits LEDC workers
- has had cases of child labour, abuse, poor conditions and poor treatment
- causes pollution
Case Study on Urbanisation
Rio de Janeiro
P1 - Fast Growing:
- people forced out of their homes in rural areas (due to companies e.g. McDonald’s)
- people want a better quality of life, better job, money, education etc.
P2 - Problems:
- higher crime rates
- poorer hygiene, sanitation and health care
- no sewerage, clean water or electricity
- informal sector, people don’t pay tax
- they build on land they don’t own which is then knocked down
- due to the steep hills surrounding, Rio can’t expand
- diseases easily spread
- outskirts of Rio far from jobs
P3 - Improving and Solutions:
- encourage people to move out of Rio (to Barra)
- improve the rural areas so people don’t move
- improve the favelas
~ Self help schemes - brick instead of wood, water pipes and electricity put in, businesses set up
~ Site and service schemes - new comers rent a plot of land with what they can afford and the government gives advice. Divided land.
Case Study on Retail Change
Portsmouth
P1 - (Pre) 1985 - highstreet/commercial road:
- Many independent stores
- Some high order/comparison goods and convenience goods bought from corner shops
- Open top
- Far car park
- Graffiti
- Public benches
- Few shops
- Small sphere of influence
- Lots of empty stores
P2 - Cascades shopping centre
- Supermarkets, chain stores and food courts
- Provided jobs
- Sheltered, dry and safe
- Little greenery
- Easily accessible - car park
- Some empty stores
P3 - Gunwharf Quays:
- 10 minute walk from highstreet
- large sphere of influence
- first shopping centre of its kind
- brings everything to one place
- public transport
- many jobs
- many services
- lots of greenery and renewable energy e.g. Solar panels and insulation
- unique shops
P4 - Northern Quarter (plan)
- would cost £300-500 million
- lots of new jobs
- public transport
- night light, architecture, street lights
Case Study on Urban Change
Portsmouth
P1 - Social:
- more jobs
- street art
- large windows reduce depression
- lots of facilities and services
- public transport
P2 - Economic:
- more jobs
- more housing
- desirable area, houses cost 5 times more than the inner city
- 70% of builders were local
P3 - Environmental:
- built on a brownfield site
- solar panels
- fish and bird habitats
- buildings have double glazing and insulation
- conservation areas
Case Study on Internal Migration
UK
P1 - Push factors of the North:
- net migration of -2.5 from the North East and -6.5 from the North west
- perceived lower quality of life in North (older housing, derelict land from industry etc.)
- rural regions with a decline in the farming workforce and depopulation
- decline is heavy industries and closure of ship building and coal mines etc and little alternative employment
- unemployment
- lack of schools
P2 - Pull factors of the South:
- more jobs
- better quality of life
- growth in service industry
- access to travelling
- better communications
- close to EU
- higher salaries
- flatter land
- channel tunnel
- more social/sporting amenities
P3 - Consequences and Management:
- if people leave, the area becomes run down and economy declines
- areas migrants go to become overcrowded
- some areas become isolated and services shut down
- funding can be done to improve transport links
- EU is funding for generating businesses e.g. 472 projects in Scotland
- grants given by governments for business that need help
Case Study on International Migration
Migration from Mexico to USA
GDP: USA - $54,000 / Mexico - $17,900
P1 - Push and Pull Factors:
- jobs and employment
- quality of housing
- education
- healthcare
- power and fuel
- weather and food
- quality of life
- pollution
- crime
P2 - Positive and Negative Consequences for the host USA
P - majority if immigrants are young who join the workforce, pay tax and support the greying population
P - consumers of goods and services increasing demand, jobs and wealth
P - they take the jobs no one wants
N - they have larger families which increase demand for schools and healthcare
N - many are poorly educated and unskilled and there’s limited demand for this labour
N - can depress wages and takes Americans’ jobs
N - money from migrants is sent back
P3 - Positive and Negative Consequences for the source Mexico
P - less stress on services
P - receives money sent from migrants
P - generates more foreign exchange than tourism
P - less crowded
N - sex ratios imbalance as more makes migrate than females
N - may lose their youngest most productive workers
Case Study on Government Influence over Population
China - one child policy
P1 - about the policy
1950s - children were encouraged
1959-61 - serious famine, up to 20 million died
1960s - population boom increased 55 a year but the government did nothing
1970s - policy changed to “later, longer, fewer” government urged population decrease
1980s - (1979) one child policy introduced
- granny police ensured women were taking the pill or else would be fined or sterilised
- “boys are better” girls were aborted to have sons
- “little emperors” only child’s were very spoilt
1990s - policy relaxed and birth rates increased Hard to avoid as many people from population boom were child bearing age.
2000s - new year, couples with no siblings and those living in rural areas could have two children.
2008 - Sichuan earthquake, adoption made easier and those who lost a child could try for another
P2 - Advantages:
- prevented over 400 million births
- improves quality of life
- benefits offered to families with the planning policy e.g. Health care, house renovation, tech, educational support etc.
- managed to limit population growth
- improved cities and education
P3 - Disadvantages:
- resulted in demographic problems and an ageing population
- illegal trade of children
- government officials with 2+ children lost their jobs
- men outnumber women by 60 million
- more forced abortions and financial penalties
- 70,000 children kidnapped and traded each year
- led to selling, killing or adoptions of girls
Case Study on an MEDC Tectonic Hazard
Christchurch - New Zealand 2010/1
Early morning while people were asleep
7.1 on Richter scale
P1 - Impacts:
- tens of thousands left with without water and power
- no one died
- 86 jobs lost
- $40 bn damage
- evacuation centres set up
- non urgent surgery appointments cancelled
P2 - Secondary Hazards:
- localised flooding, rock fall and landslides
- liquefaction of silt and sand occurred in areas of loose or saturated soil
- led to the movement of ground and damage of houses
- cracks appeared in the ground
P3 - Responses:
- people calm and told to stay indoors
- army and firefighters quickly sent in
- Australian police sent in
- $6-7 million given in aid
- building codes for new buildings
- areas cleared of silt to prevent liquefaction
- water and sewerage restored
- $898 million paid towards buildings and reconstruction
- Red Cross assisted and gave grants to families with children aged
Case Study on an LEDC Tectonic Hazard
Sichuan - China 2008
2:28 pm
7.9 on the Richter scale
1950 aftershocks
P1 - Impacts:
- approx 69,000 deaths
- 6.5 million homes collapsed
- 80% buildings gone
- 7000 schools destroyed, collapsed easily as they were rushed and built quickly with little thought to safety
- 500,000
P2 - secondary hazards:
- slope failures and landslides in the mountains
- landslides blocked river valleys creating quake lakes
- rising water levels and pressure threatened to breach the Earth dam and cause flooding
- 250,000 evacuated to higher ground
- bad weather made rescue operations harder
P3 - responses:
- soldiers parachuted in with food, water and medicine
- temporary accommodation in stadiums for many without homes
- government asked for international aid
- people were digging with their bare hands
- helicopters were sent to help people in inaccessible areas
- evacuation panic and no planning
- government has now allocated £2 million from its emergency relief fund
- rebuilding of homes, buildings and schools
- government pledged a $10 million rebuilding fund and banks passed any debts survivors owed
Case study on Economic Development and the Conflict Between Development and the Environments
Palm oil - Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand
About palm oil:
- used as a biofuel
- profitable
- can earn up to $400 weekly
- large investment, many uses e.g. Soap, food, fuels etc
- fear of local food shortage
- supported by their government
- can result in deforestation
P2 - stakeholders:
- government, boosts the economy
- farmers, increase income
- locals, food, income and tax
- charities, oppose due to destruction of rainforests
- companies, rely on palm oil
- China, wants 15% of its fuel to be bio by 2020
- environmentalists
- Dayak tribe, rely on forest for materials e.g. rubber and hunting
P3 - advantages and disadvantages:
- biofuel is carbon neutral
- large market
- profitable
- greater income
- support from government
- cumulative causation
- $400 approx weekly
- reliable
- uses fewer chemicals than other crops
- less corn and rice plantations
- destroys the rainforests
- can lead to lack of food which may need to be imported
- destroys habitats and threatens tribes and animals
Case study on Economic Development and the Economic Activity of an LEDC
Brazil - São Paulo
Primary industry:
- Warm temp, rainfall and rich soil enable farming e.g. For rice, sugar, cocoa, coffee etc.
- Mining due to lots of metals, gold, iron ore and bauxite
- Energy rich, oil and gas refineries offshore and hydroelectric power
- Rain forests enabling forestry
- Coastal settlements allow fishing
Secondary industry:
- Major industries include car makers, shoe making, textiles etc.
- Good infrastructure, roads, rail networks, airports and seaports
- Oil and gas pipelines
- Plentiful labour supply, highest skilled and most educated
- Many raw materials
- Large market
- Government investment
Tertiary industry:
- Largest industry (finance sector)
- 66% of country’s workforce employed
- Responsible for 67.5% of the GDP, financial sector contributes 16%
- All rely on the finance sector
Quaternary industry:
- Centre of research and development e.g. The aerospace centre
- Aircrafts and aircraft parts make up Brazils largest export category
Example company:
Fiat -
Brazilian government provided incentives e.g. 50% off start up costs
Cheap labour and military government
Case study on Economic Development and Economic Activity / Change of Industrial location MEDC
UK - South Wales steel works
P1 - Why did heavy industry locate in South Wales?:
- easy access to bulk raw materials e.g. Coal, iron ore and limestone
- fast flowing rivers provided water and power
- the valleys were natural routes
- the British empire were a guaranteed market
- there was a large workforce
P2 - How and why did location factors change?:
- raw materials became exhausted to the point that further extraction wasn’t economically sustainable
- the valleys weren’t big enough for the growing factories, larger flatter land was needed
- no longer a guaranteed market, there was no need and steel could be bought from elsewhere for cheaper
- coastal regions lower costs as raw materials imported can be manufactured sooner. Break of bulk.
- deindustrialisation
- globalisation
P3 - Consequences of economic decline:
- water pollution from discharge of mines
- scarred landscape
- lower life expectancy
- high levels of long term illnesses
- people have more time and less money
- increase in crime
- 1/3 population with no qualifications and lacking appropriate skills
- 100,000 jobs lost since 1976 which led to the unemployment and migration of many young people
- fewer taxes and business rates paid
- less investment in housing, roads and education
- government declares a development area and industries are encouraged to come to the area
- regional assistance was provided e.g. UK government, WDA and European regional development fund.
Case study on an MEDC Climatic Hazard
Hurricane Katrina - 2005 New Orleans
Category 5 - wind speeds of 282 kph (plus low pressure, 60m water depth and 27°+ waters)
P1 - Primary Impacts:
- Buildings extensively damaged
- No clean water, food or toilet facilities
- Storm surge and heavy rain caused flooding
- 1.7 million people left without electricity
- 80% of the city was up to 3m under water
- Computer networks failed
- Most roads and major bridges were damaged
- 1 million people left homeless
P2 - Secondary Impacts:
- Nearly everyone in New Orleans lost their jobs
- Drowned bodies were a potential health risk
- Loss resulted in emotional suffering
- Increase in looting, disorder and crime
- 13% population hadn’t returned after 5 years
- $10.5 bn spent on repair and reconstruction
- Oil and gas production and imports affected and prices rose
- Approx $60 bn in insured losses
P3 - Responses (short and long term):
- Hurricane watch set up
- State of emergency declared
- Army sent to prevent looting and distribute aid
- 33,500 rescued by the coast guard
- Approx $34 bn set aside for rebuilding
- Stronger levee system designed
- Better education procedure developed
- $800 mn on strengthening flood walls (originally only designed for a cat 3)
- International aid e.g. $500 mn from Kuwait
Case study on LEDC Climatic Hazard
Cyclone Nargis - 2008 - Myanmar
Wind speeds 217 kph
North Indian Ocean
Hit the low lying, densely populated delta
P1 - Primary Impacts:
- 140,000 people dead
- 2.4 mn affected
- 95% buildings of the delta’s buildings damaged
- 80,000 dead in the town
- Over 2 mn left homeless
- Transport links swept away
- Power lines blown
- Storm surges resulted in flooding, the delta had many inlets and shallow water so there was no where else for the water to go but on land
P2 - Secondary Impacts:
- Families without clean water or electricity
- Dirty water led to mosquito breeding
- Cost of rice increased by 50%
- Sewage leaked on rice paddies causing disease
- Damaged agricultural land caused crop failures
- Thousands on the streets with no shelter
- $10 bn to rebuild
- Many riots and riot police
P3 - Responses (short and long term):
- Aid from charities, UN, NGOs etc however the government was slow to accept
- After 10 days, only 1/10 got aid
- Military government did very little
- No national warning despite international warning
- Ill prepared
- Repairing houses, buildings etc.
- Little long term responses and planning
