Case study: population and Environment Easter Island

Question 1

What were the reasons for population growth in Easter Island?

Answer 1

• 1000 years ago, people came to easter island and over 600 years had a population of at several thousand
• lots of resources able to be used
  >16 million trees removed
  > quarried stones used to build houses and almost 900 of statues

Question 2

What were the lessons learned with food productivity?

Answer 2

• Around 20% more food per person is produced today than 40 years ago
• Globally we produce enough food for all but people don’t have sufficient land to grow enough food or the money to purchase it

Question 3

What were the lessons learned with water conception?

Answer 3

• 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater
• This is reducing due to climate change and greater pressure form population growth
• 1.1 billion people don’t have access to freshwater
  > Mainly in LDE
• Any failure of irrigation and water distribution schemes in the future may lead to prolonged drought

Question 4

What were the lessons learned with climate change?

Answer 4

• Greenhouse gases are being created faster than they can be absorbed by shrinking oceans and forests
• 10% of the worlds population live 10m above sea level
  > Any increase in sea level can put these homes, crops, livelihoods at risk

Question 5

What were the lessons learned with natural hazards?

Answer 5

• Droughts, floods, wildfires, and tropical storms are becoming more frequent and geographically concentrated
• Frequency of heatwaves in Asia has increase since 1950s
• Heatwave in India killed 2500 people in May 2015