Competition for natural resources

Question 1

What do cities require as they grow with an increasin gnumber of people making their homes there?

Answer 1

Large amounts of natural resources to build infrastructure and supply materials for industrial use.

Question 2

Why does competition for natural resources such as land and water arise?

Answer 2

Because there is a high demand by cities for the limited amount of natural resources, i.e. wants are unlimited but resources are limited.

Question 3

Land resource

What do cities need land for?

Answer 3

to accommodate their large and growing populations for different purpsoes.

Question 4

Land resource

What happens if the land area of the current city is insufficient?

Answer 4

1. Cities may expand towards rural areas, replacing forests and farmlands, or levelling hills.
2. Parts of the current city could be rebuilt to use land more intensively.
3. Existing residents are re-located to make way for new buildings for other uses.

Question 5

How can parts of a current city use its land more intensively?

Answer 5

By replacing low-lying buildings with taller ones.

Question 6

When can competition for land cause unhappiness?

Answer 6

When existing residents are relocated to make way for new buildings for other uses.

Question 7

List some ways land can be used.

Answer 7

1. green space for sports and recreation
2. creative hub for commerical activities
3. markets (e.g. Waterfront Market Village in Punggol East)
4. Area for food and shopping amenities
5. LRT stations and train tracks for transport use
6. High-rise residential use (e.g. Punggol Promenade)

Question 9

Water resource

Why do cities need to ensure the continual supply of clean water?

Answer 9

To meet the needs of people and businesses.

Question 10

How is the need to ensure a continual supply of clean water compromised?

Answer 10

Competition for land

Question 11

Why does competition for land compromise with the continual supply of clean water?

Answer 11

Competition for land:
1. limits the construction or expansion of reservoirs.
2. affects water catchment areas and ground water as more natural vegetation is converted to concrete surfaces.

Question 12

What can cause water taps for homes and businesses to be turned off?

Answer 12

1. when the water level in reservoirs drop to dangerously low levels.
2. high population growth
3. people’s consumption habits
4. prolonged drought