Hot Deserts 2

Question 1

List the development opportunities in hot deserts

Answer 1

-Mineral extraction
-Energy
-Farming
-Tourism

Question 2

Name your hot desert case study:

Answer 2

The Sahara Desert

Question 3

How is farming a development opportunity in the Sahara desert?

Answer 3

-Economic opportunities for development may include farming on the river Nile

-The river is a stable water source running through the Sahara desert

-This means that water can be supplied to crops on farms all year round using irrigation techniques

-Which means that farmers can battle the severe lack of rainfall

Question 4

The Aswan Dam, Egypt

Answer 4

On the Nile, makes water extraction from the river easier, allowing farmers to battle the severe lack of rainfall.

Question 4

Where does the majority of people in Egypt live?

Answer 4

95% of Egypt’s population live within 10k of the Nile

Question 5

How is tourism a development opportunity in the Sahara Desert?

Answer 5

-Tourism provides job opportunities.

-This means an income not just for the country, but for individuals.

-Which means their quality of life can improve

Question 6

Where does tourism happen in hot deserts?

Answer 6

Usually happens on the fringes of deserts, close to Urban areas.

Question 7

How is energy a development opportunity in the Sahara Desert?

Answer 7

-Hot deserts like the Sahara receives an average of 10hrs of bright sunlight a day, ideal for solar power generation.

-This means that countries can have a clean and cost-effective energy source.

-Which means that not only will they save money in the long run (solar power is one of the cheapest energy sources once solar farms are built), but the countries may look more attractive.

-This is because they are contributing less to CO₂ emissions as they are burning fewer or no fossil fuels

-this could be advantageous in their development over other countries

Question 8

How is mineral extraction a development opportunity in the Sahara Desert? (basic level)

Answer 8

-Desert sands are rich in minerals, which can be mined and exported as primary products for profit.

-For example, the extraction and exporting of the mineral phosphate in Morocco.

-This means that money is made and can be invested into improving things like schools and healthcare

-Which means that peoples’ quality of life can improve.

Question 9

How is mineral extraction a development opportunity in the Sahara Desert? (advanced level aka the continuation)

Answer 9

-Some of the money, however, could be re-invested into industry, perhaps in building factories

-Here, raw materials could be manufactured into secondary products (e.g. fertilisers from phosphate).

-These could be exported at a higher price, which would bring even more money into the country for further investment, which means the country could develop further.

Question 10

List the challenges of developing hot desert environments:

Answer 10

-Extreme temperatures
-Water Supply
-Inaccessibility

Question 11

How are extreme temperatures a challenge to development?

Answer 11

-In hot deserts there is an extreme diurnal range (0-45°C) and exposure to temperature extremes such as these can be dangerous.

-Physical work can be difficult, which means that opportunities for development such as farming and mining are limited.

-The hot season can be too hot for tourists, which means employment in the tourism industry can be seasonal

Question 12

How is water supply a challenge to development?

Answer 12

Rainfall in hot deserts is low and unpredictable.

This makes farming difficult as:

1-Water is needed for plants to photosynthesise and hence grow

2-Desert sands are dry and infertile

(3-Nutrient cycling is slow as moist conditions are better for bacteria to thrive)

Question 13

What are deep boreholes for/ what do they do?

Answer 13

Deep boreholes extract water stored under the Sahara without replenishing it (unsustainable).

Question 14

Water pipes

Answer 14

Built to help extract valuable desert resources. (links to Morocco).

Question 15

How is inaccessibility a challenge to development?

Answer 15

-Desert settlements and industrial sites (e.g. mines, solar farms) are located deep within the desert.

-This means that travelling there to provide services is difficult

-Particularly as the Sahara has few roads, people and materials have to travel very long distances, often by air.

-All of this means that it is challenging to provide necessities e.g. medical care to workers at these locations, which increases their risk of mortality.

Question 16

Does the hot dessert offer more challenges or opportunities?

Answer 16

In my opinion, the unique (though challenging) hot desert ecosystem provides many development opportunities for the countries within it.

Furthermore, these opportunities are unique to the hot desert, giving countries here possible advantages over others without the same climate and resources, which I think outweighs the challenges.

Question 17

Activities for tourists at the Sahara Desert

Answer 17

Activities include sandboarding and camel trekking.

These are unique experiences, making the Sahara look appealing.

Question 18

Eco-tourism Sahara Desert

Answer 18

Eco-tourism can educate people about the desert environment, and local traditions/culture.

Question 19

Mineral extraction example

Answer 19

Morocco (situated in the North West of the Sahara Desert) is the world’s third largest exporter of the mineral phosphate, which is of high demand for use in fertilisers.

Question 20

Providing enough water for ___ , _______ , and ___________ is challenging.

Answer 20

workers, industry, and irrigation

Question 21

Solar farm example

Answer 21

A solar power farm in Tunisia is expected to begin generating by the end of 2025, and supply enough energy for 43,000 homes.