Human Geography - Globalisation - Application

Question 1

Why is Bangalore, India an emerging economy?

Answer 1

home to 10mil people

global shift in IT services and business product output employs 1mil people

1200 IT companies in Bangalore –> number increasing due to multiplier effect

has some of India’s best schools and universities –> TNCs have access to graduates

English is the main professional language

Question 2

Socio-economic impacts in Bangalore

Answer 2

emerging middle class –> increasing number of “gated villages” for millionaires

house prices are increasing putting pressure on local people

Shops and shopping malls are opening –> allows people to buy consumer goods –> Western influences are growing and could lead to cultural erosion

Question 3

Environmental impacts in Bangalore

Answer 3

once known for its lakes but have not been maintained and 100 lakes have fallen to just 17

water supplies, electricity, and sewage services struggle to keep up with demand –> problem for IT industry

demand for resources is 50% higher than supply

roads are heavily congested

Question 4

Management for transport in Bangalore

Answer 4

public-private investment into transport and a brand-new airport (Kempegowda International Airport)

toll roads are being built towards an ‘electronic city’ (where many major IT companies are located)

a metro is being put in place (government-funded) (Bengaluru Metro Rail)

Question 5

Environmental problems due to globalisation in China

Answer 5

Pollution and Health Problems:
- Beijing has frequent pollution alerts
- 70% of lakes are polluted, exaggerating water shortages
- industrial towns where rates of cancer are so high they are becoming known as “cancer villages”
- 1/4 of water is so dangerously polluted it can not even be used for industrial purposes

Land Degradation:
- 40% of land is degraded

Question 5

Environmental problems due to globalisation in China

Answer 5

Pollution and Health Problems:
- Beijing has frequent pollution alerts
- 70% of lakes are polluted, exaggerating water shortages
- industrial towns where rates of cancer are so high they are becoming known as “cancer villages”
- 1/4 of water is so dangerously polluted it can not even be used for industrial purposes

Land Degradation:
- 40% of the land is degraded from overuse, erosion, and pollution

Over-exploitation of Resources:
- China is abundant in oil an coal but cannot keep up with demand
- China seeks additional resources worldwide

Loss of Biodiversity:
- terrestrial vertebrates have declined by 50%

Question 6

Environmental problems due to globalisation in China

Answer 6

Pollution and Health Problems:
- Beijing has frequent pollution alerts
- 70% of lakes are polluted, exaggerating water shortages
- industrial towns where rates of cancer are so high they are becoming known as “cancer villages”
- 1/4 of water is so dangerously polluted it can not even be used for industrial purposes

Land Degradation:
- 40% of the land is degraded from overuse, erosion, and pollution

Over-exploitation of Resources:
- China is abundant in oil and coal but cannot keep up with demand
- China seeks additional resources worldwide

Loss of Biodiversity:
- terrestrial vertebrates have declined by 50%

Question 7

Impacts of deindustrialization in Leicester

Answer 7

in the 1920s, 30,000 people were employed in textile mills
Mills attracted Indian and Pakistani families for extra workers

in the 1970s, the UK saw massive deindustrialization due to overseas competition

Most of the land is contaminated from dyes, gas, or coal

A lot of pre-industrial land has been abandoned

Areas of deprivation often coincide with previous industrial areas containing large ethnic populations

these areas have a reputation for crime and are hard to turn around

Question 8

Is Fairtrade always good? - Starbucks

Answer 8

2009 - introduced Fairtrade coffee - Fairtrade helps farmers to have a better quality of life by giving them a fair price for the beans

2014 - only 8.5% of the coffee beans were Fairtrade certified

2015 - Starbucks scored low by a review company called ‘Ethical Consumer”

2017 - 99% of Starbucks coffee is ethically sourced

Question 9

Where recycling helps the environment - Sweden

Answer 9

Sweden recycles 99% of its waste and burns it
32 power plants produce heat for 810,000 homes
HOWEVER, burning rubbish produces harmful gases

Citizens encouraged to sort waste at home

Recycling stations are no longer than 300 meters from any residential area

Pharmacists accept left-over medicine

Question 10

Where recycling hurts the environment

Answer 10

Sometimes contamination in recycling
Taiwan - recycled steel buildings sometimes give off gamma radiation due to contamination from another metal - causing serious health issue

Pollution of the air - associated with burning rubbish and the trucks that come to collect it (petrol/diesel)

Chemicals used in paper recycling sometimes get into drinking water –> health problems and damaging ecology

Question 11

London - Elite migrants

Answer 11

London = Hub city with large knowledge economy

2014 - 82% of house buyers in central London were foreign - many were from Qatar and Russia

High demand for housing causing property price inflation making central London too expensive for most Londoners

However, elite migration is bringing investments to London e.g. investments in the Shard, Canary Wharf, and Harrods

Question 12

Low-wage migration - Qatar and the UAE

Answer 12

both countries have labor shortages due to small populations
90% of the UAE workforce is migrant - mostly Indian and Pakistani
Many of these workers risk deportation after the end of their contract

Both countries underwent rapid building of infrastructure
international tourism helps drive this
speculation on safety as there is high level of work place accidents among migrants

Question 13

New Dehli - Internal Migration

Answer 13

population grew 40% between 2010 and 2014 due to natural increase and rural-urban migration

FDI is allowing new jobs to be created attracting rural-urban migrants - companies include Coca-Cola and Microsoft

However, rural migrants often end up in slums and/or on the city edge

Large-scale migration puts lots of pressure on city infrastructure

Question 13

New Dehli - Internal Migration

Answer 13

population grew 40% between 2010 and 2014 due to natural increase and rural-urban migration

FDI is allowing new jobs to be created attracting rural-urban migrants - companies include Coca-Cola and Microsoft

However, rural migrants often end up in slums and/or on the city edge

Question 14

Benefits of Global Shift

Answer 14

since 1990 - 1bn ppl have been lifted out of extreme poverty primarily due to global shift (mainly in Asia, India, and China)

TNCs invest in training and skills development - improves workforce productivity - some skills are transferrable

households use higher income to pay for more children’s schooling –> increase income and corporation tax allows government to fund state education

income rise due to factory workers and/or commodity producers supplying Asian factories

Question 15

Negatives of Global Shift

Answer 15

loss of productive land - construction of factories, infrastructure, and housing for workers occupies land previously used to generate agricultural output

air and water pollution from industrial activity can render more agricultural land unusable

rapid industrialization can outpace environmental regulation creation and enforcement

manufacturing activity creates demand for commodities –> commodity extraction creates environmental pressure elsewhere –> Togo lost 60% of forested area since 1990

Question 16

Transition Towns - Totnes

Answer 16

there are 200 transition town movements in the UK

community-led/run local charity as a response to diminishing oil and gas supplies, climate change, and economic activity

aim to reduce environmental impact and build resilience for a future with less cheap energy

located in Devon, England

Totnes Pound - local currency introduced in 2007
Purpose of evaluating spending and production on a local scale
Strengthens local economy and encourages people to buy locally
Encourages tourists to visit local businesses
Positive - bioregionalism and reduced food miles
Prevents cultural erosion and diffusion via branded products

Negative - shuts off community from flows of goods, services, and capital, decreased variety of goods, transaction costs, tensions with other communities

Question 17

Cultural Diffusion in China

Answer 17

Westernization

Diet has changed due to this

Meat and Dairy are much more consumed
50% of the world’s pork is consumed in China

demand for pork in 1985 - 0 metric tonnes
demand for pork in 2010 - 800 million metric tonnes

20% of urban settles in China are now overweight

Question 18

Global Shift in India

Answer 18

India is expected to be second-largest economy by 2040

Many Indian citizens are fluence English speakers = comparative advantage in marketing call centre services

Dell, Intell, Yahoo = all TNCs that have call services in India

As middle-class have higher disposable incomes, multiplier effect occurs producing higher increase in national income and consumption

work can be repetitive, long shifts, and odd hours due to time differences

Question 19

Switched On - China

Answer 19

Open Door Policy 1978 - economic policy introduced by Deng Xiaoping allowing FDI into China

Shenzen - SEZ linking Hong Kong to China’s mainland, attracts FDI due to large population and proximity to the coast line, fast growing economy due to three main industries: shipping and logistics, technology, and financial services

by 1990, 50% of China’s GDP was generated by SEZs

300 million people migrated from rural to urban areas in China

Joined the WTO in 2001

Question 20

Switched Off - North Korea

Answer 20

Dictator - Kim Jong-Un

gov. deliberately chosen to remain politically isolated from the rest of the world

no access to the internet or social media

Question 21

Megacity - India

Answer 21

42% of people living in slums in Mumbai

overcrowding, poor housing, lack of sanitation and clean drinking water, unemployment

air pollution, poor sanitation, water pollution

air pollution –> GGH –> risk to health

unemployment (7.6%) –> less tax revenue –> lack of investment into infrastructure and services

population size grown due to investment from TNCs, increased job opportunities, better healthcare