THE CHALLENGE OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Flashcards
What are the three main resources needed for basic human development?
Food
Water
Energy
What happens when people can’t access food?
Can cause malnourishment which can limit childrens development
Can cause famine
Increases the likelihood of people getting ill
What happens when people can’t access water?
Water-borne diseases due to polluted water sources can kill people
Water is needed to produce food, clothes and other products which can impact quality of life
Why is energy important for a country?
Countries need energy for industry and transport and homes
Allows countries to develop industry which creates jobs and wealth
What happens when a country doesn’t have access to energy (electricity)?
May use other resources which can harm environment
Also reduces development in industry
What can a lack of food, water and energy result in?
Affect a persons ability to go to school/work which can prevent them from learning and using skills which could help their country’s economic development
Why is global distribution of resources uneven?
Some countries don’t have their own energy reserves
Some countries climate is too dry or hot to grow any food or have water
What does the consumption of resources depend on?
The countries wealth
What must a country do if they do not have access to any resources in their own country?
They must import them or find technological solutions to produce more resources which is very expensive
Why is consumption of global resources greater in HICs?
Because they can afford to buy the resources they need and expect a higher standard of living
What is consumption of global resources like in NEEs?
Increasing rapidly as industry is developing so population and wealth is also increasing rapidly
What is consumption of global resources like in LICs?
Consumption is low because they cannot afford to exploit available resources or import lacking resources
What is high-value foods (UK)?
Exotic fruits, vegetables, coffees and spices from LICs that have become more popular due to rising incomes
What are seasonal products (UK)?
Food only available during the months that it grows
How does the UK meet the demand for seasonal produce all year round?
By importing fruits and vegetables from other countries (e.g. strawberries from Mexico)
What is organic produce?
Food which is produced with environmentally and animal friendly farming methods that is strictly regulated
Why is there an increased demand for organic produce?
People are becoming more concerned about the environmental impacts of food production and how chemicals affect their health
Can afford it now due to increased income
What percentage of the UKs footprint comes from agriculture?
10%
What is food miles?
The distance food is transported to the market
Why does food production have a carbon footprint?
Growing, processing, packaging and transporting of food all produces CO2
Why do imported foods have a large carbon footprint and food miles?
They have to be transported a long way
Why are more people now choosing local sources of food instead of imported foods?
People are becoming aware of the environmental issues for transporting food over long distances
What is agribusiness?
Large-scale industrial farming where all processes are controlled by large firms
What are the effects of agribusiness?
Farm sizes have increased and many small farms have been taken over
Amount of chemicals being used on foods has increased
Number of works employed in agriculture have decreased because greater use of machinery
What are areas of water surplus?
Areas where there is a greater supply then demand
What are areas of water deficit?
Areas where there is a greater demand than supply
Where are the areas of water surplus in the UK?
North and west
Where are the areas of water deficit in the UK?
South east and Midlands
Why is the demand for water increasing in the UK?
People have more appliances that use lots of water
UKs population is increasing
Population density changing (more people moving to areas of water deficit)
What percentage has the amount of water used by households increased in the UK?
70% since 1975
What can put pressure on water resources?
Polluted or low quality water reduces amount available for use
What can cause pollution in water sources in the UK?
Nitrates/phosphates from crop fertilisers washed into rivers/groundwater
Pollutants from vehicles are washed into water sources through runoff
Chemical and oil spills from factories can pollute local water sources/groundwater
What are strategies to improve water quality?
Improving drainage systems
Imposing regulations on amount and types of fertilisers/pesticides used
What effect does pollution have on groundwater sources?
Groundwater sources forced to close or undergo expensive treatment to make them safe to use
What is a solution to the problem of areas of water deficit?
To transfer water from areas of surplus to areas of deficit
What issues can water transfer cause?
Dams are expensive to build
Can affect wildlife that live in rivers
Might be political issues
What was the UKs energy mix mainly made up of?
Fossil fuels
Gas
How has the UKs energy mix changed recently?
Shifting away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources
What are the biggest sources of renewable energy in the UK?
Wind and bioenergy
Why has the UKs coal production decreased?
Less demand due to an effort to reduce CO2 emissions
What are the economic issues of extracting fossil fuels and production of electricity?
Fossil fuels expensive to extract
Domestic sources don’t provide enough to meet demand so has to be imported
Renewable energy expensive to consumer
What are the environmental issues of extracting fossil fuels and production of electricity?
Burning fossil fuels releases CO2
Accidents such as oil spills or nuclear disasters leak toxic chemicals
Natural ecosystems can be damaged by renewable energy generators
Where is most of the worlds food produced?
North America and East Asia
Where is the least amount of food produced in the world?
Central America and Africa
Where is the most food eaten daily in the world?
HICs e.g. USA as they can afford to import larger variety of foods and can buy food with high incomes
Where is the least food eaten daily in the world?
LICs e.g. Ethiopia because less is available and people cannot afford as much
How much food do NEEs eat daily globally?
Consuming more as their wealth is increasing e.g. China
What is food security?
When people are able to eat enough nutritious food to stay healthy and active
What countries are most likely to have food security?
Countries that produce a lot of food or are rich enough to import what they need
What is food inescurity?
When people cannot get enough food to stay healthy and active
What countries are most likely to have food insecurity?
Countries that don’t grow enough food to feed their population and cannot afford to import the food they need
What are the two main reasons for the increase in global food consumption?
Rising population
Economic development
Why is rising population increasing global food consumption?
More people require more food
Why is economic development increasing global food consumption?
Countries are getting wealthier so have more disposable income to spend on food and can afford to import food
Industrialisation of agriculture means increased yields for cheaper so food becomes cheaper
What are the reasons for food insecurity?
Not enough food being produced
People are unable to access food supplies
What are the physical factors that affect food production and accessibility?
Climate
Water stress
Pests and diseases
How does climate affect food production and accessibility?
Climates can be unsuitable for farming so can’t grow much food
Extreme weather events (drought/flooding) can affect food supply
How does water stress affect food production and accessibility?
Areas with low rainfall or little water for irrigation struggle to grow enough food
How do pests and diseases affect food production and accessibility?
Pests reduce yields by consuming crops
Diseases can cause a lot of damage if they spread through crops and livestock
What are the human factors that affect food production and accessibility?
Poverty
Technology
Conflict
How does poverty affect food production and accessibility?
People living in poverty often don’t have enough land to grow their own food
Can also affect peoples ability to farm effectively
Some countries can’t afford to import food
How does technology affect food production and accessibility?
Mechanisation of equipment increases productivity by making farming more efficient
New technologies can increase yields and help protect plants from disease
How does conflict affect food production and accessibility?
Fighting may damage agricultural land or make it unsafe
Access to food becomes more difficult to those who are forced to flee
Trade routes may be disrupted so food cannot be imported
What is famine?
A serious lack of food across a large area which can cause starvation and death
What are the negative impacts of food insecurity?
Famine
Undernutrition
Soil erosion
Rising prices
Social unrest
How does food insecurity cause rising prices?
Food prices increase because demand exceeds supply
How does food insecurity cause soil erosion?
People who are struggling to produce enough food may not use the best agricultural practices
What causes soil erosion?
Overgrazing/over-cultivation can reduce plant cover which leaves soil exposed to wind and rain
What is undernutrition?
This is when you don’t get enough nutrients to keep your body healthy which can cause development problems (stunted growth)
How does food insecurity cause social unrest?
Food shortages and rising prices can cause riots and may contribute to civil wars
What are ways to increase yields of crops?
Irrigation
Hydroponics and aeroponics
Biotechnology
The new green revolution
Appropriate technology
What is irrigation?
Involves artificially watering the land
How does irrigation increase crop yield?
Used to make dry areas more productive
Increase the number of harvests and yield of crops
What are examples of irrigation?
Gravity flow
Sprinklers
Drip systems
What are hydroponics and aeroponics?
Methods of growing plants without soil
How do hydroponics work?
Plants grow in a nutrient solution supported by materials like rockwool/gravel/clay balls
How do aeroponics work?
Plants are suspended in air and water containing nutrients is sprayed onto rocks (water drips off rocks and is used again)
How are hydroponics and aeroponics effective?
Plants monitored closely and nutrients adjusted to maximise crop yield
Less water required than plants in soil
Reduced risk of disease/pests
What is biotechnology?
Involves genetically engineering crops to improve production
Allows more crops to be grown in smaller areas with fewer resources
How can GM crops be designed?
Higher yields
Resistant to drought, disease or pests
Higher nutritional value
What are the ethical and environmental issues with genetically modified crops?
Reduces biodiversity
May disrupt ecosystems
What is the new green revolution?
Aims to increase yields using sustainable methods
What are some sustainable methods to increase crop yields?
GM crops
Crop rotation
Soil nutrient recycling
Using natural predators
What does it mean to use appropriate technologies?
Choosing ways of increasing food production that are suited to local environments and the needs/skills/knowledge/wealth of people in those areas
What are examples of appropriate technologies?
Individual wells
Drip irrigation system
Planting local species that can cope with local environment
What are the challenges in making sure that food supplies are sustainable?
Growing enough food to feed a rising population
Making sure that the environment isn’t damaged in the process so that enough food can be grown for future generations
What are the negative affects of industrial agriculture?
Affects our ability to produce food in the future
What are alternative methods to make food more sustainable which don’t damage the environment?
Organic farming
Permaculture
Urban farming initiatives
How does organic farming not damage the environment?
Uses natural processes to return nutrients to the soil so that crops can continue to be grown
Artificial herbicides and pesticides are restricted
Sell locally so less transport
What is permaculture?
Aims to produce food in a way that recreates natural ecosystems in an effort to protect the soil, insects and other wildlife
How does permaculture not damage the environment?
Designed to keep the soil healthy so crops can contain to grow
What are methods used in permaculture?
Mixed cropping
Natural predators
What are urban farming initiatives?
The use of empty land, roof tops and balconies to grow food and raise animals in towns
How does urban farming increase food sustainability and decrease damage to the environment?
Makes food locally available so reduces need to transport long distances
Fresher, cheaper and more nutritious food
Adds greenery to cities making them healthier and more attractive
What are other ways we can make food more sustainable?
Fish and meat from sustainable sources
Seasonal food consumption
Reduced waste and losses
Why is eating seasonal foods all year round not sustainable?
Because food has to be imported that isn’t grown locally
Transport adds food miles which isn’t sustainable
Why is eating seasonally sustainable?
Means only eating food that grow locally at that time of year so reduces amount of food imported
How can meat production be made more sustainable?
Feeding animals locally sourced food rather than imported food
Ensuring all edible parts of the animal are eaten
Why is raising animals for meat bad?
Forests have to be cleared for cattle grazing
Animals produce methane
What are the impacts of food insecurity?
Famine/undernutrition
Rising prices
Conflict
Desertification
Water pollution
Example of large scale agricultural development?
Almeria, Spain
Greenhouses
Half of Europes fruit/veg
What can cause increase in large-scale farming in Almeria, Spain?
Change in diets
Funding from EU
Crops grown without artificial heating
Low labour costs
Example of local sustainable food production scheme?
Jamalpur, Bangladesh
Charity introduces rice-fish culture
What is rice-fish culture?
Small local fish introduced to paddy fields
How does rice-fish culture work?
Construct dyke
Plant rice
Add water, fish, lime and organic fertiliser
Harvest
