the development gap Flashcards
define development
progress a country has made for the better, SoL and QoL improve
define development gap
difference in SoL between world’s richest and poorest countries
Standard of Living vs Quality of Live
SoL: the level of wealth, comfort, material goods and necessities accessible to people in a certain area (quantitative)
QoL: overall measure of ability for people to access things needed for happy and healthy life (qualitative)
what is GNI and how is it measured
gross national income
economic measure of development, value per capita (per person)
what is HDI and how is it measured
human development index
social measure of development, shows extent of social benefit from economic growth.
measures life expectancy, years in education, and GNI, on a 0-1 scale
advantages of GNI
accurately shows all wealth generated both at home and after going abroad
disadvantges of GNI
- only measures official economy, meaning money generated illegally, by criminals, of unofficially, by informal employment, in unaccounted
- does not show social conditions, meaning money may not be spent on improving QoL
advantages of HDI
- generally a broader view: measures social as well as economic, meaning it shows if money is spent on improving QoL
- easily presented on 0-1 scale, meaning data is easily comparable
disadvantages of HDI
social indicators “lag behind” economic growth, eg it may take years for an investment in healthcare to have impacts on life expectancy. this means it is difficult to calculate and accurate measurement
what can measuring birth rate show
low: developed - women are more educated and career-driven, infant mortality lower, less children needed for work, access to contraception
what can measuring death rate show
depends on age of population -
HICs may have older gen so higher rates
LICs may have poor healthcare of food and water security, causing higher rates
what can measuring infant mortality show
low: developed - good healthcare, access to vaccinations
what can measuring literacy sho
high: developed - good education, highly educated workforces, attracting industry
what can a bulge in a population pyramid show
baby boom caused by post war, cultural celebrations, etc
period of immigration
what can an indent in a population pyramid show
deaths from war, famine, disease
period of immigration
what causes an area be in stage 1 of the DTM and give example
high, fluctuating death and birth rates - disease, war, famine, poverty
eg indigenous tribes
what causes an area be in stage 2 of the DTM and give example
falling death rate - healthcare, water, and food security improves
eg afghanistan
what causes an area be in stage 3 of the DTM and give example
falling birth rate - less child labour, educated women, contraception, etc
eg nigeria
what causes an area be in stage 4 of the DTM and give example
low death and low, fluctuating birth rate
eg USA
what causes and area to be in stage 5 of the DTM and give example
natural decrease, ageing population
eg germany
causes of uneven development
physical
economic - trade
colonialism
what are the physical causes of uneven development
- certain areas are affected by climate related disease, eg malaria, which can infect workers. this results in less people healthy enough to work, slowing economic growth. climate-related pests can destroy crops, preventing farmers from selling or trading goods.
- countries affected by extreme weather eg storms face constant damage of infrastructure. this is costly to repair, causing slow development. can also ruin crops
what are the economic/trade causes of uneven development
- power of large, international companies. these businesses want to pay as little as possible for raw material, many of which come from LICs. the processing and selling of these materials then takes place in developed countries. this means that these richer areas become richer, while LICs are paid minimally
what are the historical/colonial causes of uneven development
- colonialism. between 1650 and 1900, over 10 million africans were enslaved on plantations. almost all of the money they generated went to european powers, rather than to africa.
- countries that experience a lot of war, eg syria, face constant damage to infrastructure. this can be costly to repair
what can uneven development lead to
disparity in wealth and health
international migration
how can uneven development lead to disparity in health
- LIC struggle to afford good quality healthcare -> limited access to needed treatment for health issues. eg main cause of death in are infectious diseases eg HIV, as they cant afford vaccinations
- HICs have vaccinations, main cause of death is chronic illness eg cancer
how can uneven development lead to international migration
- people seek to improve QoL, move to HICs. eg 6.6 million syrians migrated to surrounding countries following civil war
how can we reduce the development gap
investment
tourism
industry
aid
intermediate technology
debt relief
fair trade
TNCs
assess how investment can reduce the development gap
to increase profit, TNCs build factories LICs, as resources and labour is cheaper
- they also invest in infrastructure, such as port improvements for better transport.
- provides employment, reducing gap
- TNCs exploit workers to maximise profit, using low wages and poor conditions
- higher paid jobs eg management go to workers from country of investment, TNC’s own economy is benefitted, limiting the reduction of the gap
assess how investment has reduced the development gap in nigeria
shell oil invests money and expertise in nigeria to extract oil from niger delta.
- allowed $50 000 spent annually on healthcare, 250 000 benefit
- 3000 scholarships provided for secondary and uni students
- financed renewable energy projects, providing energy to the 75% of population that are not connected to national grid
- constant oil spills pollutes water and soil, affecting farming and fishing
- oil often exported and refined in USA/europe, little profit to nigeria
assess how tourism can reduce the development gap
spectacular beaches, landscapes and wildlife can attract tourists. generates income from service eg hotels. money then be spent to improve education, healthcare and housing.
- tourism can fall in economic recessions, meaning countries that heavily rely on tourism income, eg seychelles, are vulnerable
assess how tourism has reduced development gap in jamaica
55% of jamaicas GDP and rising
- tourist income, investments to improve education, healthcare.
- provides jobs for 200 000 mostly for services. increase tax, more spend in area
- however south of island has much lower tourism, lag behind in these developments and still have poor SoL, eg poor plumbing
assess how industry can reduce the development gap
industrial development can create a positive multiplier effect. more factories enable more employment - both increase tax payment towards the government - money spent improving social factors eg education and healthcare - population becomes more educated and healthier - creating opportunity for new investments and businesses
- factories built and run by richer countries, meaning workers are exploited with little pay & poor conditions. eg a building fire killed hundreds in a clothing factory due to poor conditions and treatment from
assess how aid can reduce the development gap
- long term aid can improve “resilience” of a country’s future. for example investments can be made into the areas water supply. this means people that may have had to travel long distances daily for water are now able to save time and effort. this enables them to spend more time for economic benefits eg farming
- in certain occasions, aid can cause dependency on the supplying community. this means the people given aid may lose desire to help themselves, and may become vulnerable if aid is no longer given
what is intermediate technology
aid given suited to the needs, skills, resources, wealth, knowledge, and environment of locals
example of an intermediate technology scheme and why was it needed
makueni, south kenya
- under 500mm annual rainfall
pros and cons of makueni
- benefitted two small villages, over 1200 including 460 students
- training programme for farmers
- sand dams: safe water for locals, reduced time collecting water, less water-borne disease (helps crops and humans)
- global view, only supported 1200. minimal reduction in development gap
what is fair trade
organisation that supports farmers in poorer countries by guaranteeing a regular price for goods
assess how fair trade can reduce the development gap
- ensures workers get fair wages and conditions, secures a better future
- customers increase as they feel better to spend money for sustainable produce
- money made can be invested in education, healthcare, etc
- corruption means profit may not go to workers or local community
- worlds poorest countries unable to qualify
what caused debt
- 70-80s: many loans given for poorer countries, now seen as irresponsible, unable to ever repay
- 90s: worth of commodities decreased, meaning exports decrease
- 90s: oil prices increase, imports increase
accumulation of debt
assess how debt relief can reduce the development gap
- 37 countries had debt cancelled in 2020, cancelling 75 billion total. allows investment in development eg
- free education made available in tanzania, 66% increase in attendance
- clean water made available in uganda for 2 million
- may lead to further debt as countries expect it to be cancelled
- corruption means money saved may not go towards improvements
- african HIPCs still have over $350 billion unlikely to be repaid
what is long term aid
sustainable aid given to improve “resilience” in the future
eg investing in clean water supply
what is short term aid
often from charities in response to emergencies eg natural disasters or famine
what is overseas development aid
official government aid taken from tax renevues as a percentage of GDP
what is bilateral aid
agreement between 2 countries, perhaps due to colonial past
what is multilateral aid
given by governments through international agencies eg WHO (world health organisation)
what is voluntary aid
NGOs eg oxfam
(non-government organisations - charities)
what is tied aid
aid with strings attached, eg recipient may have to spend money on products from donor
outlawed since 2001
