Paper 2 Overview: Human Geography Topics
Sections Covered
- Urban Issues and Challenges
- Changing Economic World
- Resource Management
Urban Issues and Challenges
Key Concepts
- Urbanization: More people moving into towns and cities.
- Global Trend: More than 50% of the world’s population lived in urban areas by 2007 (UN).
- Two Main Causes of Urbanization:
- Rural to Urban Migration: Movement from countryside to cities.
- Push Factors: Negative aspects of rural areas (e.g., natural disasters, lack of employment).
- Pull Factors: Positive aspects of urban areas (e.g., more jobs, better quality of life).
- Natural Increase: Birth rate exceeds death rate due to factors like better medical care and higher life expectancy.
Types of Cities
- Megacity: Urban area with 10 million+ people.
- Millionaire City: City with 1 million+ people.
- World City: City with significant financial or global importance.
Important Concepts
- Integrated Transport System: Linking public and private transport.
- Brownfield Sites: Previously developed land.
- Greenbelt Land: Green fields surrounding a city.
- Regeneration: Investing in and reviving areas.
- Sustainability: Ensuring actions can be repeated over time.
Sustainable Urban Living
- Water Conservation: Collecting rainwater, reducing usage.
- Energy Conservation: Using renewable energy sources.
- Waste Recycling: Promoting recycling awareness.
- Creating Green Space: Urban greening initiatives.
Case Studies
- Tempo Housing in Lagos:
- Benefits: Provides cheap housing quickly, formal sector jobs.
- Downsides: Expensive for many, potential loss of community, issues with heat.
- Traffic Management:
- Problems: Air pollution, economic delays, accidents risk.
- Solutions: Wider roads, ring roads, congestion charges, examples like articulated buses in Curitiba.
- Urban Change in UK Cities: London
- Gentrification in Notting Hill.
- Crossrail benefits and drawbacks.
- Urban Greening: Benefits for wildlife but high costs.
- London Docklands Regeneration:
- Benefits: More businesses, improved areas.
- Downsides: Higher living costs, loss of community and jobs.
- Urban Change in Lagos:
- Issues like informal housing, pollution, inadequate infrastructure.
- Opportunities: Education access, improved infrastructure.
Changing Economic World
Key Concepts
- Development: Improving living standards (economic, social, environmental).
- Country Groupings: LICs, NEEs, HICs.
- Measuring Development:
- Economic Indicators: Employment type, GDP.
- Social Indicators: Infant mortality, literacy rate.
- Mixed Indicators: HDI (Human Development Index).
- Demographic Transition Model: Five stages representing development trends.
- Uneven Development: Influenced by physical and human factors.
- Consequences of Uneven Development: Wealth disparities, healthcare, migration.
- Development Gap: Disparity between world’s richest and poorest countries.
- Reducing Development Gap: Microfinance loans, aid, FDI, debt relief, fair trade, technology.
Case Studies
- Tourism in Tunisia: Benefits from the multiplier effect.
- Nigeria:
- Role of TNCs, oil industry, impacts of aid and FDI.
Resource Management
Key Concepts
- Resources: Essential for human life (food, water, energy).
- Demand vs. Supply: Rising population increases demand.
- Food in the UK: Agribusiness and its impacts.
- Energy in the UK: Changing energy mix, significance of renewable sources.
- Water in the UK: Increasing demand, water stress, water transfer schemes.
- Water Security: Factors impacting availability.
- Sustainable Water Supply: Conservation, groundwater management, recycling.
Case Studies
- South-North Water Transfer Project (China):
- Benefits: Reliable water supply, supports industry and agriculture.
- Drawbacks: High costs, ecological damage, displacement.
- Kenyan Sand Dams:
- Benefits: Uses local/natural materials, provides year-round water supply, sustainable.
Exam Tips
- Evaluate key points (two positives and two negatives).
- Understand and remember case studies.
- Apply concepts to potential exam questions.
Good luck with your studies!