Download Chapter 8 Global population, poverty and the environment

Chapter 8
GLOBAL
POPULATION,
POVERTY
AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
In the world today there is a large gap
between how people live in developing
countries and in developed countries. Getting
enough of the basic necessities of life such as
food, water and health care is a harsh
struggle for most of the world’s people. The
challenge for the future is to share resources
more equally, while ensuring that the natural
environment is managed in a sustainable
way. The physical environment and human
activities both play a major role in
determining the distribution of resources.
Geographical knowledge and understanding
• Describe and explain the global pattern of
population growth and poverty.
• Analyse the reasons for poverty and the global,
regional and local action that is taken to
overcome poverty.
• Formulate programs and policies aimed at
reducing global poverty.
Geospatial skills
• Interpret maps and data to show how
population patterns change over time.
• Read and interpret a population cartogram.
• Draw and interpret choropleth maps on
population and poverty.
• Use map, graph, photographic and other data
to formulate policies on poverty reduction.
Crowded ferries about to leave Dacca, Bangladesh
190
HUMANITIES 4
absolute poverty: the condition of having so little food,
money or resources that the people, no matter where they
live in the world, can barely survive
birth rate: the number of live births in a year per
thousand of the population
bride price: the amount of money or property paid to the
parents of a woman for the right to marry her
death rate: the number of deaths in a year per thousand
of the population
developed countries: countries in which most people
have a high economic standard of living, with a highly
developed industrial sector and a large proportion of people
living in urban areas
developing countries: usually the world’s poorest
countries, where economic developments are taking place,
but where many of the population have a low standard of
living
ecological footprint: the area of productive land and sea
required to provide the resources we use, and to absorb our
waste
ecological sustainability: meeting the needs of present
and future populations without jeopardising the
environment, and the diversity of ecosystems
fertility rate: the average number of children a woman is
likely to have in her lifetime. A rate of just over two, called
the replacement level, keeps the population steady.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): a measure of a
country’s wealth, e.g. a country with a GDP of $10 000 per
capita produces $10 000 worth of goods and services in a
year for every person that makes up its population
Industrial Revolution: the period from the late 1700s
into the 1800s when the development of steam power and
mechanical processes enabled rapid progress in many
industries, accompanied by rapid urbanisation
life expectancy: the number of years a person may be
expected to live, based on statistics
micro-credit: making small loans, usually less than $200,
to individuals (usually women), to establish or expand a
small, self-sustaining business
negative growth rate: occurs when the birth rate falls to
a level where the population is declining
obesity: a body weight more than 20 per cent above what
is generally considered healthy, increasing the risk of
life-threatening diseases such as diabetes
Oceania: region that includes Australia, New Zealand,
PNG and islands in the Pacific Ocean
population distribution: the way in which a given
population is spread over a given area
population growth rate: the percentage increase in a
population per year
region: an area that has a number of distinct
characteristics
replacement level: the number of children a couple
should have to replace themselves. It is about 2.1 children
because not all children live to adulthood to have children
themselves.
sanitation: the practices in place for the disposal of waste,
including human waste, that help to maintain hygienic
conditions and prevent disease
spatial: relating to the distribution of features on the
Earth’s surface
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CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
8.1
WHERE DO
THE WORLD’S PEOPLE LIVE?
POPULATION GROWTH
World population growth,
1750–2100
10 000
9000
8000
7000
6000
Asia
5000
4000
3000
Total world population
2000
Africa
1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
Past and projected population (millions)
In 2007, the world’s population reached 6.7 billion
people. Over two billion people live in just two
countries: China and India. The population of the
world grew steadily over time until the Industrial
Revolution, when improvements in health, and
food production and distribution, reduced the
number of deaths. Since then, high birth rates
coupled with low death rates and an increase in
life expectancy have resulted in a rapid increase
in global population.
nia
Ocea rica
e
m
hA
Nor t rica/
e
m
A
Latin aribbean
C
pe
Euro
1000
0
2100
Year
SKILLS essentials
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
The distribution of the world’s population is very uneven. Some
countries have a large population and a large land area; some
have a large population and a small land area; others have a small
population and a large land area. This results in different population densities, which, in turn, place pressures on natural
resources such as land, water, energy, plants and animals.
POPULATION CHANGE
The table below shows the ‘billion milestones’ — the years when
the world population reached or will reach the next billion people.
This growth has not been evenly spread across the world. Asia and
Africa have grown much more than Oceania and Europe have.
Billion milestones
Year (estimate/projected)
1804
1927
1960
1974
1987
1999
2013
2028
2054
Amount
1 000 000 000
2 000 000 000
3 000 000 000
4 000 000 000
5 000 000 000
6 000 000 000
7 000 000 000
8 000 000 000
9 000 000 000
Years in between
–
123
33
14
13
12
14
15
26
Source: United Nations
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HUMANITIES 4
Interpreting a cartogram
A cartogram is a map-like drawing that
can be used to show a spatial pattern.
Some spatial patterns are easier to see on
a cartogram than they are on a
conventional map. A cartogram shows the
size of a geographical area (e.g. the size of
a country) in proportion to the value of
the data used (e.g. population distribution).
In the cartogram at right, the distribution
of the world’s population is clearly shown
by using scaled squares and different
colours.
1. What message is this cartogram trying
to communicate? Is this message
effective?
2. Have all the countries in the world
been represented on the cartogram?
Provide a reason for your answer.
3. Explain why there is no scale on the
cartogram.
4. Refer to an atlas. Are the countries
distributed realistically in the
cartogram? Does this help you to read
the cartogram?
5. List the five countries with the highest
populations from largest to smallest.
SKILLS essentials
Regional population change 1800–2050 (projected)
Mapping data
Most atlas maps represent data on a
map by using different colours, which
are then identified in the map legend.
Another way to represent data on a
map is to draw graphs and place them
on the appropriate part of the map.
The map at right shows the
information in the table at top right in
a spatial way. The graphs were drawn
using information in the table, then
positioned on the appropriate region
on the map to show how regional
population has changed over time.
The legend tells you what each colour
represents.
1. Which region’s population
growth was the fastest between
1800 and 2000?
2. Which region’s population
growth was the slowest between
1800 and 2000?
3. Describe what happened to
the population in Asia and Africa
between 1900 and 2000. How does
this compare with Europe and
Oceania?
4. Describe the projected population
growth in each region by 2050.
Year
Africa
%
Asia
%
Europe
%
Latin America
%
North America
%
Oceania
%
1800
10.9
64.9
20.8
2.5
0.7
0.2
978 000 000
1900
8.1
57.4
24.7
4.5
5.0
0.4
1 650 000 000
2000
12.9
60.8
12.0
8.6
5.1
0.5
6 055 000 000
2050
19.8
59.1
7.0
9.1
4.4
0.5
8 909 000 000
Note: Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
Change in regional
population
over time
Percentage of world population
North America
N
Latin America
Oceania
2000 4000 km
Sweden
Finland
Belarus
Fr
Russia
Sw
Austria
Italy
Israel
Jordan
Ro
Cz S
H
S. Korea
Turkey
Pol
Ger
Sy Az
SA Iraq
Bulgaria
Greece
Ka
Iran
Af
Uz
Japan
Turkmenistan
Kirgizia
Tadzhikistan
Ye
Serbia
Pakistan
Al
Mor
Senegal
Guinea
SL
T L
Mali
BF
G
Mexico
IC
Togo
My
C
U
D.R.
Congo R
Benin
B
Angola
Z
Malawi
Zimbabwe
Somalia
Honduras
Nicaragua
Ven
Peru
Bolivia
Paraguay
Chile
Cam Mal
Indonesia
Tan
PNG
Australia
Sri Lanka
Mozambique
Madagascar
Over 100 million people
30 to 40 million people
5 to 10 million people
50 to 100 million people
20 to 30 million people
Area represents 5 million people
40 to 50 million people
10 to 20 million people
193
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Haiti
DR
Ec
Thai
Kenya
Cuba
Colombia
Phil
India
Ethiopia
South Africa
Cartogram of world population
distribution, 2002, for
countries with populations
over five million (size of
country based on population)
Taiwan
Vietnam
Ni Ch
Nigeria
G
El
Hong Kong
Laos
Bangladesh
Egypt
Sud
United States
of America
China
Nep
Extension
7. Refer to an atlas. Identify
the countries shown on
the cartogram. (Hint: The
cartogram is based on
regions.)
Canada
N. Korea
Ukraine
Bel
Portugal
2050
Africa
Den
Spain
2000
1900
Asia
Netherlands
UK
1800
Europe
0
6. Refer to an atlas. Name
three countries with:
(a) a large population
and large land area
(b) a large population
and small land area
(c) a small population
and large land area.
World
population
Brazil
Arg
8.2
GROWTH RATES
Population (in billions)
Populations in developing countries, especially
in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, are
growing faster than those in developed countries such as Australia, Japan and the USA.
Seventy-five per cent of the world’s population
lives in developing regions. More than 95 per cent
of population growth is occurring in these regions.
Growth rate (per cent)
POPULATION CONTRASTS
IN DEVELOPING AND
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
10
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Year
World population growth rate, 1950–2050 (projected)
8
Source: US Census Bureau
6
4
2.5
FERTILITY RATES
Developing countries
2
Developed countries
0
1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 2050 2100 2150
Year
World population growth, developing and developed
countries, 1750–2150 (projected)
Source: United Nations
The population growth rate for each country
depends on the number of births and deaths, and
the migration into and out of the country. Many
developed countries have a low or even a negative growth rate, while many developing countries have high growth rates. Population is
growing fastest in the poorest countries — the
ones least able to provide even the basic needs.
The world growth rate peaked at just over 2 per
cent in the early 1960s and has been declining
since. It had fallen to 1.14 per cent by 2006.
The fertility rate is the average number of
children a woman is likely to have in her lifetime. It is an average because some women will
have many children, some few and others none
at all. Although the global fertility rate is falling,
the fertility rate in developing countries is
generally higher than in developed countries.
The world average fertility rate in 2006 was
2.7 babies per woman, down from five in the
early 1950s.
Countries with a low fertility rate — below
replacement level — will have smaller natural
populations in the future. About 40 countries will
decline in population over the next 50 years —
most of these countries are in Europe. As world
fertility continues to decline and life expectancy
rises, the world population will age faster during
the next 50 years than it did over the past half
century.
People bathing in
the Ganges River,
India. Around
60 per cent of the
world’s population
lives in Asia.
194
GEOGRAPHY 2
ON
SKILLS essentials
India, 2000
Age (years)
Male
Interpreting population pyramids
Population pyramids (also known as
age–sex pyramids) show graphical data
about the age and sex structure of a
population. A triangular shape indicates
the population is growing rapidly. A
square indicates slow growth and an
inverted triangle indicates negative
growth. A large bulge for 0 to 15 year
olds suggests rapid population growth.
1. Which population is growing most
rapidly — India or the USA? What
information shown on the population
pyramid helped you decide this?
2. What is the largest age group in the
USA?
3. What has happened to birth rates
over the last 25 years in India and the
USA?
4. In developed countries like the USA,
who has the longer life expectancy
— men or women?
6
5 4
Male
6
AR CTIC
3
2
over 74
70–74
65–69
60–64
55–59
50–54
45–49
40–44
35–39
30–34
25–29
20–24
15–19
10–14
5–9
0–4
1
0
0
Female
1
2
3
Percentage of total population
4
5
6
United States of America, 2000
Age (years)
Female
over 74
70–74
65–69
60–64
55–59
50–54
45–49
40–44
35–39
30–34
25–29
20–24
15–19
10–14
5–9
0–4
5 4
3
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
Percentage of total population
4
5
6
O CEA N
Arctic Circle
PAC IF IC
O CE AN
Tropic of Cancer
ATL AN T IC
O CE AN
Equator
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
Tropic of Capricorn
Annual rate of natural population
change (percentage), 2004
IND IAN
OCE AN
Over 3.0
2.0 to 3.0
0
2000
4000 km
1.0 to 1.9
N
0 to 0.9
–1.0 to 0
World population growth rate
Selected fertility rates, 2006
Africa
Niger
Mali
Somalia
Rwanda
Kenya
Egypt
S. Africa
Asia
7.9
7.1
6.9
6.1
4.9
3.1
2.8
East Timor
Laos
Pakistan
India
Indonesia
China
Japan
Americas
6.3
4.8
4.6
2.9
2.4
1.6
1.3
Bolivia
Peru
Argentina
Mexico
Brazil
USA
Canada
3.8
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.3
2.0
1.5
Oceania
Marshall Islands
Solomon Islands
PNG
Vanuatu
Fiji
New Zealand
Australia
Europe
4.9
4.5
4.1
4.0
2.5
2.0
1.8
France
1.9
Denmark
1.8
United Kingdom 1.8
Germany
1.3
Italy
1.3
Russia
1.3
Ukraine
1.2
Source: Data derived from Population Reference Bureau, 2006
Think
1. Read the glossary definitions
and list three differences
between developed and
developing countries.
2. If the current world population
is 6.7 billion, calculate how
many people live in developed
and developing regions.
3. Calculate the number of
people in 2006 who were born
in developing and developed
countries.
4. Define population growth rate.
Describe how this rate has
changed from 1950 to the
present. In which year did the
growth rate peak? What is
predicted will happen in the
future?
5. In small groups, discuss how
the growth rate can be
dropping so much, yet the
world’s population is predicted
to rise to nine billion.
6. Study the map and the table.
(a) Name three developed
countries with negative
growth rates. Give
examples of low fertility
rates in these countries.
(b) Name three developing
countries with very high
growth rates. Give
examples of high fertility
rates in these countries.
(c) Compare the growth rates
in China and India. What
are their fertility rates?
Describe what this means
for future population
growth in each country.
7. Write three summary
statements to describe the
relationship between
population growth, poverty
and fertility rates, giving
specific examples from the
map.
Worksheets
8.1 Comparing populations:
Australia and China
195
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
OM
Population pyramids
E CD-R
TH
8.3
WHERE ARE THE WORLD’S
RICH AND POOR?
MEASURING DIFFERENCE
such as the United States, have great wealth;
others, such as Uganda which is located in
Africa, are very poor. One measure of a country’s
wealth is its Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
per capita. Australia produced $22 074 of goods
and services in 2004 for every person in the
country. In contrast, Uganda had a GDP per
capita of only $285.
We live in an unequal world, where the wealthy
20 per cent of the population receives 80 per cent
of the world’s resources and the poorer 80 per
cent live on the remaining 20 per cent.
One of the most obvious differences among
countries of the world is their wealth. Some,
SKILLS essentials
Interpreting a choropleth map
Data such as GDP can be mapped to show a spatial
comparison. The choropleth map below uses GDP
data to illustrate the pattern of global wealth and
poverty in 2004.
Choropleth maps use darker and lighter shades
of the same colour group to show a pattern. The
darker shades represent ‘the most’ and the lighter
shades represent ‘the least’. Choropleth maps
enable users to see overall patterns very quickly.
The lightest shade of yellow has been used to
colour those countries with the lowest GDP per
capita (under US$200). Note these countries.
Arctic Circle
NORWAY
RUSSIA
FRANCE
MONGOLIA
1. Using the country names given on the map,
select one example for each category in the
legend.
2. Give two examples of continents that contain
mainly developed countries.
3. Give two examples of continents that contain
mainly developing countries.
4. Write a paragraph to describe the spatial
distribution of global wealth.
Shades in between the darkest and lightest
have been used to colour the categories in
between these two extremes.
CANADA
CHINA
LIBYA
Tropic of Cancer
Can you see any
patterns? For example,
which continent has the
lowest GDP per capita?
INDIA
NIGER
UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
JAPAN
IRAN
The darkest shade of
orange has been used
to colour those
countries with the
highest GDP per capita
(over US$10 000).
Note these countries.
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
ETHIOPIA
Equator
PACIFIC
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
Tropic of Capricorn
KENYA
INDIAN
O
PAPUA
NEW GUINEA
OCEAN
CEAN
BRAZIL
MOZAMBIQUE
AUSTRALIA
SOUTH AFRICA
N
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person,
2004 (US$)
No data
5000 to 10 000
Under 1000
10 000 to 25 000
1000 to 5000
Over 25 000
ARGENTINA
N
0
0
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, 2004
2000
2000
4000 km
4000 km
The coloured legend clearly explains the
different categories being shown.
196
HUMANITIES 4
ON
OM
E CD-R
TH
GEO
o
80%
20% of the
world’s
population
he
ft
world’s pop
20% of the
world’s
resources
Although Australia is a developed country with
high GDP, many of the indigenous people do not
share the benefits of this wealth. In 2007, the
World Health Organization (WHO) reported
that there was a 17-year gap between the life
expectancy of indigenous Australians and other
Australians. The life expectancy for indigenous
men was 59.4 years compared to 76.6 for
non-indigenous men. The life expectancy for
indigenous women was 64.8 years compared to
82 for non-indigenous women. The report found
that indigenous people still suffered from
diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis and rheumatic heart disease, which have already been
eradicated in other developed nations.
u
n
80%
rld’s re
so
u
io
lat
wo
he
ft
s
rce
o
Investigator
Unequal distribution of global population and resources
ABSOLUTE POVERTY
The poorest 10 per cent of the world’s people live
on less than $130 per person per year. This is
equivalent to 35 cents per day for all food,
shelter and clothing. More than half of the
world’s population lives on less than $2 per day.
It is often very difficult for us to imagine what it
must be like to live in these conditions.
100
Percentage
80
60
40
20
0
West
Africa
East
Africa
South- Asia World
Central
Asia
Percentage of population living on less than
US$2 per day, 2006
India
China
Source: Population Reference Bureau
In countries where the population is growing
quickly, many people are trapped in a cycle of
poverty: families are usually large; few jobs are
available, particularly for those without skills;
people cannot afford to pay for food, housing,
health care or education; and clean water, farmland and other natural resources are either
scarce, and therefore expensive, or not available
at all. These people live in absolute poverty.
People who live in relative poverty have sufficient resources to meet basic needs but lack the
resources required to be able to participate in the
lifestyle enjoyed by other people in their country.
People suffer relative poverty in many developed
countries such as Australia, USA, England and
France.
Communicate
1. Explain what is being stated by the diagram
showing the distribution of people and
resources. Is this distribution fair? Draw a new
diagram to show what you think a fair
distribution would look like.
2. Form a group of four. List four reasons why you
think a fairer distribution of resources does not
occur. Share this with the class.
Think
3. Do you think there is a relationship between
poverty and a large population? Study the
cartogram on page 193 and the GDP map on
page 196. List three countries where population is:
• high and GDP is very low
• high and GDP is high
• low and GDP is very low
• low and GDP is high.
4. Is there a relationship between poverty and
population growth? Study the map of world
population growth rate and the table of fertility
rates on page 195. Compare these with the GDP
map. List three countries with:
• high growth rates and very low GDP
• high growth rates and high GDP
• low growth rates and very low GDP
• low growth rates and very high GDP.
Write a concluding statement describing the
relationship you have found.
5. Why can poverty be described as a cycle?
6. Describe the difference between living in
absolute poverty and relative poverty. Do you
think either of these descriptions can be used to
describe people living in Australia? Justify.
Teamwork
7. As a class, discuss what it means to be poor. List
comments on the board in point form. Write your
own definition of poverty.
197
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
8.4
POVERTY AND HUNGER
IS THERE ENOUGH FOOD?
CAN WE GROW MORE FOOD?
World hunger is not due to a scarcity of food — it
is due to the unequal distribution of the world’s
wealth. There is enough food to feed everyone on
Earth. Even in poor countries, food production
has kept ahead of population increase. However,
many countries are in debt and use the food they
grow as trade to decrease this debt. This means
that their people go without.
In developing countries, an estimated eight
million people die each year and about 16 000
children die each day from hunger or hungerrelated causes. Many children die from starvation, but most die from diseases such as diarrhoea and measles because their bodies are
already weakened by hunger.
There are many factors that cause hunger.
These include:
• the poverty cycle — people can’t afford to buy
food; farmers have no money to buy land and
seeds; poverty limits access to education,
employment and credit
• natural disasters, e.g. droughts and floods
• wars that displace millions of people and cause
some of the world’s worst hunger emergencies
• the export of agricultural products to pay debt.
Famine is a severe shortage of food in a region.
Wars, droughts, floods and pests can cause crop
failures and food shortages. Famine leads to
skyrocketing food prices, reducing the access
of more and more people to food.
If, as predicted, the world’s population reaches
nine billion by 2050, more food must be grown.
However, most of the world’s productive land is
already being used. New agricultural land would
need to come from forest clearing, which is
already happening in countries such as Brazil
and Indonesia. Clearing forests can contribute to
other problems including land degradation,
destruction of natural ecosystems and climate
change. Water is another limiting factor on agriculture — there are concerns already about
reduced water supply in many parts of the world
due to overuse, pollution and the impact of
climate change.
SHARING WHAT WE HAVE
Livestock graze on about half of the Earth’s total
arable land area. As well, about one-quarter of the
world’s cropland is used to produce grain and other
feed for livestock. In the USA, about 135 million
tonnes of grain is fed to livestock each year. This is
enough to feed 400 million people on a vegetarian
diet. If people, especially in developed countries,
ate more vegetable-based diets instead of meatbased diets, more grain would be available for other
people to eat.
Hungry children
and adults are
given food during
an Ethiopian famine.
United States
Mexico
United Kingdom
Australia
Slovak Republic
New Zealand
Hungary
Czech Republic
Portugal
Iceland
Spain
Austria
Netherlands
Sweden
Belgium
Poland
Norway
Denmark
France
Switzerland
Korea
Japan
0
20
40
60
Percentage
Percentage of obese and overweight
population by country
198
GEOGRAPHY 2
Source: OECD, 2004
80
A R C T I C
Global pattern of hunger
O C E A N
GEO
Arctic Circle
AT L A N T I C
O C E A N
PA C I F I C
Tropic of Cancer
O C E A N
Equator
Percentage of population
undernourished, 2001
AT L A N T I C
I N D I A N
OCEAN
Tropic of Capricorn
O C E A N
Since 1960, there has been a
decrease in the number of hungry
people thanks to global organisations such as the UN World
Food Program, the World Health
Organization and non-government
organisations (NGOs) such as
Freedom from Hunger.
0.1 to 4.9
5.0 to 19.9
20.0 to 34.9
N
0
2000
4000 km
35.0 and over
No data available
While many people suffer from hunger in
developing countries, millions of people in developed countries suffer from obesity. People in the
developed world consume more food than they
need. A lot of food is wasted in some developed
countries. In the United Kingdom, about 30–40 per
cent of food is never eaten, but is thrown away. In
the USA, 40–50 per cent of all food ready for
harvest never gets eaten. In Australia, fruit
growers sometimes destroy crops in times of overproduction to try to keep prices high. All this has
an impact on food availability and distribution,
and also an impact on the environment.
An overweight child — child obesity
is increasing in developed countries.
Understand
1. List three factors that cause hunger in
developing countries.
2. What is a famine? What can cause famine?
3. Use the map above to describe the distribution
of the world’s undernourished people.
4. Is growing more food for the world’s poor the
answer? Explain.
5. What is obesity? Describe the pattern shown on
the graph at left.
Think
6. Poor countries are usually in debt to developed
countries. How might a developed country
reduce the debt burden of a poor country? How
might this reduce hunger?
7. Outline the global resources used to support a
meat-based diet. Do you think it would be
difficult to change people’s attitudes towards
eating less meat? Explain.
Design and create
8. Develop a campaign poster to educate people at
your school about the impact of wasting food.
Design your poster so that it is easy to
understand and your message is clear. See if
they can be included in a school newsletter.
9. The two photographs show a stark difference
between having and not having access to basic
human rights, including adequate food. Sketch
each photograph and make notes around each
about access to food, water and shelter, and
likely access to education. Write a paragraph
describing reasons for the differences.
10. Imagine you are one of the people in the
photograph of the Ethiopian famine. What
would you be thinking and feeling?
Teamwork
11. ‘To find real solutions to global hunger requires
people to recognise there are political,
economic and social causes that need to be
overcome.’ Discuss this in small groups and
develop one solution that might work. Present
your idea to the class. For more information,
visit the website for this book and click on the
Counting the Hungry and the Freedom from
Hunger weblinks (see ‘Weblinks’, page xiii).
199
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
8.5
POVERTY AND HEALTH
CONTRASTS IN HEALTH
Life expectancy around the world varies greatly.
People in some countries live much longer than
people in countries that suffer food shortages,
unhygienic living conditions, escalating rates of
diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and war.
The infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number
of deaths per 1000 babies under one year of age.
The IMR, like life expectancy, can be used to
compare the health of populations in different
regions or countries. There are links between IMR
and poverty. For example, women who don’t have
enough to eat are more likely to be sick and have
smaller babies, who may not survive.
Most of us expect that we will have enough to eat,
that services such as clean water and sanitation
will be provided, and that if we are sick, help will
be available. But, not all people have access to doctors, hospitals, drugs, clean water, sanitation and
a balanced diet. Health care costs money. In the
developing world, public health systems are
grossly underfunded, and health workers and
doctors are in short supply. Access to modern
health services is possible for only one in five
people in developing countries.
Life expectancy, 2005
A RCT IC
O C EA N
Arctic Circle
ATL A NT IC
O CE AN
Tropic of Cancer
PAC IF IC
O CE A N
Equator
ATL A NTIC
OC E AN
Tropic of Capricorn
IN DIA N
OC E AN
0
2000
4000 km
N
Life expectancy (years) at birth, 2005
Over 75
65 to 75
55 to 64
45 to 54
AR CT IC
Under 45
No data
OCE AN
Arctic Circle
Infant mortality rate, 2007
(deaths per 1000 live births)
Over 200
151 to 200
AT L A NTI C
Tropic of Cancer
PACI FIC
101 to 150
51 to 100
11 to 50
0 to 10
No data available
OC EA N
Equator
AT LA N T I C
O C EA N
I N DI A N
O C EA N
Tropic of Capricorn
N
0
2000
4000 km
Infant mortality rates, 2007
200
HUMANITIES 4
OC EA N
SKILLS essentials
Producing a choropleth map
How much money is spent on health? All countries spend different amounts on
health. Health expenditure includes health services, family planning programs,
nutrition advice and emergency aid. Choropleth maps use different colours or
shading to show the pattern of a particular feature. You will use data on health
expenditure to create a new choropleth map.
1. Visit the website for this book and click on the Health Data weblink (see ‘Weblinks’,
page xiii) to access the data for health expenditure. The data can be ranked from
highest to lowest expenditure or you can work directly from the list.
2. Group the data into four categories for health expenditure per capita (US$):
0–200, 201–1000, 1001–2000, >2000.
3. Use a blank political map of the world to map the data. Choose four shades of the
same colour, e.g. four shades of blue. The darkest shade represents the highest
data value; the lightest shade the lowest value.
4. Complete your map by making sure it has a border, orientation, legend, title, scale
and source.
5. Study your map.
(a) Describe the global pattern of health spending.
(b) Describe the relationship between health spending and IMR.
(c) Describe the relationship between health spending and life expectancy.
A woman holds a baby in a slum village, Brazil
A nurse with a
premature baby, USA
Think
1. Describe the spatial distribution of global life
expectancy. Describe the relationship between
life expectancy and poverty. (Refer to the GDP
map on page 196.)
2. Is there a relationship between infant mortality
rate and poverty? Describe this.
3. Compare the photographs and list as
many differences as you can. Are there any
similarities? Swap your list with another
class member.
Teamwork
4. Work in groups of four. Imagine you work for
the United Nations and are aiming to develop a
policy to encourage developing countries to
spend more on health services than they do on
their military (many developing countries
spend much more on the military than on
health or education). Discuss the difficulties
you would have implementing this policy and
how these might be overcome. What incentives
could be used to encourage countries to
increase their spending on health services?
GEO
Over 280 000 people died in the Asian Tsunami
in December 2004, but about 210 000 people die
every week from starvation, disease and lack of
access to clean water.
Worksheets
8.2 Access to safe water
8.3 Managing urban problems
201
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
8.6
HIV/AIDS: THE AFRICAN TRAGEDY
Nkosi Johnson, an eleven-year-old orphan,
addressed the 2000 World AIDS Conference in
Durban, South Africa. He had suffered from HIV/
AIDS since the day he was born. Nkosi knew
that he had defied the odds to survive so long. He
stood on the stage and pleaded for people to show
compassion to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
‘You cannot catch AIDS from hugging or kissing
or holding hands,’ he said. ‘We are normal, we are
human beings.’
Less than 12 months later Nkosi died.
HIV/AIDS
sufferer
Nkosi Johnson
addresses the
2000 World
Aids Conference
in Durban.
People with
HIV/AIDS
THE AIDS EPIDEMIC
HIV/AIDS is the world’s fourth largest killer and
as yet there is no cure. Sixty per cent of new
cases develop in people under 25 years old and
70 per cent of them live in Africa. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens the body’s
defences against infection. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the collection of
symptoms and infections that occur when HIV
defeats the immune system.
HIV typically spreads through unsafe drug use
and sexual activity. Babies are also commonly
exposed to HIV in the womb, during birth and
through breastfeeding. In Africa, poor nutrition
and sanitation, and the lack of health care and
education, help to spread the disease. Stigma
keeps victims from being tested and the social and
economic circumstances of girls and women make
it difficult for them to avoid unsafe sex (80 per cent
of women are infected during heterosexual sex).
A RC TIC
OCE A N
ATL A NTIC
O CE A N
Tropic of Cancer
PAC IF IC
O CE A N
Equator
ATL A NT IC
OCE AN
Tropic of Capricorn
IND IAN
O CE AN
0
2000
4000 km
N
Number of people with HIV, 2003
Over 1000 000
500 000 to 1000 000
100 000 to 499 999
50 000 to 99 999
10 000 to 49 999
People living
with HIV/AIDS,
2005
Under 10 000
No data
1 million people
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Latin America/
Caribbean
Eastern Europe/
Central Asia
202
HUMANITIES 4
North
America
South and
South-East
Asia
Western and
Central Europe
East Asia
Oceania
North Africa
and Middle East
During 2005,
some 4.1
million people
became
infected with
HIV and 2.8
million people
died from the
virus.
ICT
SY
DE
MA EA
AIDS orphans, 2003
PowerPoint
Over 1 000 000
500 000 to 1 000 000
TUNISIA
MOROCCO
CHILDREN’S
EXPERIENCE
100 000 to 499 999
Under 100 000
ALGERIA
No data
LIBYA
Western
Sahara
Tragically, the children of Africa
suffer the most. AIDS has orphaned
MAURITANIA
more than 12 million children in
MALI
Africa, leaving many with the
NIGER
disease. Many orphans take on
SENEGAL
GAMBIA
BURKINA
the responsibilities of caring for
FASO
GUINEA BISSAU
NIGERIA
GUINEA
younger siblings and running
BENIN
GHANA
SIERRA
LEONE
the household, with little time
IVORY
TOGO
LIBERIA COAST
to attend school. Most of these
CAMEROON
children will not live to see their
N
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
fifth birthday.
SAO TOME
EGYPT
ERITREA
CHAD
SUDAN
DJIBOUTI
CENTRAL
AFRICAN
REPUBLIC
ETHIOPIA
UGANDA
SOMALIA
AND PRINCIPE GABON
0
500
1000
1500
2000 km
Think
AIDS orphans
1. What is AIDS and what impact has it had on
the world?
2. Outline the relationship between poverty and AIDS.
3. Examine the world map at left.
(a) Describe the global distribution of people living
with HIV/AIDS in 2005.
(b) How many people had HIV in Zimbabwe in 2003? AIDS poster,
Kitwe, Zambia
4. Study the map of Africa above right.
(a) Describe the distribution of AIDS orphans
in Africa in 2003.
(b) How many AIDS orphans were there in
Zimbabwe in 2003?
(c) Imagine you work for a major aid organisation.
The map has been presented to you as evidence
of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Which countries
would you select for the most urgent action
and why?
5. Look carefully at the photograph at right taken in
Kitwe, Zambia.
(a) Who is the target audience for the sign
shown in the photograph?
(b) What message is the sign trying to convey?
(c) How effective do you think the sign
might be?
KENYA
RWANDA
CONGO DEMOCRATIC
BURUNDI
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
TANZANIA
COMOROS
ANGOLA
ZAMBIA
MALAWI
ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA
BOTSWANA
MOZAMBIQUE
SWAZILAND
SOUTH
AFRICA
Use ICT
6. Visit the website for this book and click on the AIDS
weblink for this chapter (see ‘Weblinks’, page xiii).
(a) What is UNAIDS?
(b) What does UNAIDS try to achieve?
(c) Search the UNAIDS website and prepare
a PowerPoint presentation about one
UNAIDS project.
Communicate
7. Conduct a debate on the following:
‘HIV/AIDS is largely a disease of poverty.’
203
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
LESOTHO
MADAGASCAR
8.7
POVERTY AND EDUCATION
DOES EDUCATION MATTER?
Global literacy has improved over time, but
has done so unevenly.
Imagine your life without school, exams and
teachers. To many students this sounds like the
ideal life, but the ability to read — your wage
slip, the warning sign on a poison bottle, a menu
in a restaurant and street signs — is an important life skill. Without the ability to read, write
and calculate, your choice of jobs is limited.
Literacy, the ability to read and write, is not
equally distributed. In the developing world, on
average, about 15 per cent of males and 30 per
cent of females cannot read or write. Keeping children at school in developing countries is difficult.
Many children who start primary school leave
before they complete four years, often because
they must work so that their family can survive.
According to the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, everyone should have access to
education. Education is important for the development of a country. It is more than a source of
knowledge. Education empowers people to
understand and make a difference to important
issues such as:
• providing clean drinking water and adequate
sanitation to reduce disease
• improving farming methods to reduce hunger
• the problems of overpopulation
• sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/
AIDS.
Global and regional trends in youth literacy rates,
1970 to 2000–2004
Youth literacy rates (%)
1970
1980
1990
2000–2004
World
74.7
80.2
84.3
87.5
Developing countries
66.0
74.4
80.9
85.0
Developed countries
99.0
99.3
99.5
99.7
Sub-Saharan Africa
41.3
54.3
67.5
72.0
South and West Asia
43.3
52.6
61.5
73.1
East Asia and the Pacific
83.2
91.3
95.4
97.9
Selected regions:
Source: UNESCO and UN
EDUCATION FOR ALL?
There are often cultural, social and economic
factors that restrict women’s ability to get an
education and to make money through having a
job. There is a very strong relationship between
poverty, education, fertility and population
growth. The more education women have, the
more likely they are to have small families. As
literacy rates increase, population growth rates
decline.
World adult
literacy, 2004
ARCTIC
OCEAN
Arctic Circle
Greece
96%
Japan
99%
China
91%
ATLANTIC
PACIFIC
Tropic of Cancer
Chad
26%
Sudan
61%
Vietnam
90%
Pakistan
50%
Equator
Burkino Faso
22%
Singapore
93%
INDIAN
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
PNG
57%
Indonesia
90%
OCEAN
Percentage of adults
able to read and write, 2004
Fiji
93%
Australia
99%
Tropic of Capricorn
OCEAN
OCEAN
Over 80
61 to 80
41 to 60
20 to 40
0
2000
4000 km
Under 20
N
No data available
204
HUMANITIES 4
Brazil
89%
8
No education
Primary completed
Secondary completed
Total fertility rate
7
6
5
4
3
2
Women working in an electronics factory in Kerala, India
1
Comparing indicators in India and the USA, late 1990s
N
ige
r1
99
G
8
ua
te
m
ala
19
99
Ye
m
en
19
97
H
a it
i1
99
5
Ke
ny
a1
99
8
Pa
kis
ta
n
19
Ph
91
ilip
pi
ne
s1
99
8
Jo
rd
an
19
97
0
Women’s education and family size
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys, 1991–99
Providing women and girls in the developing
world with an education helps improve their own
quality of life as well as that of their family and
their country. For example, educated women and
girls can:
• reduce infant mortality by learning about
clean water and healthy living
• increase food supplies through income from
paid work or by learning about improvements
in farming methods
• improve their self esteem by contributing to
the wellbeing of their community, by earning
an income, and by developing the confidence to
express their opinions on community issues,
such as the importance of sanitation.
THE WOMEN OF KERALA
Kerala is a state located in southern India in a
mostly rural and agricultural region. Between
1970 and 1992, Kerala’s total fertility rate
declined from 4.1 to 2.0 children per woman, the
largest decline of any Indian state. It declined
further to 1.8 by the end of the 1990s.
One reason for this difference is the high education level of Keralese women — the state
government made it a high priority for all residents to have access to education. There are also
cultural reasons for the increased status of
women in Kerala — women can inherit land and
have some political power, which is different to
many other parts of India. Another difference is
that girls are considered an asset because
Keralese women bring their families a bride
price.
USA
India
Kerala
Total fertility rate
2.1
3.2
1.8
Infant mortality rate
(under 5 deaths/1000 births)
7
68
14
Life expectancy (male) (Years)
74
60
71
Life expectancy (female) (Years)
79
61
75
Female literacy
99
57
85
Contraceptive prevalence (all
methods) (%)
76
48.2
63.7
Think
1. Why do you think access to education is a human
right? How can education empower people?
2. What factors contribute to fewer girls having
access to education in developing countries?
3. Describe the spatial distribution of global literacy.
Is there a relationship between literacy levels and
poverty? (Refer to the GDP map on page 196.)
4. Study the graph. What is the link between fertility
rate and level of education? List three reasons
why female literacy is a key element of successful
development strategies.
5. Use the table above to construct graphs that
compare development indicators for the USA,
India and Kerala. Why are the data for India and
Kerala so different?
6. Visit the website for this book and click on the
Education weblink (see ‘Weblinks’, page xiii). What
is the ‘Education for all’ program? Look at the
interactive map to see global education statistics.
Communicate
7. Work in groups of four. Develop a policy to
increase education attendance in developing
countries. Your policy should provide incentives.
Share your ideas with the class.
Worksheets
8.4 Behind the ‘stats’
205
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
8.8
POPULATION GROWTH AND
ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY
Percentages of total world land area
Permafrost 6%
Soil too wet 10%
Soil too dry 28%
No limitations 11%
Soil too shallow 22%
Chemical problems 23%
Only 11 per cent of the world’s soils can be farmed without
being irrigated, drained or improved in other ways.
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1960
Built-up land
Nuclear energy
CO2 from fossil fuels
Fishing ground
Forest
1970
Grazing land
Cropland
1980
1990
2000 03
What makes up a ‘footprint’ (1961–2003)?
Source: Living Planet Report 2006
10
North America
Europe EU
Europe Non-EU
Middle East
and Central Asia
8
6
4
Latin America
and the Caribbean
Asia–Pacific
Africa
Population (millions)
Ecological footprint by region, 2003
206
HUMANITIES 4
847
3489
0
349
270
535
2
326
454
Who has the biggest footprint?
People often think that developing countries
have the greatest impact on the world’s environment and resources because of their large populations. It is true that environmental pressure is
caused by a high population, but it is the people
in developed countries who use most of the
world’s resources. A person in a developed
Billion 2003
global hectares
Ecological sustainability refers to meeting the
needs of present and future populations without
jeopardising the environment and ecosystems.
An ecological footprint measures the area of
productive land and sea required to provide the
resources we use, and to absorb our waste. It is
calculated by dividing the world’s resources by
the total world population. The global footprint is
affected by population size, average consumption
and how efficiently resources are used.
We are turning resources into waste faster
than nature can turn waste back into resources.
Because the Earth cannot keep pace with human
consumption and waste production, the natural
environment is being degraded and the plants
and animals that make up ecosystems are under
threat. We have already lost many species.
country places more pressure on the environment through consumption and pollution than 20
to 30 people in a developing country.
2003 global hectares
per person
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS
Sweden
Finland
Netherlands
Belarus
UK
Russia
Bel
Fr
Spain
Sw
Austria
Portugal
Italy
National per capita footprints,
global hectares per person
Israel
Jordan
Ro
Cz S
H
S. Korea
Turkey
Pol
Ger
Sy Az
SA Iraq
Bulgaria
Greece
Af
Uz
Japan
Turkmenistan
Kirgizia
Tadzhikistan
Ye
Serbia
Mexico
Nep
Over 5.4
Al
Mor
1.8 to 3.6
Senegal
Guinea
SL
0.9 to 1.8
T L
Mali
BF
G
IC
Togo
Under 0.9
No data
Area represents 5 million people
My
Sud
G
El
Hong Kong
Laos
Taiwan
Bangladesh
Egypt
C
U
D.R.
Congo R
Benin
B
Angola
Z
Malawi
Zimbabwe
South Africa
Somalia
Thai
Honduras
Nicaragua
Ven
Peru
Bolivia
Paraguay
Chile
Cam Mal
Kenya
Indonesia
Tan
Haiti
DR
Ec
Phil
India
Ethiopia
Cuba
Colombia
Vietnam
Ni Ch
Nigeria
United States
of America
China
Ka
Iran
Pakistan
3.6 to 5.4
Canada
N. Korea
Ukraine
Den
Brazil
Arg
PNG
Australia
Sri Lanka
Mozambique
Global distribution of ecological footprint
compared to population size, 2003
Madagascar
Data for selected countries (global hectares per person)
Eritrea
Somalia
Afghanistan
Israel
0.7
0.4
0.1
4.6
United Arab Emirates 11.9
Australia
6.6
China
1.6
India
0.8
Indonesia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Argentina
Rethinking consumption
If all the people in the world today lived as
Australians do, we would need four planet
Earths to provide enough resources for everyone.
In 50 years time — due to population growth —
we would need eight Earths. As countries with
large populations, such as China and India,
become more developed, they will have a bigger
impact on the world’s resources.
People can reduce their ecological footprint. Ask
yourself ‘What do I need?’, rather than ‘What do I
want?’. The following actions will reduce your
personal ecological footprint:
• buy products that have little packaging and
that will last a long time
• try not to be influenced by advertising
• buy food that is locally grown and in season
• grow your own fruit, vegetables and herbs
• buy only as much as you need
• conserve energy and water at home
• try to spend less time travelling by car.
Understand
1. Define the terms ecological sustainability and
ecological footprint.
2. What will happen to the Earth’s resources if the
present rate of consumption continues?
Think
3. Which region has the largest ecological
footprint? Which has the smallest?
4. Use the map to describe the distribution of the
global ecological footprint compared to
1.1
5.9
2.4
2.3
Peru
Mexico
Canada
United States
0.9
2.5
7.6
9.6
France
Italy
United Kingdom
Russia
5.6
4.2
5.6
4.4
population size. Which countries listed have the
largest and the smallest footprints? What can
account for the differences?
5. How does Australia’s ecological footprint
compare with other developed countries? How
does it compare with other countries in the
region?
6. Write a summary statement about the impact of
the rich and poor on ecological footprints.
7. Many countries are growing economically and
developing more industry. Predict the impact
this will have on the global footprint.
Communicate
8. Draw two cartoons depicting possible future
ecological footprints. One is an optimistic
future; the other pessimistic. Display your
cartoons in the classroom.
9. Debate: ‘Consumption in the developed world
will need to be reduced if a balance is to be
found between the world’s population and the
use of the world’s resources.’
Use ICT
10. Visit the website for this book and click on the
Footprint Quiz weblink (see ‘Weblinks’, page
xiii). Complete the quiz and investigate ideas for
individual and group action to reduce
footprints.
11. Work in groups of four. Develop an educational
action plan about this topic. You might produce
a newsletter, posters or a multi-media
presentation. For more information, visit the
website for this book and click on the Footprints
weblink (see ‘Weblinks’, page xiii).
Worksheets
8.5 How big is your footprint?
207
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
8.9
OVERCOMING POVERTY
Global poverty is the world’s biggest problem and
is complex and difficult to overcome. People who
lack income and basic services need to be helped,
but long-term solutions depend on people
becoming empowered and having some control
over their future. To achieve this, there are
numerous projects that aim to:
• increase food security
• improve shelter and basic services
• improve access to education and health care
• create employment
• increase access to land and credit
• improve technology and training
• increase access to markets.
Projects also often need to tackle gender issues
and social barriers.
A lot of this work is done by government and
non-government organisations (NGOs). Examples
of NGOs include World Vision, Community Aid
Abroad, Freedom from Hunger and Red Cross,
among others.
THINK SMALL!
It is more effective to tackle poverty in thousands of very small steps than with large overwhelming projects. The aim is to stop poverty at
its roots, in the communities and villages around
the world where the poor live. There are many
successful projects that already help the poor.
Some of these have become models for ways to
combat poverty.
The Grameen Bank Project
This project is a banking service set up specifically for the rural poor in Bangladesh (grameen
means ‘rural’ or ‘village’ in Bangla language). It
is the reverse of usual banking in that the only
people who can borrow money must prove they
are poor and have few savings. This system of
loans is called micro-credit and is based on
trust. The main focus of the Grameen Bank is
helping people take control of their lives and
An NGO provides a well in a village,
changing the lives of many people.
208
GEOGRAPHY 2
cross the poverty line through their own efforts.
The main principles:
• the bank lends only to the poorest of the poor
among the rural landless
• the bank is women-focused — women make up
94 per cent of its customers
• loans are made without security
• borrowers — and not the bank —
decide what type of business they
will start with the money
• the bank helps and supports the
borrower to succeed.
About 55 per cent of Grameen’s
borrowers have successfully crossed
the poverty line. Under Grameen
criteria, this means: they have a rainproof house; a sanitary toilet; clean
drinking water; the ability to repay
about $8 per week; school-aged children are in
school; each household eats three meals a day; and
the family has access to regular medical checkups.
Grameen has given out nearly 16 million tiny
loans since 1983. More than 98 per cent of loans
are repaid on time.
A poultry business set up with a Grameen Bank loan
Launched into business with a small loan from the Grameen
Bank, a Bangladeshi woman goes from door to door selling
cookware.
Paying parents to send children to school
In very poor rural areas of Mexico, the Progresa
program helps people to get an education. In the
process, the program also helps pay for health
care and better nutrition. Progresa provides
grants to families for each child under 18 who is
enrolled between the third grade of primary
school and the third grade of secondary school.
The grants are larger for higher year levels and
are slightly higher for girls. For a child in the
third year of secondary school, grants are equal
to nearly 50 per cent of the average earnings of
an agricultural worker. Families of children who
miss more than 15 per cent of the school days in
a month do not receive the grant that month.
The result has been an increase in school enrolments at all levels. Families also visit local
health centres regularly to learn about health
and nutrition.
209
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The Progresa program in action —
boys at school in Mexico
The Millennium Development Goals
In 2000, governments around the world signed up to
the Millennium Development Goals. Governments
agreed to take action to lift millions of people out of
desperate poverty by 2015. To achieve the eight goals,
poor countries make improvements in the way they
govern, and take responsibility to help their people
achieve the first seven goals. They cannot do this,
however, unless rich countries promise to fulfil the
responsibilities outlined in the eighth goal. Goal 8
means that rich countries must offer more debt relief
to poor countries and increase trade opportunities by
reducing agricultural subsidies. Subsidising farmers in
developed countries denies farmers in poorer
countries their best chance to earn a decent living.
The Millennium Development Goals
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Eradicate extreme poverty
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal heath
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development
The Virtual Souk
Souk is the Arabic name for a
marketplace. The Virtual
Souk is an internet-based
business. It gives craftspeople in the Middle East and
North Africa, who often live
in remote areas, an opportunity to sell their handmade
crafts online. Artisans can
sell their wood and copper
products, embroidery, pottery
and woven goods because
they have access to markets.
They can make a profit
because the usual costs
associated with selling their
goods are minimised. At the Virtual Souk, people
can also learn more about ICT.
DOES AUSTRALIA HELP?
Australia’s official overseas aid program helps
people in poverty and the victims of emergency
situations such as natural disasters, war and
famine. It is managed by the Australian Agency
for International Development (AusAID) and
funded by the Federal Government. Foreign aid
is the transfer of money, food and services from
high-income countries to low-income countries.
Foreign aid is an important part of Australia’s
foreign policy and national interest.
We give foreign aid because:
• it reflects Australia’s humanitarian desire to
reduce poverty and help people who are less
fortunate. Many Australians see aid as an
important equity and social justice issue
because we assist neighbours who are less fortunate than we are.
• it improves our regional security. Civil unrest
and even war are often the result of uneven
development and poverty. Reducing poverty
can therefore build stronger communities and
more stable governments.
• it creates jobs and opportunities for Australians.
The majority of Australia’s aid goes to neighbouring countries in the Asia–Pacific region. This
region contains some of the poorest countries in
the world, with per capita incomes, life expectancy and literacy rates much lower than those
in Australia.
210
HUMANITIES 4
Think
1. What factors make overcoming poverty such a
complex task?
2. List three reasons why tackling poverty at the
local level is more effective than regional or
global projects.
3. Outline how the Grameen Bank works towards
reducing poverty. Describe how this project
empowers the poor, particularly women. What
needs to happen for the poor to get over the
poverty line?
4. Investigate an organisation that aims to overcome
poverty. Present this as a written report, an essay,
a multi-media presentation or a poster. Include:
(a) the name and location of the organisation
(b) the main work done
(c) examples of programs to reduce poverty.
5. Why does Australia give foreign aid? Rank the
countries on the map from those receiving the
smallest to the largest amounts of foreign aid.
Use ICT
6. Work with another person. Visit the website for
this book and click on the Millennium
Development Goals weblink (see ‘Weblinks’,
page xiii).
(a) Study each of the eight goals and rank
them in your order of priority. Discuss
what each goal aims to achieve and
justify your ranking.
(b) Use the website to find out what
progress has been made by some
countries. What has Australia achieved?
(c) To find out about some good news
stories, visit the website for this book
and click on the Goal! weblink (see
‘Weblinks’, page xiii).
A young Indonesian tsunami survivor receives a container of
water from an Australian soldier in 2005.
Russia
Kazakhstan
Mongolia
North Korea
CHINA
Nepal
Myanmar
BANGLADESH
Taiwan
VIETNAM
India
Laos
PHILIPPINES
$ 50
Thailand
CAMBODIA
n
n
$44
n
illio
EAST TIMOR
$4 2. 5
n
illi o
.4 m
lion
mil
1.7
$15
.3 m
$32
INDONESIA
m i l lio
illio
Malaysia
illion
.7 m
1m
2 .4
$6
2.
$7
Sri Lanka
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SOLOMON
ISLANDS
mill ion
$ 33 3.6 m il li on
$3
7.4
$2
mi
llio
2
n
Pakistan
Japan
South
Korea
VANUATU
n
llio
mi
.7
Fiji
AUSTRALIA
N
New Zealand
0
1000
2000 km
Dig deeper
7. Take action and get involved. For example,
organise your own Live Aid concert to raise
money or visit the website for this book
and click on the Beads weblink (see
‘Weblinks’, page xiii).
8. Outline what developed countries such as
Australia must do to help reach the
Millennium Goals. Research what the
Australian government is doing.
9. Work with three other students. Imagine
you are advisers to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs. Develop a program about one of
the Millennium Goals that would help a
country in South-East Asia or the Pacific.
Present your program to the class.
Worksheets
8.6 Survive!
The top ten recipient countries of Australian aid,
2003–04 budget
211
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Check & Challenge
POPULATION
CHARACTERISTICS
9. Draw a series of graphs based on the data in the table
below. Develop a series of statements describing the
relationships between poverty and:
• life expectancy
• population growth rate
• total fertility rate
• contraceptive use.
Choose one country from each region on the list and
research the population characteristics for each. Write
a short paragraph as a profile. Use a blank map of the
world to label each country and attach the profile.
Compare your findings to others in the class.
10. Study the map below. Describe the global distribution
of arable land. How does this contribute to poverty in
some regions and countries?
1. Describe how the global population has
changed over time.
2. Refer to the graph on page 192. Describe
world population growth from 1750 to the
present. Outline the factors that contributed
to the rapid rise from around 1850.
3. Refer to the table on page 192.
How many years did it take for
the fastest billion to be added to
the population? What changes
will need to occur for the
predicted slowing population
growth to happen in the future?
4. Describe the current global
ARCTIC
OCEAN
population distribution.
Arctic Circle
5. Describe the relationship
between population numbers
and poverty. Is this a clear
relationship? Give examples.
6. Outline the impact of fertility rate
PACIFIC
Tropic of Cancer
on population growth, giving
OCEAN
examples. Describe the differences
Hectares per capita
Equator
between the rates in the
0.50 or more
INDIAN
AT L A N T I C
developed and developing world.
0.30 to 0.49
OCEAN
7. Define the terms ‘negative growth
OCEAN
Tropic of Capricorn
0.20 to 0.29
rate’ and ‘replacement level’.
0.10 to 0.19
8. List factors that contribute to
Less than 0.10
N
0
4000 km
2000
poverty. Try to rank these factors
No data
from the most to the least
important based on their impact on
Global distribution of arable land, 1999–2001
Source: World Bank
people’s lives.
Population indicators by world and regions
Population
growth rate,
1995–2000
(%)
Life expectancy
at birth,
1995–2000
(years)
Total fertility rate,
1995–2000 (average
number of children
per woman)
Contraceptive use,
1990s
(% of currently
married women)
World
More developed regions
Less developed regions
1.3
0.3
1.6
65
75
63
2.7
1.6
3.0
58
70
55
Africa
Asia
Europe
Latin America and the Caribbean
Northern America
Oceania
2.4
1.4
0.0
1.6
0.8
1.3
51
66
73
69
77
74
5.1
2.6
1.4
2.7
1.9
2.4
20
60
72
66
71
64
Source: United Nations
212
HUMANITIES 4
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
FUTURE PATTERNS
1.5
Number of planets
1. Study the graph. What is the relationship
between a woman’s age at first marriage and total
fertility rate? Develop a sympathetic policy that
will be attractive to both men and women, which
aims to increase the age for when a woman first
marries. Describe the impact this might have on
population growth.
3. Define the term ecological footprint. Outline the
different footprint impact for regions around the
world. How has this changed over time? Make a
positive and a negative prediction for the future
based on current ecological footprint data. Justify
the futures you have chosen.
Chad
Yemen
Guatemala
Haiti
Jordan
Bangladesh
Central and
Eastern Europe
Latin America
and the Caribbean
Middle East
and Central Asia
Asia–Pacific
Africa
1.0
0.5
1961
2001
Year
Indonesia
Past and present regional footprints
Source: Living Planet Report 2004
Uzbekistan
USA
0
2
4
6
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Average age at first marriage
Total fertility rate
Women’s age at first marriage in relation to fertility rate,
selected countries, 1990s
Source: Population Reference Bureau
2. Study the graph. Describe the predicted change
in the over-65 population for different regions.
Why will some regions experience greater
growth in this age group than others?
30
2000
2050
25
20
15
10
Predicted growth in the over-65 age group by region
Source: US Bureau of the Census
4. A futures wheel is a way of organising, thinking
about and questioning the future. Geographers
use futures wheels to think about the possible
impacts of current trends and to try to predict
probable futures. (See an example of a futures
wheel on page 147.)
Work in groups of four and draw a futures wheel
that predicts the consequences of an ageing
population.
(a) Begin with the statement: ‘The world’s fertility
rate continues to decrease’.
(b) Around this statement write
the immediate
consequences — especially
in relation to poverty —
that you think will result.
(c) Choose one of these
consequences and write
the next level of
consequences around it.
Do the same with the other
immediate consequences.
(d) Continue building up levels
until you have completed
your brainstorming ideas.
(e) Now complete another
futures wheel based on the
statement: ‘The developed
world decreases per capita
consumption of the world’s
resources’.
tin
Ca Am
rib eri
be ca/
an
N Ne
or a
th r E
Af as
ric t/
a
Su
bSa
h
Af aran
ric
a
La
As
ia
ce
an
ia
O
0
N
Am or
er th
ica
5
Eu
ro
pe
Percentage 65 years and older
Western Europe
0.0
Egypt
North America
213
CHAPTER 8: GLOBAL POPULATION, POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT