GCSE Geography Paper 2
Section A: Urban Issues and Challenges
The Urban World
Urbanisation
- the increase in proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas
- over 50% of the people living in urban areas, conurbations are most developed cities
- conurbations usually have Greater before its name eg. Greater London, Greater Tokyo
Choropleth Map
- darker coloured areas show the most densely populated countries
- this could be misleading as dark/light colours don’t represent the whole country
- there may be one city where everyone lives in but deserts everywhere else
- a dot map where one dot represents a number of people is better as it shows distribution
Reasons Cities are Growing
- rural migration
- job opportunities
- young people increases the birth rate, natural increase, more births than deaths
Push Factors to move out of rural areas
- lack of electrical, water and sewage services, hard work, long hours, little pay for farmers
- shortage of education, health and welfare services
- chance of natural disasters eg. droughts which lead to crop failure and famine
- unemployment, war and conflict, poor living conditions eg. housing, education & healthcare
Pull Factors to move into urban areas
- availability of schools, doctors, hospitals and entertainment
- there will be a greater variety of jobs with higher wages
- improved housing, more reliable and stable food sources, more enjoyment in life
- protection from conflict is provided, safety, “bright lights of the city”
Megacities
- cities with population over 10 million
- there were 25 megacities in 2015, could reach as much as 50 by 2050
- all types of megacities can be found in Southeast Asia
- there are three types of megacities: slow-growing, growing and rapid growing
Slow Growing Megacities
- population at 70% or more living in urban areas, eg. Tokyo, Los Angeles
Growing Megacities
- population at around 40-50% living in urban areas, under 20% live in squatter settlements
- eg. Beijing, Rio de Janeiro
Rapid Growing Megacities
- population under 50% urban, over 20% living in squatter settlements
- eg. Jakarta, Lagos
,Newly Emerging Economy
- BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
- MINT: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Urban Case Study
Rio de Janeiro
- located at Brazil’s Atlantic Coast 23˚ South and 43˚ West
- has a population of about 16 million people, hosted the 2016 Olympics and 2014 World Cup
- there are also 50 museums, famous annual carnivals, music and dance celebrations
- industrial and financial centre affects global economy, it has 5 ports and 3 airports
- a lot of people from other parts of Brazil eg. Amazon Basin migrate to Rio
- 65% of their growth in population is from the migrants, other is from natural increase
- recent migrants from South Korea and China seeking new business opportunities
- the common language attracts migrants from Portugal, the former colonial owner
- their industries also attract skilled workers form the US and the UK
Other Factors that attract people to go there
- the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the 7 new wonders of the world
- main service industries are banking, finance and insurance
- main manufacturing industries are chemicals, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture etc.
- one of the most visited cities in the South hemisphere with natural surroundings & beaches
- Brazil is the 2nd most important industrial centre, producing 5% of Brazil’s GDP
Land Uses in Rio
North Zone (poor area)
- city’s main industrial and port area, City’s International Airport is also there
- as well as the Maracanã soccer stadium, there is also the Tijuca National Park
- this is an area of low-quality housing and favelas
West Zone (Atlantic)
- Barra de Tijuca changed from a lower-class area into a wealthy coastal suburb
- luxury apartments, shopping malls and recreational & tourist facilities
- industrial area of Campa Grande, low-quality housing around the steelworks
- main Olympic stadiums and competitor village for 2016
Centro (CBD)
- oldest part of the city with many historical buildings
- this is the city’s CBD and main shopping areas
- financial centre with the headquarters of Petrobras & CVBB
- Brazil’s largest oil and mining companies
South Zone (Nice Flats)
- developed after tunnels were cut through the mountains
- Rio’s main tourist hotels and beaches eg. Copacabana and Ipanema
- wealthy and dominated by luxury flats, wealthiest district in whole of South America
- overlooked by Rocinha, the largest favela in South America
,Social Challenges in Rio
Healthcare
- only 55% of city had local family health clinic in 2013
- services for pregnant women and elderly were very poor, especially in the West Zone
- authorities have tried to improve healthcare in the favelas of South Marta
- steep hillside, population of 8000
- few rounds and main means of access is an overcrowded cable car
- 13km to hospital, medical staff take health kits into people’s homes
- able to detect 20 different diseases and treat them
- infant mortality rate has fallen and life expectancy has increased
Education
- compulsory for children aged 6-14 in Brazil, only half of the children continue studying
- many drop out of schools, some get involved in drug trafficking after 14
- main reasons for low level of school environment are shortage of nearby schools & teachers
- teachers have low pay and lack money to work, they also have poor training as well
- authorities encourage local people to volunteer to help in school
- schools are given grants to poor families to help meet the cost and keep children in school
- make money available to pay for free lessons in volleyball, swimming, Rocinha favela squash
- they are also opening a private university in the Rocinha favelas
Water Supply
- around 12% of Rio’s population have no access to running water, became worse
- estimated 37% of water is lost through leaky pipes, fraud and illegal access
- most work on improving quality or quantity of the water in the favelas and Olympic park
- 7 new treatment plants were built between 1998 and 2014, over 300km of pipes were laid
- In 2014, 95% of population had a mains water supply
Energy
- whole city suffers frequent blackouts due to shortage of electricity
- growing population and the demands of the Olympics made it worse
- many people living in poorer parts illegally tap into main supply for electricity, very risky
- electricity supply is improved by installing 60km of new power lines
- building new nuclear generator, developing new Simplicio hydro-electric complex
- to increase Rio’s electricity supply by 30%, took 6 years to build and cost over US$2 billion
Economic Opportunities & Challenges in Rio
- growth of Rio’s urban industrial areas boosted city’s economy
- economic development improves to Rio’s roads, transport services & environment
- growing economic prosperity attracted large companies to Rio from other parts
- developments have created a range of new economic opportunities in formal economy
, Positive Effects of Growth
- lots of types of employment available for people
- port industries (import and export), oil refining and petrochemical industries
- manufacturing (with newer industries eg. computers and electronics)
- tourism (Rio’s one of the world’s to tourist destinations)
- steel (Rio has the largest steelworks in South America at Sepetiba Bay)
- construction (providing employment for many non-skilled workers)
- retail and destruction, service industries (eg. finance and banking)
- Rio’s Brazil 2nd most important industrial centre after Sao Paulo
- provides 6% of all employment in Brazil
Challenge of unemployment
- deep recession in Brazil’s economy in 2015
- protests about high taxes, poor education and inadequate health care
- reason for contrast in wealth, over 30% in favelas
- most work in informal economy, street vendors, drivers, labourers, maids
- local government is using education try, reducing youth unemployment
- schools of Tomorrow programme improves education in poor and violent areas
- with practical skill-based careers, courses are available for adults to continue their studies
- free childcare provided for teen parents to enable them to return to education
Challenge of Crime
- robbery and violent crime present great challenges, murder, kidnapping, armed assault
- street crime is a problem and happen very regularly, especially at night
- powerful gangs control drug trafficking, police have taken steps to control crime in favelas
- criticism police target favelas near Olympic sites, saw as attack on freedom
- police argued lower crime rates, increased property values & growing tourism
- those are positive results of fight against crime in favelas
Environmental Challenges in Rio
- there is heavy pollution in the bay due to increase urbanisation and industrialisation
- problems of communication between different parts of the city across the bay
- dereliction due to de-industrialisation of heavy industries eg. steel
- mountains limit space for building, development of effective transport system costly, hard
- algal blooms and eutrophication in the Lagoa Rodrigo channel
- many squatter settlements built on hillsides and prone to landslide
- extensive sprawl along beautiful coastal areas eg. Barra da Tijuca
- new areas of basic local authority housing, smog caused by slow-moving traffic
- huge areas of sprawling squatter settlements around 40% in Rio’s population in favelas
- new informal settlements on the edge of the city, social inequality leads to high crime rates
Section A: Urban Issues and Challenges
The Urban World
Urbanisation
- the increase in proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas
- over 50% of the people living in urban areas, conurbations are most developed cities
- conurbations usually have Greater before its name eg. Greater London, Greater Tokyo
Choropleth Map
- darker coloured areas show the most densely populated countries
- this could be misleading as dark/light colours don’t represent the whole country
- there may be one city where everyone lives in but deserts everywhere else
- a dot map where one dot represents a number of people is better as it shows distribution
Reasons Cities are Growing
- rural migration
- job opportunities
- young people increases the birth rate, natural increase, more births than deaths
Push Factors to move out of rural areas
- lack of electrical, water and sewage services, hard work, long hours, little pay for farmers
- shortage of education, health and welfare services
- chance of natural disasters eg. droughts which lead to crop failure and famine
- unemployment, war and conflict, poor living conditions eg. housing, education & healthcare
Pull Factors to move into urban areas
- availability of schools, doctors, hospitals and entertainment
- there will be a greater variety of jobs with higher wages
- improved housing, more reliable and stable food sources, more enjoyment in life
- protection from conflict is provided, safety, “bright lights of the city”
Megacities
- cities with population over 10 million
- there were 25 megacities in 2015, could reach as much as 50 by 2050
- all types of megacities can be found in Southeast Asia
- there are three types of megacities: slow-growing, growing and rapid growing
Slow Growing Megacities
- population at 70% or more living in urban areas, eg. Tokyo, Los Angeles
Growing Megacities
- population at around 40-50% living in urban areas, under 20% live in squatter settlements
- eg. Beijing, Rio de Janeiro
Rapid Growing Megacities
- population under 50% urban, over 20% living in squatter settlements
- eg. Jakarta, Lagos
,Newly Emerging Economy
- BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
- MINT: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Urban Case Study
Rio de Janeiro
- located at Brazil’s Atlantic Coast 23˚ South and 43˚ West
- has a population of about 16 million people, hosted the 2016 Olympics and 2014 World Cup
- there are also 50 museums, famous annual carnivals, music and dance celebrations
- industrial and financial centre affects global economy, it has 5 ports and 3 airports
- a lot of people from other parts of Brazil eg. Amazon Basin migrate to Rio
- 65% of their growth in population is from the migrants, other is from natural increase
- recent migrants from South Korea and China seeking new business opportunities
- the common language attracts migrants from Portugal, the former colonial owner
- their industries also attract skilled workers form the US and the UK
Other Factors that attract people to go there
- the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the 7 new wonders of the world
- main service industries are banking, finance and insurance
- main manufacturing industries are chemicals, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture etc.
- one of the most visited cities in the South hemisphere with natural surroundings & beaches
- Brazil is the 2nd most important industrial centre, producing 5% of Brazil’s GDP
Land Uses in Rio
North Zone (poor area)
- city’s main industrial and port area, City’s International Airport is also there
- as well as the Maracanã soccer stadium, there is also the Tijuca National Park
- this is an area of low-quality housing and favelas
West Zone (Atlantic)
- Barra de Tijuca changed from a lower-class area into a wealthy coastal suburb
- luxury apartments, shopping malls and recreational & tourist facilities
- industrial area of Campa Grande, low-quality housing around the steelworks
- main Olympic stadiums and competitor village for 2016
Centro (CBD)
- oldest part of the city with many historical buildings
- this is the city’s CBD and main shopping areas
- financial centre with the headquarters of Petrobras & CVBB
- Brazil’s largest oil and mining companies
South Zone (Nice Flats)
- developed after tunnels were cut through the mountains
- Rio’s main tourist hotels and beaches eg. Copacabana and Ipanema
- wealthy and dominated by luxury flats, wealthiest district in whole of South America
- overlooked by Rocinha, the largest favela in South America
,Social Challenges in Rio
Healthcare
- only 55% of city had local family health clinic in 2013
- services for pregnant women and elderly were very poor, especially in the West Zone
- authorities have tried to improve healthcare in the favelas of South Marta
- steep hillside, population of 8000
- few rounds and main means of access is an overcrowded cable car
- 13km to hospital, medical staff take health kits into people’s homes
- able to detect 20 different diseases and treat them
- infant mortality rate has fallen and life expectancy has increased
Education
- compulsory for children aged 6-14 in Brazil, only half of the children continue studying
- many drop out of schools, some get involved in drug trafficking after 14
- main reasons for low level of school environment are shortage of nearby schools & teachers
- teachers have low pay and lack money to work, they also have poor training as well
- authorities encourage local people to volunteer to help in school
- schools are given grants to poor families to help meet the cost and keep children in school
- make money available to pay for free lessons in volleyball, swimming, Rocinha favela squash
- they are also opening a private university in the Rocinha favelas
Water Supply
- around 12% of Rio’s population have no access to running water, became worse
- estimated 37% of water is lost through leaky pipes, fraud and illegal access
- most work on improving quality or quantity of the water in the favelas and Olympic park
- 7 new treatment plants were built between 1998 and 2014, over 300km of pipes were laid
- In 2014, 95% of population had a mains water supply
Energy
- whole city suffers frequent blackouts due to shortage of electricity
- growing population and the demands of the Olympics made it worse
- many people living in poorer parts illegally tap into main supply for electricity, very risky
- electricity supply is improved by installing 60km of new power lines
- building new nuclear generator, developing new Simplicio hydro-electric complex
- to increase Rio’s electricity supply by 30%, took 6 years to build and cost over US$2 billion
Economic Opportunities & Challenges in Rio
- growth of Rio’s urban industrial areas boosted city’s economy
- economic development improves to Rio’s roads, transport services & environment
- growing economic prosperity attracted large companies to Rio from other parts
- developments have created a range of new economic opportunities in formal economy
, Positive Effects of Growth
- lots of types of employment available for people
- port industries (import and export), oil refining and petrochemical industries
- manufacturing (with newer industries eg. computers and electronics)
- tourism (Rio’s one of the world’s to tourist destinations)
- steel (Rio has the largest steelworks in South America at Sepetiba Bay)
- construction (providing employment for many non-skilled workers)
- retail and destruction, service industries (eg. finance and banking)
- Rio’s Brazil 2nd most important industrial centre after Sao Paulo
- provides 6% of all employment in Brazil
Challenge of unemployment
- deep recession in Brazil’s economy in 2015
- protests about high taxes, poor education and inadequate health care
- reason for contrast in wealth, over 30% in favelas
- most work in informal economy, street vendors, drivers, labourers, maids
- local government is using education try, reducing youth unemployment
- schools of Tomorrow programme improves education in poor and violent areas
- with practical skill-based careers, courses are available for adults to continue their studies
- free childcare provided for teen parents to enable them to return to education
Challenge of Crime
- robbery and violent crime present great challenges, murder, kidnapping, armed assault
- street crime is a problem and happen very regularly, especially at night
- powerful gangs control drug trafficking, police have taken steps to control crime in favelas
- criticism police target favelas near Olympic sites, saw as attack on freedom
- police argued lower crime rates, increased property values & growing tourism
- those are positive results of fight against crime in favelas
Environmental Challenges in Rio
- there is heavy pollution in the bay due to increase urbanisation and industrialisation
- problems of communication between different parts of the city across the bay
- dereliction due to de-industrialisation of heavy industries eg. steel
- mountains limit space for building, development of effective transport system costly, hard
- algal blooms and eutrophication in the Lagoa Rodrigo channel
- many squatter settlements built on hillsides and prone to landslide
- extensive sprawl along beautiful coastal areas eg. Barra da Tijuca
- new areas of basic local authority housing, smog caused by slow-moving traffic
- huge areas of sprawling squatter settlements around 40% in Rio’s population in favelas
- new informal settlements on the edge of the city, social inequality leads to high crime rates
