Module: DVA1501
Exam: October/November 2025
Student No.: YOUR STUDENT NUMBER
Date: 18 October 2025
CHOOSE ONLY 1 ESSAY AND WRITE IN YOUR OWN
WORDS!!
1|Page
,Question 1: The Concept of Basic Needs and Their Impact on Development
Introduction
The concept of basic needs is central to the study and practice of development. It
reflects the minimum requirements that individuals and communities must access to live
a dignified and productive life. From a development perspective, the satisfaction of
basic needs such as food, water, sanitation, education, and employment forms the
foundation for social and economic progress. The basic needs approach emerged
during the 1970s as a response to the limitations of growth-oriented development
models that overlooked the welfare of the poor (Todaro & Smith, 2020). This essay
defines the concept of basic needs from a development perspective and examines how
failure to access food, water and sanitation, literacy, and work or employment impedes
human development.
1. Defining Basic Needs from a Development Perspective
From a development perspective, basic needs refer to the essential goods and services
required for individuals to survive and function effectively in society. These needs
encompass adequate nutrition, clean water, sanitation, shelter, healthcare, and
education (UNDP, 2023). The approach prioritises improving people’s living standards
rather than focusing solely on economic growth indicators such as Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 1976),
development should aim to meet the basic needs of all citizens through access to
essential services, productive employment, and participation in decision-making.
In essence, the basic needs approach shifts attention from macroeconomic
performance to the quality of life and equity. It recognises that development cannot be
meaningful if people continue to live in poverty without access to food, water, sanitation,
and education. As Sen (1999) argues, development should be about expanding
people’s capabilities and freedoms — and meeting basic needs is the first step in
enabling such expansion.
2|Page
, 2. The Importance of Access to Basic Needs in Development
Access to basic needs is a precondition for sustainable development. When these
needs are met, individuals can pursue education, participate in the labour market, and
contribute to community development. Conversely, when basic needs are unmet,
poverty, inequality, and social exclusion deepen, undermining national progress (World
Bank, 2022). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 1, 2, 3, 4,
6, and 8, reinforce this connection by calling for the eradication of poverty, hunger, and
inequality while promoting education, health, and decent work for all.
The following sections examine how the failure to access specific basic needs—namely
food, water and sanitation, literacy, and employment—negatively affects development
outcomes.
3. Food and Nutrition
Adequate nutrition is fundamental to human survival and productivity. Food insecurity
and malnutrition hinder physical and cognitive development, especially among children,
reducing their ability to perform well in school and later in the workforce (FAO, 2021).
From a development perspective, hunger traps individuals in cycles of poverty by
limiting their potential to learn and work effectively.
In sub-Saharan Africa, millions still face chronic food shortages due to poverty, conflict,
and climate change (UNDP, 2023). In South Africa, although food production levels are
sufficient, inequality and unemployment prevent many households from affording
nutritious food. The National Development Plan (NDP 2030) recognises that addressing
food insecurity is essential for achieving inclusive growth. Failure to ensure food access
not only causes suffering but also reduces labour productivity, weakens health
outcomes, and slows economic progress.
4. Water and Sanitation
3|Page
Exam: October/November 2025
Student No.: YOUR STUDENT NUMBER
Date: 18 October 2025
CHOOSE ONLY 1 ESSAY AND WRITE IN YOUR OWN
WORDS!!
1|Page
,Question 1: The Concept of Basic Needs and Their Impact on Development
Introduction
The concept of basic needs is central to the study and practice of development. It
reflects the minimum requirements that individuals and communities must access to live
a dignified and productive life. From a development perspective, the satisfaction of
basic needs such as food, water, sanitation, education, and employment forms the
foundation for social and economic progress. The basic needs approach emerged
during the 1970s as a response to the limitations of growth-oriented development
models that overlooked the welfare of the poor (Todaro & Smith, 2020). This essay
defines the concept of basic needs from a development perspective and examines how
failure to access food, water and sanitation, literacy, and work or employment impedes
human development.
1. Defining Basic Needs from a Development Perspective
From a development perspective, basic needs refer to the essential goods and services
required for individuals to survive and function effectively in society. These needs
encompass adequate nutrition, clean water, sanitation, shelter, healthcare, and
education (UNDP, 2023). The approach prioritises improving people’s living standards
rather than focusing solely on economic growth indicators such as Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 1976),
development should aim to meet the basic needs of all citizens through access to
essential services, productive employment, and participation in decision-making.
In essence, the basic needs approach shifts attention from macroeconomic
performance to the quality of life and equity. It recognises that development cannot be
meaningful if people continue to live in poverty without access to food, water, sanitation,
and education. As Sen (1999) argues, development should be about expanding
people’s capabilities and freedoms — and meeting basic needs is the first step in
enabling such expansion.
2|Page
, 2. The Importance of Access to Basic Needs in Development
Access to basic needs is a precondition for sustainable development. When these
needs are met, individuals can pursue education, participate in the labour market, and
contribute to community development. Conversely, when basic needs are unmet,
poverty, inequality, and social exclusion deepen, undermining national progress (World
Bank, 2022). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 1, 2, 3, 4,
6, and 8, reinforce this connection by calling for the eradication of poverty, hunger, and
inequality while promoting education, health, and decent work for all.
The following sections examine how the failure to access specific basic needs—namely
food, water and sanitation, literacy, and employment—negatively affects development
outcomes.
3. Food and Nutrition
Adequate nutrition is fundamental to human survival and productivity. Food insecurity
and malnutrition hinder physical and cognitive development, especially among children,
reducing their ability to perform well in school and later in the workforce (FAO, 2021).
From a development perspective, hunger traps individuals in cycles of poverty by
limiting their potential to learn and work effectively.
In sub-Saharan Africa, millions still face chronic food shortages due to poverty, conflict,
and climate change (UNDP, 2023). In South Africa, although food production levels are
sufficient, inequality and unemployment prevent many households from affording
nutritious food. The National Development Plan (NDP 2030) recognises that addressing
food insecurity is essential for achieving inclusive growth. Failure to ensure food access
not only causes suffering but also reduces labour productivity, weakens health
outcomes, and slows economic progress.
4. Water and Sanitation
3|Page
