A Level H1 Geography Resources Sustainability Quiz

Answer Key - A-Level Geography H1 Quiz: Resources Sustainability

Section A

1. Description: Reliance on public stand-pipes decreased significantly from 60% in 2010 to 30% in 2020 (a 30 percentage point drop). [3 marks]
2. Account for: Likely due to government upgrading programs (slum upgrading), installation of internal plumbing in homes, or the formalization of the settlement allowing utility companies to extend grids. [5 marks: 2 for identifying cause, 3 for explaining process]
3. Reason: Piped water may be unreliable (intermittent supply), or vendors may provide water of perceived higher quality/different source during outages. [4 marks]
4. Definition: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing economic, social, and environmental pillars. [3 marks]
5. UHI Impact: Higher temperatures increase energy demand for cooling (AC), leading to higher GHG emissions and straining the electricity grid, thus reducing environmental sustainability. [5 marks]
6. Characteristics: Overcrowding (lack of space) and lack of basic services (e.g., open sewers). Both lead to poor health and low quality of life. [4 marks]
7. Relationship: Positive correlation; as density increases, the per capita availability of land, water, and waste disposal capacity decreases, leading to resource scarcity and environmental degradation. [5 marks]
8. Green Infrastructure: Permeable pavements or bioswales increase infiltration rates, reducing the volume and speed of surface runoff entering drainage systems. [4 marks]
9. Sanitation vs Water: Water can be delivered via pipes/trucks (point source), but sanitation requires complex underground sewage networks, treatment plants, and significant land space, which is unavailable in dense, unplanned slums. [6 marks]
10. Difference: Top-down is government-led/centralized (e.g., national water policy); bottom-up is community-led/localized (e.g., resident-managed waste collection). [3 marks]

Section B

11. Edge Cities: Shifts resource demand from the CBD to the periphery; increases reliance on private cars (increasing carbon footprint) and necessitates the extension of utility grids over larger areas, which can be inefficient. [7 marks]
12. Elderly Liveability: Physical barriers (lack of ramps), distance to healthcare, or "social deserts" where high-rise living leads to isolation despite high physical density. [7 marks]
13. Land Tenure: Without legal ownership, residents are unwilling to invest in permanent, sustainable building materials; governments are reluctant to provide permanent infrastructure (pipes/electricity) for fear of legitimizing illegal occupation. [7 marks]
14. Singapore Renewables: Reduces reliance on imported natural gas; utilizes unused vertical/roof space; aligns with "Green Plan 2030" to lower the carbon intensity of the energy mix. [7 marks]
15. Informal Economy: Resource: Provides essential low-cost goods and employment for the unskilled. Barrier: Operates outside tax/regulatory frameworks, making it hard to plan formal infrastructure or enforce health/safety standards. [7 marks]

Section C

16. Relocation Debate:
    • Agree: Removes residents from hazardous land (flood plains), provides guaranteed sanitation/security.
    • Disagree: Destroys social networks/livelihoods (distance from city center), often leads to "vertical slums" if maintenance is poor.
    • Judgment: Partial agreement; upgrading in-situ is often more sustainable socially. [10 marks]
17. State vs Community:
    • State: High efficiency, large scale (e.g., HDB town planning, MRT network).
    • Community: High nuance, addresses specific needs (e.g., neighborhood watch, community gardens).
    • Judgment: State-led is essential for infrastructure, but community-led is essential for "liveability" and social cohesion. [10 marks]
18. Technological Solutions:
    • Validity: Desalination and NEWater are crucial for water-scarce cities (e.g., Singapore).
    • Counter: Demand management (behavioral change, water pricing) is equally important to prevent waste.
    • Judgment: Technology is a necessary tool, but not a standalone solution. [10 marks]
19. Slums as Impediment:
    • Agree: High pollution, health risks, inefficient land use.
    • Disagree: Slums are a symptom of failed urban planning/economic inequality; the primary impediment is actually poor governance or lack of affordable housing policy.
    • Judgment: Slums are a significant challenge, but the root cause lies in systemic urban management. [10 marks]
20. Physical-Human Interaction:
    • Physical: Coastal cities face sea-level rise and storm surges (vulnerability).
    • Human: Concrete surfaces increase runoff; poor drainage in low-lying areas.
    • Synthesis: Sustainability depends on how human engineering (e.g., polders, sea walls) adapts to the physical constraints of the site. [10 marks]