A Level H2 Geography Practice Paper 2

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Geography H2 A-Level

Answer Key & Marking Scheme (Version 2)

Topic: Resources & Sustainability
Total Marks: 60

Section A: Source-Based Questions (30 Marks)

1. Compare the water stress levels of Country A and Country B as shown in Resource 1. [4]

• Country A (Egypt) experiences extreme water stress, with water withdrawal at 115% of available renewable resources. [1]
• Country B (Brazil) experiences low water stress, with withdrawal at only 1.8% of available resources. [1]
• Comparison: Country A’s withdrawal rate is significantly higher (over 60 times higher) than Country B’s, indicating severe over-exploitation. [1]
• Context: Despite Country B having a much larger population (214m vs 104m), its vast renewable resources (8,233 km³ vs 58 km³) mean it faces no scarcity, whereas Country A’s limited resources cannot meet demand. [1]
  • Award marks for clear comparative language (e.g., "whereas," "in contrast") and use of data.

2. Using Resource 2, explain how the concept of "virtual water" can help alleviate water stress in Country A. [4]

• Mechanism: Country A (water-scarce) can import water-intensive goods (like wheat or beef) instead of producing them domestically. [1]
• Saving Local Water: By importing 1 kg of wheat, Country A saves ~1,300 litres of local water that would have been used for irrigation. [1]
• Resource Allocation: This allows Country A to allocate its limited local water resources to higher-value or essential domestic uses (e.g., drinking water, industry) rather than low-value agriculture. [1]
• Outcome: This reduces the pressure on local aquifers and rivers, lowering the "withdrawal as % of available resources" metric. [1]

3. With reference to Resource 3 and your own knowledge, assess the view that "technology is the most important factor in ensuring water security." [6]

• Agreement (Technology): Resource 3 cites Israel as an example where desalination and drip irrigation have "decoupled economic growth from natural water constraints." Technology allows arid regions to create new supplies (desalination) or use existing supplies more efficiently (drip irrigation). [2]
• Disagreement (Governance/Economics): Resource 3 argues that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the issue is "economic and political access," not physical lack. Groundwater exists, but "cost of extraction" is the barrier. This suggests finance and infrastructure investment are more critical than just the existence of technology. [2]
• Assessment: Technology is a tool, but without good governance (to manage distribution) and economic capacity (to afford the tech), it is ineffective. Therefore, technology is necessary but not sufficient; institutional factors are equally important. [2]
  • Level 3 (5-6 marks): Balanced assessment, integrates resource and own knowledge, clear conclusion.

4. "Resource 1 shows that physical availability is the main determinant of water stress." How far do you agree with this statement, using examples from the resource and your own knowledge? [8]

• Agree (Physical Availability): Resource 1 shows a strong correlation between low renewable resources and high stress. Country A (Egypt) has very low resources (58 km³) and extreme stress. Country C (Singapore) has negligible natural resources (0.6 km³) and extreme stress. This supports the idea that physical endowment is a primary driver. [3]
• Disagree (Other Factors):
  • Population/Demand: Country B (Brazil) has a large population but low stress due to abundance. However, Country D (Canada) has a small population and huge resources. Stress is a ratio of demand to supply. High demand (agriculture in Egypt) drives stress as much as low supply. [2]
  • Management/Technology: Singapore (Country C) has "extreme stress" by natural metrics, but through technology (NEWater, desalination) and importation, it maintains security. This shows that physical availability can be overcome by human intervention. [2]
  • Efficiency: Inefficient use (e.g., flood irrigation in arid zones) causes stress even where resources are moderate.
• Conclusion: Physical availability is a baseline constraint, but management, technology, and demand patterns are often the decisive factors in whether that availability translates into "stress." [1]

5. Study Resource 2. Suggest two potential negative environmental impacts of "virtual water" trade on the exporting countries. [4]

• Impact 1: Depletion of Non-Renewable Aquifers. Exporting countries (e.g., USA, India) may pump groundwater faster than recharge rates to grow export crops, leading to land subsidence and long-term water scarcity. [2]
• Impact 2: Pollution/Eutrophication. Intensive agriculture for export requires heavy fertilizer/pesticide use, which can run off into local water bodies, causing algal blooms and harming local ecosystems. [2]
  • Award 1 mark for identification, 1 mark for explanation per impact.

6. Using Resource 3, explain why "economic access" is cited as a barrier to water security in Sub-Saharan Africa. [4]

• Infrastructure Cost: Resource 3 states that while groundwater exists, the "cost of extraction and purification remains prohibitive." Building wells, pumps, and treatment plants requires significant capital. [2]
• Affordability: Even if infrastructure exists, rural communities may lack the income to pay for water services, leading to reliance on unsafe sources. This is a failure of economic access rather than physical absence. [2]

Section B: Structured Response Questions (15 Marks)

7. (a) Define the term resource sustainability. [2]

• Resource sustainability is the management of resource use to meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. [1]
• It involves balancing economic, social, and environmental dimensions (the triple bottom line) to ensure resources are not depleted faster than they can regenerate. [1]

(b) Distinguish between physical scarcity and economic scarcity of resources. [4]

• Physical Scarcity: Occurs when natural water/resource supplies are insufficient to meet demand due to climatic or geological limits (e.g., arid climates like North Africa). [2]
• Economic Scarcity: Occurs when resources are physically present, but lack of investment, infrastructure, or technology prevents access (e.g., parts of Sub-Saharan Africa with groundwater but no pumps). [2]

8. Explain how population growth and rising affluence contribute to increased pressure on global food resources. [5]

• Population Growth: More people directly increase the total demand for food calories. This requires expanding agricultural land (deforestation) or intensifying production (fertilizers), straining ecosystems. [2]
• Rising Affluence: As incomes rise (e.g., in emerging economies like China/India), diets shift towards meat and dairy. [1]
• Multiplier Effect: Meat production is resource-intensive (high virtual water and land footprint). Producing 1kg of beef requires significantly more grain/water than 1kg of plant protein. [1]
• Combined Impact: The combination of more people eating more resource-intensive diets accelerates the depletion of soil, water, and biodiversity. [1]

9. Describe one strategy used to manage electronic waste (e-waste) sustainably and evaluate its effectiveness. [4]

• Strategy: Urban Mining / Recycling. Recovering precious metals (gold, copper) from discarded electronics. [1]
• Effectiveness (Positive): Reduces the need for virgin mining, which is environmentally destructive. Conserves finite resources. [1]
• Effectiveness (Limitation): Recycling rates remain low globally (<20%) due to complex product design and lack of collection infrastructure in developing nations. [1]
• Evaluation: While technically viable, it is economically challenging without strict regulatory enforcement (Extended Producer Responsibility). [1]

Section C: Extended Response Question (15 Marks)

10. "'The transition to renewable energy is hindered more by economic factors than by technological limitations.' To what extent do you agree? [15]

Indicative Content:

• Introduction:

  • Define renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal).
  • Thesis: While technological challenges (intermittency, storage) exist, economic barriers (high upfront costs, fossil fuel subsidies, grid infrastructure) are currently the greater hurdle, especially in developing nations.

• Argument 1: Technological Limitations are Significant (Counter-Argument):

  • Intermittency: Solar and wind are variable. Without efficient, cheap battery storage, they cannot provide baseload power.
  • Energy Density: Renewables often require large land areas compared to nuclear/fossil fuels, creating land-use conflicts.
  • Grid Stability: Existing grids were designed for centralized fossil fuel plants; integrating decentralized renewables requires complex smart-grid tech that is still maturing.
  • Example: Germany’s Energiewende faced challenges with grid stability and reliance on coal backups when wind/solar dipped.

• Argument 2: Economic Factors are the Primary Hindrance (Agreement):

  • High Upfront Capital Costs: Building solar farms, wind turbines, and transmission lines requires massive initial investment. Developing nations lack access to cheap capital.
  • Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Globally, fossil fuels are still heavily subsidized, making them artificially cheaper than renewables. This distorts the market.
  • Stranded Assets: Countries/Companies with heavy investments in oil/gas infrastructure resist transition due to fear of economic loss (political economy).
  • Cost of Storage: While battery tech exists, it is still expensive at scale. The economic cost of storage, not the technical impossibility, is the barrier.
  • Example: Solar power is now cheaper than coal in many places (LCOE), yet adoption is slow in Africa due to lack of financing/infrastructure investment, not lack of sun or panels.

• Argument 3: Interplay of Tech and Economics:

  • Technology drives down costs (economies of scale). As tech improves, economic barriers lower.
  • However, policy (economic instrument) is needed to accelerate this. Carbon taxes can make renewables economically competitive.

• Conclusion:

  • Technologically, we have the tools to transition (solar, wind, hydro are mature).
  • The primary barriers are economic (cost of transition, subsidies, financing) and political (will to implement carbon pricing).
  • Therefore, I largely agree: the hurdle is not can we do it? (tech), but can we afford it and distribute the costs fairly? (economics).

Marking Levels:

• Level 3 (13-15 marks): Comprehensive evaluation, strong case studies, clear distinction between tech/econ factors, nuanced conclusion.
• Level 2 (8-12 marks): Good knowledge, addresses both sides, but evaluation may be unbalanced or case studies generic.
• Level 1 (1-7 marks): Descriptive, one-sided, lacks specific examples or geographical terminology.