A Level H2 Geography Human Geography Quiz

Answer Key - A-Level Geography H2 Quiz (Human Geography)

Section A

1. Comparison (5m):

   • Curitiba has the highest Environmental score (85), significantly higher than Nairobi (45).
   • New York and Tokyo dominate Economic Viability (92 and 88 respectively), whereas Nairobi is lowest (42).
   • Tokyo and Curitiba show a more balanced profile across dimensions compared to Nairobi, which lags in all three.
   • New York's social equity (62) is similar to Tokyo's (65), but both are lower than Curitiba's (70).

2. Informal Settlement Characteristics (2m):

   • Lack of legal land tenure/ownership.
   • Substandard housing materials (e.g., corrugated iron, scrap wood).
   • Lack of basic services (piped water, sewage).

3. Green Infrastructure Struggle (3m):

   • High initial capital costs for installation (e.g., green roofs, permeable pavements).
   • Prioritization of basic survival needs (food, healthcare) over environmental aesthetics.
   • Lack of technical expertise or urban planning frameworks.

4. Dutch Disease (2m):

   • Economic phenomenon where a boom in one sector (natural resources) leads to currency appreciation, making other exports (manufacturing) less competitive.

5. Primate City Pattern (3m):

   • A single city that is disproportionately larger than any other city in the country (usually >2x the size of the second city).
   • Concentrates most of the nation's political, economic, and cultural power.

6. Waste Composition (2m):

   • Organic waste is the dominant component, accounting for 60% of the total waste.

7. Synthesis (5m):

   • High organic content (60%) leads to anaerobic decomposition in landfills, producing methane (smoke/gas visible in Resource 3).
   • High plastic content (20%) leads to non-biodegradable accumulation, clogging drainage and polluting the soil/water visible in the street scene.
   • The combination of high organic and plastic waste without sorting leads to the chaotic, polluted environment shown.

8. Social Impact (2m):

   • Health risks due to respiratory issues from burning waste or waterborne diseases from leachate.

9. Organic Strategy (3m):

   • Community-scale composting or anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, reducing landfill volume and methane emissions.

10. "Other" Waste Management (3m):

    • May include hazardous materials (e-waste, chemicals) that require specialized disposal facilities which are absent in low-development contexts.

Section B

11. (a) Slum Comparison (6m):

    • Developing: Driven by rural-to-urban migration, rapid population growth, and lack of affordable formal housing.
    • Developed: Driven by deindustrialization, urban decay (inner-city decline), and gentrification displacing low-income residents.
    • Comparison: Both share poverty and lack of services, but the scale is vastly different (millions in Mumbai vs. thousands in Detroit). (b) Inevitability (6m):
    • Argument for: Rapid influx of people exceeds the state's capacity to build infrastructure.
    • Argument against: With proactive planning (e.g., site-and-service schemes), urbanization can be managed.

12. Resource Curse/Instability (7m):

    • Revenue concentration leads to corruption and "rent-seeking" behavior.
    • Competition over resource control fuels civil war/insurgency (e.g., diamonds in Sierra Leone).
    • Over-reliance on one export makes the economy vulnerable to global price shocks.

13. FDI and Sustainability (7m):

    • Positive: Brings technology for green energy, creates formal employment.
    • Negative: May lead to "pollution havens" where companies move dirty industries to countries with lax regulations.

14. Globalization and Morphology (7m):

    • Emergence of Central Business Districts (CBDs) with high-rise corporate architecture.
    • Development of "Edge Cities" or airport cities (Aerotropolises).
    • Gentrification of old industrial waterfronts into luxury hubs.

15. Development and Externalities (7m):

    • High development: Ability to implement carbon taxes, invest in waste-to-energy plants, and enforce zoning laws.
    • Low development: Lack of regulatory enforcement, priority on industrial growth over environmental protection.

Section C (Response Frameworks)

16. Sustainable Urban Development (20m):

    • Agree: Essential for climate resilience, public health, and long-term economic stability. (Case: Singapore's "City in Nature").
    • Nuance: Priorities differ; LDCs may prioritize basic sanitation/housing over "net-zero" goals.
    • Conclusion: Priority is universal, but the form of sustainability varies by development level.

17. Resource Curse (20m):

    • Curse: Economic volatility, corruption, conflict, Dutch Disease. (Case: Nigeria/DRC).
    • Blessing: Revenue for infrastructure, education, and diversification. (Case: Botswana).
    • Synthesis: The outcome depends on institutional strength and governance, not the resource itself.

18. Foreign Aid (20m):

    • Agree: LDCs lack the capital and technology for large-scale sustainable shifts (e.g., mass transit).
    • Disagree: Aid can create dependency; domestic resource mobilization (taxation) and South-South cooperation are more sustainable. (Case: Vietnam's growth).
    • Conclusion: Aid is a catalyst, but domestic governance is the primary driver.

19. Top-down vs Bottom-up (20m):

    • Top-down: Efficient scale, large funding, but often ignores local needs (e.g., forced relocation).
    • Bottom-up: High community buy-in, culturally appropriate, but lacks scale and funding.
    • Synthesis: Hybrid models (co-production) are most effective.

20. Globalization and Core-Periphery (20m):

    • Increased Gap: Global cities attract all capital/talent, leaving smaller cities to decay (brain drain).
    • Decreased Gap: Digital connectivity and "outsourcing" allow periphery cities to grow (e.g., Bangalore).
    • Conclusion: Spatial patterns have shifted from national to global networks.