A Level H2 Geography Resources Sustainability Quiz

Answer Key - A-Level Geography H2 Quiz (Resources Sustainability)

Section A

1. Comparison (5m): Kuala Lumpur has the highest score (58), followed by Bangkok (51), Ho Chi Minh City (45), and Jakarta (42) as the lowest. There is a clear gradient of sustainability performance across the four cities.
2. Identification (3m): Kuala Lumpur. Reason: Higher investment in smart-grid technology or more stringent government policies on energy efficiency in buildings.
3. Description (3m): Structure: Vertical stratification with a tall emergent layer, a thick continuous canopy, a sparse understory, and a forest floor. Biomass: 350 tonnes/ha.
4. Explanation (4m): Dense canopy intercepts rainfall $\rightarrow$ reduces soil erosion $\rightarrow$ maintains organic matter on forest floor $\rightarrow$ rapid decomposition by fungi/bacteria $\rightarrow$ nutrients recycled quickly back into biomass.
5. Processes (7m): Carbonation process. Rainwater absorbs $CO_2$ to form weak carbonic acid. This acid reacts with calcium carbonate in limestone $\rightarrow$ dissolution. Water enters via joints/bedding planes $\rightarrow$ enlarges cavities $\rightarrow$ creates sinkholes and underground drainage.
6. Role of Joints (4m): Joints provide secondary permeability. They act as conduits for acidic water to penetrate deep into the rock, allowing dissolution to occur vertically and horizontally, creating the "honeycomb" karst structure.
7. Identification (2m): Resource 4: Debris flow (or mudflow). Resource 5: Rotational slump.
8. Trigger (3m): Heavy rainfall (saturation of slope material $\rightarrow$ increased pore water pressure $\rightarrow$ reduced friction/shear strength $\rightarrow$ gravitational collapse).
9. Description (3m): Organic waste is the dominant type, comprising 60% of the total waste composition.
10. Synthesis (6m): High organic/plastic waste (Res 6) $\rightarrow$ poor disposal systems lead to plastics entering drains (Res 7) $\rightarrow$ physical blockage of gutters (Res 8) $\rightarrow$ reduced drainage capacity $\rightarrow$ increased urban flooding.

Section B

11. Concept (5m): Sustainable development meets present needs without compromising future generations. Conservation is often about "protection/preservation" (static), while sustainability is about "managed use" (dynamic) balancing economic, social, and environmental pillars.
12. Comparison (12m):
    • Developing: Driven by rural-urban migration, rapid population growth, lack of affordable formal housing, weak land tenure (e.g., Dharavi, Mumbai).
    • Developed: Driven by deindustrialization, economic decay, gentrification displacing low-income residents, systemic poverty (e.g., Detroit).
    • Comparison: Both share poverty and lack of services, but developing regions face "growth-led" slums while developed regions face "decline-led" slums.
13. Resource Curse (8m): Over-dependence on one export $\rightarrow$ volatility in global prices $\rightarrow$ "Dutch Disease" (currency appreciation hurts manufacturing) $\rightarrow$ corruption/conflict over resource control $\rightarrow$ neglect of other sectors (agriculture/education).
14. GIS (6m): Layering data (topography, pipe networks, consumption patterns) $\rightarrow$ identifying leaks in real-time $\rightarrow$ optimizing water distribution $\rightarrow$ mapping flood-prone areas to plan sustainable drainage.
15. Evaluation (10m): Viable for some (high-tech/wealthy nations), but challenging for others due to high initial capital costs, lack of technical expertise, and intermittency issues. However, decentralized solar/wind can actually be more viable for rural LDCs than extending a national grid.

Section C

16. Blessing vs Curse (20m):
    • Blessing: Revenue for infrastructure, employment (e.g., Botswana's diamonds used for education/health).
    • Curse: Political instability, environmental ruin, economic volatility (e.g., Nigeria's oil leading to Niger Delta conflict).
    • Synthesis: Outcome depends on governance and institutional strength, not the resource itself.
17. Urban Priority (20m):
    • Agree: Climate change (sea level rise), resource depletion, social unrest in slums make it a survival necessity.
    • Counter: Some cities prioritize immediate economic growth/industrialization to lift people out of poverty first (e.g., early stages of Shenzhen).
    • Conclusion: Priority is essential but the form of sustainability varies by city stage.
18. Foreign Aid (20m):
    • Agree: LDCs lack capital for mass transit or green energy; technical expertise is often imported.
    • Disagree: Aid can create dependency; domestic resource mobilization (taxation) is more sustainable; some countries developed via trade/export-led growth without heavy aid.
    • Conclusion: Aid is a catalyst, but domestic governance is the primary driver.
19. Water Scarcity (10m): Desalination (effective but energy-intensive/expensive), Rainwater harvesting (low cost but unreliable), Drip irrigation (highly efficient for agriculture).
20. Trade Patterns (10m): Demand from Global North $\rightarrow$ over-extraction in Global South $\rightarrow$ "ecological footprint" shifted to poor nations $\rightarrow$ deforestation/soil degradation for cash crops (e.g., palm oil).