Secondary 4 Geography Resources Sustainability Quiz

Secondary 4 Geography Quiz - Resources Sustainability (Answer Key)

Total Marks: 50

Section A: Concepts of Sustainability and Ecosystem Services

1. Define the term ‘sustainable development’. [2]

• Answer: Development that meets the needs of the present generation [1] without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs [1].
• Note: Must mention both "present needs" and "future generations."

2. Identify ecosystem services. [4]
(a) Supporting [1]
(b) Provisioning [1]
(c) Cultural [1]
(d) Supporting [1]

3. Explain one way urban green spaces contribute to environmental sustainability. [3]

• Answer: Green spaces provide temperature regulation (cooling effect) [1]. Vegetation provides shade and releases moisture through evapotranspiration [1], which lowers ambient air temperature and reduces the energy needed for air conditioning, thereby lowering carbon emissions [1].
• Alternative: Air purification (trees trap particulate matter).

4. Distinguish between economic and social sustainability. [4]

• Economic Sustainability: Ensuring long-term economic growth and stability without negatively impacting social and environmental aspects (e.g., creating green jobs, ensuring resources are used efficiently to maintain profit) [2].
• Social Sustainability: Ensuring social equity, community well-being, and quality of life for all residents (e.g., affordable housing, access to healthcare, social cohesion) [2].

5. Impact of loss of regulating ecosystem service. [4]

• Answer: Loss of vegetation (regulating service: water absorption/interception) [1] leads to increased surface runoff during heavy rain [1]. This overwhelms drainage systems, causing flash floods [1]. Floods damage property, disrupt transport, and pose safety risks to residents in the neighbourhood [1].

Section B: Resource Management – Water and Food

6. Two characteristics of NEWater. [2]
(a) It is high-grade reclaimed water (treated used water) [1].
(b) It is safe for drinking and industrial use, reducing reliance on rainfall [1].

7. Vulnerability of imported water. [3]

• Answer: Imported water comes from neighbouring countries (e.g., Malaysia) [1]. Supply depends on diplomatic relations and agreements which may change or expire [1]. This creates external dependency and potential insecurity if relations sour or source countries face their own shortages [1].

8. Strategy to reduce water stress (Country A). [3]

• Answer: Implement drip irrigation in agriculture [1]. This delivers water directly to plant roots, minimizing evaporation and runoff [1], thus significantly reducing agricultural water consumption [1].
• Alternative: Desalination (high cost but effective); Wastewater recycling.

9. Define ‘food security’. [2]

• Answer: When all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food [1] to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life [1].

10. Vertical farming and food security. [4]

• Answer: Vertical farming grows crops in stacked layers indoors [1]. It maximizes land use efficiency, allowing high yields in small spaces (crucial for land-scarce Singapore) [1]. It is less affected by weather/climate change as it is controlled-environment agriculture [1], ensuring a stable local supply of leafy vegetables and reducing import dependence [1].

Section C: Energy and Waste Management

11. Solar energy in Singapore: Advantage and Disadvantage. [4]

• Advantage: Solar energy is renewable and clean, producing no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, helping Singapore meet carbon reduction targets [2].
• Disadvantage: Singapore has limited land area for large-scale solar farms [1], and solar power is intermittent (dependent on weather/day-night cycles), requiring expensive battery storage or backup systems [1].

12. Concept of ‘circular economy’. [3]

• Answer: A system where resources are kept in use for as long as possible [1], extracting maximum value from them while in use, and then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of their service life [1], rather than the traditional "take-make-dispose" linear model [1].

13. Why ‘Reduce’ is top of the hierarchy. [3]

• Answer: ‘Reduce’ prevents waste from being created in the first place [1]. It saves the energy and resources required for manufacturing, transporting, and recycling materials [1]. Recycling still requires energy and processing, whereas reduction eliminates these downstream costs and environmental impacts entirely [1].

14. Waste disposal method in Singapore. [3]

• Answer: Incineration [1]. Waste is burned at high temperatures to reduce its volume by up to 90% [1]. The ash is then transported to Semakau Landfill, extending the landfill's lifespan and saving land space [1].
• Note: Mentioning Semakau Landfill alone is insufficient; must explain the process/rationale.

15. Individual actions and global sustainability. [4]

• Answer: Disagree: Individual actions, when aggregated across millions of people, create significant demand shifts (e.g., for sustainable products) and reduce overall carbon footprints [2]. They also signal to governments and corporations that sustainability is a priority, driving policy and corporate change [2].
• OR Agree: Individual actions are negligible compared to industrial emissions and systemic issues; without government regulation and corporate change, individual efforts are too small to impact global climate trends [4].
• Marking: 2 marks for stance/reason, 2 marks for elaboration/example.

Section D: Case Study – Singapore’s Sustainability Journey

16. Green Plan 2030 initiative. [2]

• Answer: Example: Electrification of public bus fleet by 2040 [1] OR Planting 1 million more trees [1] OR Improving energy efficiency of buildings [1]. (Any valid initiative).

17. ‘City in Nature’ and UHI mitigation. [4]

• Answer: The ‘City in Nature’ vision involves integrating greenery into buildings and streetscapes [1]. Plants absorb solar radiation for photosynthesis rather than reflecting it as heat [1]. Evapotranspiration from plants cools the surrounding air [1]. This lowers ambient temperatures, reducing the Urban Heat Island effect where cities are significantly warmer than rural areas [1].

18. Challenge in reducing carbon emissions. [3]

• Answer: Singapore is a major hub for aviation and maritime shipping [1]. These sectors are hard to decarbonize due to technological limitations and global dependence on fossil fuels for transport [1]. Additionally, Singapore’s manufacturing sector (e.g., petrochemicals) is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to GDP, making rapid decarbonization economically challenging [1].

19. Mitigation vs. Adaptation. [4]

• Mitigation Example: Carbon Tax [1] – Pricing carbon emissions to encourage companies to reduce their greenhouse gas output [1].
• Adaptation Example: Building coastal protection (e.g., polders, sea walls) [1] – Protecting low-lying areas from rising sea levels caused by climate change [1].

20. Effectiveness of water pricing. [4]

• Answer: Water pricing is effective because it signals the true cost of water, encouraging conservation among households and industries [1]. Higher prices incentivize users to fix leaks and install water-efficient fittings [1]. However, it may be regressive, affecting low-income households disproportionately [1]. Therefore, it is often paired with subsidies (e.g., U-Save rebates) to ensure social equity while maintaining conservation incentives [1].