Unit 4 topic 3 (population resources)

• River Indus drainage basin


  Location of the irrigation system
• Countries in the River Indus drainage basin

  • Pakistan
  • India
  • China
  • Afghanistan
• Source of the River Indus

  Tibetan Plateau
• Mouth of the River Indus

  Arabian Sea
• Basin size of the River Indus

  1 million km2
• Rivers get water from heavy rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains
• IBIS


  Largest irrigation system in the world
• Development of the IBIS

  1. Began as a system of irrigation canals (during British rule)

  2. Now has three large dams

  3. 12 link canals-transfer water between the rivers

  4. 64,000km of smaller canals (to distribute water to the countryside)
• IBIS


  • An important water source for India and Pakistan
  • Both NEES (Newly Emerging Economies)
  • Regulates water flow (reduces flooding)
  • Used to provide irrigation for Pakistan's agricultural land
• Why the scheme is sustainable

  • Improves health and nutrition of local people-increased protein in the diet from fish
  • Increased yields help to feed farmers' families
  • Run by local people
  • Can afford to send children to school
• Economic benefits


  • Farmers can sell excess crops at the market and make a profit
  • Increased yields by 10%
  • Not very expensive to build dykes and buy fish
• Environmental benefits


  • Natural fertilisers and fish eat pests do not require expensive fertilisers and pesticides
  • So farmers do not get into debt
• Practical Action's process


  1. Works with a farmer to identify a suitable site (one not likely to be washed away in a flood)

  2. Build a dyke (wall) 60cm high around the field (To keep the fish in the rice fields and to grow vegetables on the edge)
• Dig a ditch for the fish to live in during the dry season

  1. Dig ditch

  2. Fill ditch 50% with water

  3. Purify water with fertiliser and lime
• Plant rice


  1. Plant rice in rows approximately 35cm apart

  2. When rice gets to 12-15cm, add small fish-Fingerlings to ditch

  3. Fill rice paddy with water
• Harvest the rice


  1. Harvest rice at 4-5 months

  2. Collect rice first

  3. Drain field so fish collect in ditch
• Current population of Bangladesh

  164 million
• Population of Bangladesh was 75 million


  1971
• The current population of Bangladesh is more than double of what it was in 1971
• Causes for high growth rate in Bangladesh


  • High birth rates
  • High infant mortality rates-43/1000
  • Increased poverty so increases the need for children for the development of the economy
  • High illiteracy rate-73.91%
  • No awareness of contraception
  • No emancipation of women
  • Increased subsistence farming as 4/5ths live in rural areas
• Consequences of over-population in Bangladesh


  • Pressure on housing, healthcare, water and sanitation
  • Only 1 qualified doctor for 25,000 village people
  • Increase in traffic congestion
  • Increase in unemployment. 40% of the population in Bangladesh is under-employed
  • Increase in poverty
  • Lack of resources such as food supply
  • Lack of services available such as healthcare and education
• Efficient use of resources

  Using resources efficiently for a given level of technology
• Increase in population


  More effective use of resources and increased living standards
• Australia


  • 20 million people
  • Area of 7.7 million sq-km
  • Population density of 0.4% per sq-km
  • Many areas are empty
  • Resources are not being used fully
• The Australian government has tried to increase its population, develop the country economically, and protect it from foreign influences
• Consequences of under-population in Australia (or other underpopulated countries)

  • Fewer working people in the country
  • Economic growth will be stagnant due to lack of working people
  • Available resources will be fully unexploited
  • Lack of people in the defence
  • Older people will have huge expenses for care homes and other maintenance
• Under-population


  No unemployment like in overpopulated countries
• Under-population


  Social services will not be pressured, and everyone will get proper infrastructure and other facilities
• Under-population


  No overcrowding, and the country's environment will be more peaceful and cleaner