Resources

• Resources required for basic human development

  • Food
  • Water
  • Energy
• Food


  • Without enough nutritious food, people can become malnourished, which can prevent them from working or receiving education
• Water


  • People need a supply of clean and safe water for drinking, cooking and washing. Water is also needed for food, clothes and other products
• Energy


  • A good supply of energy is needed for a basic standard of living. People need light and heat for cooking or to stay warm. It is also needed for industry
• Reasons for demand outstripping supply

  • Population Growth
  • Economic Development
  • Finite Supply
• As LIDCs and EDCs develop further, they require more energy for industry and want similar lifestyles to ACs, therefore they will need to consume more resources
• Development means more water is required for food production as diets improve
• Consumption


  The act of using up resources or purchasing goods and produce
• Carry Capacity


  A maximum number of species that can be supported
• Resource consumption exceeds Earth's ability to provide
• Reasons for not meeting modern resource demands

  • Climate
  • Geology
  • Conflict
  • Poverty
  • Natural Hazards
• Climate


  • Global warming effects cycles and seasons and therefore farming. Rainfall patterns are changing and are becoming unpredictable, which is a problem for farming
• Geology


  • Not all countries have access to fossil fuels or suitable landscape for renewables. Many minerals are finite and therefore once used will reduce the resources available. Rock types might limit the availability to store water
• Conflict


  • War can disrupt transport of resources by damaging roads and water pipes
• Poverty


  • LIDCs are unable to afford technology to effectively exploit the natural resources available
• Natural Hazards


  • Increase in hazard events due to climate change. Prime agricultural regions in Asia and Africa are also in hazard zones. Can destroy infrastructure needed to transport resources
• Environmental and Ecosystems impacts of Fishing and Farming methods

  • Overfishing of certain fish has caused their decline
  • Dredging can damage seafloor habitats
  • Decline of one species has a knock on effect on other marine species
  • Field sizes have caused hedgerows to decline in biodiversity
  • Fertilisers and pesticides enter water courses and harm or kill organisms
  • Heavy machinery can cause soil erosion
• Environmental and Ecosystems impacts of Deforestation and Mining methods

  • 2 billion people depend on wood for fuel, which therefore creates high CO2 emissions
  • Forests provide for important habitats
  • Clearing of forests leads to soil erosion
  • Tree intercepts rain and prevents flooding
  • Mining waste can pollute soil and contaminate water supplies
  • Habitats are destroyed in mining zones
  • Fossil fuels burnt release greenhouse gases
• Environmental and Ecosystems impacts of Reservoirs and Water Transfer methods

  • Can flood a large area of land and damage habitats and natural landscapes
  • Dams can be a barrier for certain species to migrate upstream
  • Natural flow of sediment is disrupted, which then reduces fertility of land further down
  • Large-scale engineering works can damage ecosystems along the route
  • Lots of energy is required to pump water over long distances
• Factors affecting Food Security

  • Poverty
  • Poor infrastructure
  • Conflict
  • Food waste
  • Climate Change
  • Temperature
  • Soil quality
  • Water supply
  • Pests, diseases and parasites
  • Extreme weather events
• Malthus Theory


  Population would increase faster than food supply, leading to a lack of food and large scale famine, illness and war
• Boserup Theory


  However big the population grew, people would find ways to manage and increase food production through new technologies