Unit 3 Synoptic Advice from the exam board

The pre-release phase During the pre- release phase the aim is to become so familiar with the resource booklet that it does not have to be ‘read’ in the exam Spending time in the exam reading and searching for information will waste time Working with the pre- release Make a glossary of key terms and research any new ideas and themes Analyse the ‘Views’ and be prepared to quote them Look for evidence of players, actions and futures Do some selective research using the websites (and your own) Look for synoptic links to other Unit 3 and Unit 1 topics, and global themes such as Climate Change or the Dev. Gap Think about comparisons to parallel examples

Questions There will be 3 questions, forming a linked sequence (6a, 6b, 6c) Total marks are 40; the tariff for each question will be in the range. Refer to Figures and Views directly e.g. “Fig 2 shows that…” Use examples and ideas from your whole course, where relevant The first question will tend to ‘set the scene’ or make you focus on a key issue Other questions will require you to assess or evaluate

Being synoptic In order to reach the top levels of the Mark Scheme in Section B, synopticity is required Essentially this means going beyond only relying on the resources printed in the Resource Booklet This can be achieved in several different ways: Facts, figures and ideas from the suggested websites, or your own sources such as Geography Review or many other sources; remember to state your source Wider research Comparing the situation(s) in the Resource Booklet to others you know of, briefly, to draw out similarities and differences, or suggest how the situation might be managed. Parallel examplesSynoptic Links Making links to the three synoptic themes of players, actions and futures, as well as global themes such as climate change, the development gap, sustainability etc. Context themes Making links to other topics in Unit 3, or other AS / A2 Units; this might involve bringing in models, theories or examples from elsewhere in your course

Final points on Section B Make sure at least 70 minutes are set aside to complete Section B Write to the mark allocation; a question worth 10 marks does not require an answer 3 sides long; a 16 mark question will need more than ¾ of one side. Diagrams and tables are acceptable as part of an answer; complicated tables and scoring systems are not anticipated and will tend to take too long to complete Highlight key and command words; for longer questions a very brief plan may help structure answers

2. Synoptic themes Three synoptic themes run through the Unit 3 specification These themes are referred to directly in the specification It is important to consider examples and case studies in the context of these themes The themes will appear as the focus for some questions in both Section A and Section B

Players Players focuses on the organisations, groups and individuals who have a role to play within an issue Players might be thought of as ‘decision makers’ or ‘stakeholders’ Players may hold very different views on an issue, because they have different opinions and values It is important students understand these different positions and perspectives CONSERVATIONISTS – an area of biodiversity to be protected from human activity INDIVIDUALS– an area to be enjoyed and explored; expectation that facilities and amenities will be available LOGGERS – an area of timber resources that could be exploited TOURISM INDUSTRY – an area for making profits, but also requiring conservation to maintain visitor numbers WATER INDUSTRY – an important source of freshwater to supply homes and industry

Actions Actions focuses on both the scale and standpoint of actions There is a hierarchy of actions at different scales There is often debate over which scale of management is best for a particular issue Often an issue is managed at several scales Chosen actions are influenced by players’ standpoints, especially political and economic beliefs Global agreements and international action National policy and management Local governance and individual actions Neo-liberalSocialistGrassroots Focus on commercial solutions and less government influence Focus on national planning and targets, often top- down Focus on bottom- up and sustainable, small scale initiatives International, market-led National, government led Local, community led

Futures Futures focuses on the direction the contested planet should take Three future scenarios are recognised: Business as usual Sustainable Radical The first implies humans continue to behave in similar ways to the past i.e. high consumption and pollution Sustainable futures suggests stabilising consumption and human environmental impacts Radical implies concerted action to reverse environmental degradation Each of the three futures have very different consequences and are supported by different players Each approach has very different costs and benefits

Problems with Helsinki Rules The upstream nation asserts its right to use the waters as it pleases i.e. It has territorial rights over the river Downstream nations demand the right to receive the same amount of water as the past, called Territorial integrity The country or player with the most military, economic and political power wins When the World Bank gives funding for a dam on a transnational river, water sharing must be built into the agreement before approval is given Disagreements occur when supplies are scarcer than usual Parallel examples could include The River Nile and the Colorado Basin

Figure 5 shows: In all the countries the amount of total renewable water available per capita has gone down between 1988 and 2007 NB very high % (75%) renewable freshwater resources used in Pakistan 2002 putting Pakistan at the borderline of the physical water scarcity category ( page 37 Edexcel A2 Geography, Byrne et co) % % decreas e Water resources in the region show wide variations. Some countries have ample renewable water per capita (Figure 5) whereas others fall well below the world average

16 28% 31% % Extremely high Only 23% water secured from inside boundaries Cambodia also very high Many countries depend on water sources which originate outside the country (Figure 6). India has 16 per cent of world population but has only 4 per cent of the world’s available fresh water.

Water transfer issues Source area Receiving area Changing circumstances such as climate change or economic development Drop in dicharge up to 60% due to diversion / transfer Increased pollution due to low discharge. Salinity increases. Impact on ecosystems Increased pollution due to low discharge. Salinity increases. Impact on ecosystems Climate change combimnes with lower river flow leading to water scarcity Availability of water supply leads to greater use Increased use for development e.g. Golf courses, tourism, industry Promotes unstable irrigated farming by agri- businesses E.utrophication, salination & and ecosystem destruction Source : Student Unit Guide -New e Dunn & Warndition Page 26 How could you use this model to explain the impact the Farakka Barrage on Bangladesh’s water supply?

Population pressure View 1 ( page 7) “The gross per capita water availability in India is projected to decline from about 1,820 m3/yr in 2001 to as little as 1,140 m3/yr in 2050, as a result of population growth. Another study indicates that India will reach a state of water stress before 2025, when the availability is projected to fall below 1,000 m3 per capita. These changes are due to climatic and demographic factors. The relative contribution of these factors is not known.”Climate Change and Water (Technical Paper of the IPCC, Geneva, 2008) Some of the countries in the region are expected to experience significant increases in population by 2025 as shown in Figure 7. In addition, increasing numbers of people in many Himalayan countries are moving to urban areas from the countryside.

Industrialisation increases water use. Some transnational companies, such as Coca-Cola in India, have caused controversy by allegedly using local water supply unsustainably. (page 47, Byrne and co)

There are a number of threats to future water supply within the region. These are likely to intensify in the future. Figure 8 shows that within the region, agriculture is the dominant end use of most water but this may change over time. Industrial water demand is rising in some countries as they move towards a more industrial and urban way of life. Industrialisation increases water use. Some transnational companies, such as Coca-Cola in India, have caused controversy by allegedly using local water supply unsustainably. NB: from the examples of the Farakka Barrage use for the Super Thermal Power Station and the proposed Tipaimukh Dam, it is evident that India is intent on a course of industrialsiastion.

Urban development also places pressure on water resources. India: urban population 2001,= 325 mill ( 61.8 mill living in slums = 20%) rising to 384 mill in Level of urbanization increased from 27.81% in 2001 Census to 31.16% in 2011 Census Delhi water supply, population - 16 million people in 2008, (16, – 2011) suffers from a number of problems: · Old, leaking and inadequate water mains which mean 40% of incoming supply is lost. · Illegal connections to water mains which siphon off up to 25% of supply and is not metered or paid for. · A daily need for around 4275 million litres of water, but a supply of only 3375 million litres. · 1000s of unregulated and illegal wells, which have left 75% of groundwater supplies depleted and water table levels falling by up to 10 metres per year. · Up to 4300 million litres of waste and sewage discharged into rivers daily. How / what could be done / is being done to improve Delhi’s water supply?

Agricultural water demand is set to rise Figure 9 shows one estimate of expanded irrigated crop area and water demand. About 60% of the discharge of the Ganges is diverted for large scale irrigation. Due to : 1.Population growth 2.Increase wealth – leads to a more protein rich diet - Pakistan : 18% predicted increase hectares irrigated with 14% increase water V. C.T..: 38% predicted increase hectares irrigated 56% increase water China: 39% predicted increase hectares irrigated 40% increase water

Water pressure points Diminishing supply Rising demands Competing demands from users Figure 12 Water Pressure points page24 Student Unit Guide, New Edition Unit 3: Dunn & Warn plus text below diagram good Impact of climate change Deteriorating quality Impact of competing use - e.g. Upstream versus downstream Population growth Economic development Internal conflicts Internationa l issues Pressure point – need for management

Click on each of the photos for parallel alternative case studies Sand Dams Shanty solutions Other technologic al solutions: water manageme nt schemes

Options Options: Expanded rainwater harvesting; water storage and conservation techniques; water reuse; desalination; water-use and irrigation efficiency; change crops Underlying policies: National water policies and integrated water resources management; water-related hazards management Key constraints: Financial, human resources and physical barriers; Opportunities: integrated water resources management; synergies with other sectors