What are Geographical Issues?

What is an issue? An issue is a matter of concern, discussion, debate or dispute

Geographical Issues Geographical Issues are areas of concern that arise due to changes in both physical and human environments

To be classified as a geographical issue, the issue should: Be the subject of widespread community discussion and debate (e.g. in the Media) Be viewed over a period of time and at a variety of scales, ranging from local to global Have a spatial dimension Have an ecological dimension

Spatial Dimension Spatial Dimension tells us where things are and why they are there e.g. Most waste is produced in large cities - (where) In most cities the population is extremely large - (why)

Ecological Dimension Ecological dimension describes the interaction between people and the environment and the effect they have on each other e.g. Waste can be linked to increasing population and the over-consumption of natural resources

Issues we will be looking at Air quality Coastal management Land and water management Waste management Urban growth and decline Spatial inequality

Air Quality Air pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere from toxic substances eg carbon monoxide Air quality becomes a problem when pollutants are toxic enough to affect life on earth e.g. asthma

Coastal management Coastal management is all about managing the human development along the coastline

Land and water management Is the sustainable use of our land and water for future generations Problems include: erosion, salinity, land clearing, introduced species, water quality

Waste management Wastes are substances that have no further use If disposed of in land, water or air they are potentially harmful to humans and the environment

Urban growth and decline Urban growth and decline is the change in demographics in a certain area

Spatial inequality Inequalities and social injustice can occur when resources and rewards are not distributed evenly Spatial inequality describes where inequalities occur and the reasons for these inequalities Inequalities can be identified between countries, rural and urban areas, within cities, between ethnic groups and socio-economic class

Activity Using the internet find an example of a recent geographical issue? Once you have found an article please demonstrate how it fits the classification of a geographical issues