Development & Health Higher Geography

Development & HealthWhat is development? Since the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions of the 18 th and 19 th centuries the world has effectively been divided into those countries who were involved and those who were not. Those who did experience the benefits of these changes and improvements are said to be ‘developed’ countries and now experience high standards of living and generally good health. Those nations excluded from these benefits are said to be ‘developing’ countries, moving towards those standards experienced by developed countries. Developing countries have lower standards of living and suffer poorer health.

Development & HealthIndicators of development Development is any improvement in the standard of living of the people living in a country. Development is a relative term – we can only tell whether a country is developed or developing in comparison to another country. Countries are compared to one another using a number of measures, or indicators. These indicators can be either social or economic in nature. Need to know: “examples of economic and social indicators of development “ Economic indicators measure the wealth and industrialisation of a country. Social indicators show how a country uses its wealth to try and improve the quality of life of its people.

Development & HealthIndicators of development Social Indicators of Development Average Life Expectancy - Developing Countries will have relatively low figures here since diets will tend to be poorer (quality and quantity of food), and also due to a poorer healthcare system reflecting less investment from government. Social

Development & HealthIndicators of development Adult Literacy Rate - this is the percentage of adults who can read and write. Developing countries will have relatively low figures for this due to a lack of formal education for many children in poorer countries and the fact that these children are often needed to contribute to the household’s income by working themselves, rather than attending school. This affects girls more than boys in some cultures. Social

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentSocial Daily Calories Intake - this indicates the quantity of food eaten per day on average. Developing countries again tend to have lower figures here than developed countries due to problems producing foods in a country e.g. famine as a result of climatic / environmental issues, and also as a result of poorer farming methods employed, where low levels of mechanisation and/or desertification may reduce yields.

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentSocial Number of persons per doctor - this is the average number of people in the country for every doctor. Developing countries will have a high figure for this since poorer countries have less resources to provide medical facilities or train doctors. Therefore with fewer doctors in the country each doctor will have to see many more patients, ultimately having a negative impact on healthcare in general.

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentSocial Number of persons per doctor - this is the average number of people in the country for every doctor. Developing countries will have a high figure for this since poorer countries have less resources to provide medical facilities or train doctors. Therefore with fewer doctors in the country each doctor will have to see many more patients, ultimately having a negative impact on healthcare in general.

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentSocial Percentage of households with access to running water/W.C. - This shows the proportion of houses with reasonable sanitation facilities. Developing countries will tend to have lower figures here since poorer countries tend to have less money to invest in infrastructural improvements. A low figure here will have consequences for healthcare and mortality.

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentSocial Percentage of households with access to running water/W.C. - This shows the proportion of houses with reasonable sanitation facilities. Developing countries will tend to have lower figures here since poorer countries tend to have less money to invest in infrastructural improvements. A low figure here will have consequences for healthcare and mortality.

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentEconomic Gross National Product (G.N.P.) per capita - this figure shows the total value of goods and services provided by a country divided by the total population. Developing countries tend to have lower figures here due to the fact that there is often much less organised manufacturing industry and many more people involved in subsistence farming in rural areas. Economic Indicators of Development

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentEconomic Gross National Product (G.N.P.) per capita - this figure shows the total value of goods and services provided by a country divided by the total population. Developing countries tend to have lower figures here due to the fact that there is often much less organised manufacturing industry and many more people involved in subsistence farming in rural areas. Economic Indicators of Development

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentEconomic Percentage of people working in Primary/Tertiary Sector – this shows the proportion of the population involved in various sectors of industry. Developing countries will have a higher figure involved in Primary industry and a lower figure for Tertiary industry. This reflects more people living in subsistence farming and less people in urban areas providing services like banks or restaurants for people.

Development & HealthIndicators of developmentEconomic Average income per head – this shows the average income in a monetary sense for each person in the country. Developing countries will have a relatively low figure here since many are involved in subsistence farming in rural areas and even those in cities tend to work in low paid jobs.

Development & HealthProblems with indicators Need to know: “Explain why indicators of development may fail to provide an accurate representation of the true quality of life within a country” Indicators are too broad/general - creates average data which hides extremes of wealth and poverty and so distorts wide internal variations - Developing countries may have a few wealthy families whilst the majority of the population live at subsistence level. Some regions benefit more from government/international investment than others - creates “north / south” or urban/rural contrasts which are not reflected in national development indicators.

Development & HealthProblems with indicators GNP can be inflated/exaggerated by oil revenues whilst social indicators may reflect more accurately the quality of life within the country e.g. Saudi Arabia, being oil rich, has very high GNP but low adult literacy rates – especially female literacy. Similarly, depending on the nature of the government in power in a country, the G.N.P. per capita figure could initially seem high, but if the government’s spending priority is on military equipment rather than health or education then the actual quality of life experienced in that country won’t be improved. Material goods indicators are irrelevant to the real quality of life in poorer, subsistence-based economies - T.V’s, per population is an inappropriate quality of life indicator for rural Ethiopians.

Development & HealthComposite indicators In recognition of the fact that using multiple or composite indicators can give a better picture of a nation’s state of development, the United Nations replaced it’s use of G.N.P. per capita with the Human Development Index (H.D.I.). This composite indicator is based on using three individual indicators: Income per capita - shows what an income will actually buy in a country. Educational attainment - a combination of adult literacy and average number of years of schooling. Life expectancy - how long people can expect to live. The Human Development Index (HDI) attempts to look at the quality of life in a country, and unlike G.N.P. per capita, can also measure differences within a country. HDI

Development & HealthComposite indicatorsModel answer 1 Suggest one economic and one social/human indicator of development and show how each might illustrate a country's level of development. (8 marks) Examples of economic indicator Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP). These economic indicators measure the total value of goods and services produced by the country (GDP includes only the goods produced within the country and GNP is goods and services producing income from abroad). Such economic indicators are usually measured in US$ per person or capita. GDP is probably the most used and well-known indicator. A high figure tends to suggest lots of industry/services/wealth. It is fairly easy to calculate using official government statistics. GDP/GNp, however do not show the distribution of wealth. Is there a fair distribution of wealth? It is a very simple figure, e.g. the GDP of Spain in 2002 was $15,000 per person. This does not mean that everyone in that country has that 'wealth'. The GDP is an acceptable indicator in countries which have a money economy but less useful in Niger or Chad, where much of the economy is based on subsistence or informal structures. It is now considered more appropriate to go beyond simple economic indicators of wealth and include social and human indicators.

Development & HealthComposite indicatorsModel answer 1 Suggest one economic and one social/human indicator of development and show how each might illustrate a country's level of development. (8 marks) Examples of social/human indicators Infant mortality Usually defined as the percentage of children who die within the first year of birth. It is a significant human indicator which correlates with the overall level of health care within a society, as well as suggesting the financial capability of a country to look after its people. Birth and death rates The birth rate is the number of babies born per 1000 of the population. A high rate indicates a Iow level of development, a lack of contraception or the need to have large families. It seems to be linked to poverty. In the ELDCs figures may not always be accurate. A high death rate indicates Iow levels of health care provision, poor water quality, sanitation and living conditions. Literacy rates (per cent of the people who can read and write). A high rate indicates that the country can afford to provide education for its children. However for some countries other skills may be more important, e.g. linked to farming, child rearing.

Development & HealthComposite indicatorsModel answer 2 Suggest reasons why variations in levels of development occur among the ELDCs. (8 marks) Physical factors (can be positive and negative) Climatic: any extreme will hinder development: for example being too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry. Such extremes will make life difficult. Difficult to build houses and roads, difficult to farm the land, difficult to attract industry and generally difficult to earn a living. Relief: mountains and steep slopes again make it difficult to farm, live and earn a living. Natural disasters: those areas likely to be hit by floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or by drought tend to remain less developed. Other factors: those areas lacking in mineral resources (e.g. coal, diamonds) or areas with poor soils or poor drainage and marshland and those areas that are naturally linked to endemic disease will remain less developed

Development & HealthComposite indicatorsModel answer 2 Suggest reasons why variations in levels of development occur among the ELDCs. (8 marks) Human factors (can be positive and negative) A high population growth will generally limit development, since increasing resources will have to be spread more thinly (e.g. food, space, jobs, water). There will not be enough jobs, houses, schools, heath clinics. There may well be a Iow level of industrialisation with few factories and offices. Some people believe that it is commerce and industry that generate the wealth for development, such jobs tend to be well paid and provide security. The ELDCs tend to have jobs in the primary sector, with Iow levels of trade and often under the influence of the power of the multinational companies. The resulting profits often go abroad and tend not to be reinvested in the country. The ELDCs seem to be burdened with debt repayment and suffer from barriers to trade (tariffs and quotas). For example, countries such as Brunei or Kuwait have been able to prosper and develop because of their oil and gas reserves. Countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore have developed their industries and prospered (see notes below).

Development & HealthComposite indicatorsModel answer 3 With reference to named countries, explain why indicators of development may fail to provide an accurate representation of the true quality of life within a country. (10 marks) Socio-economic indicators are average figures for a whole country, and do not reveal internal variations. In India for example, there are great differences between people due to rank or status; ethnic origins (are a factor in South Africa). Religious group, political affiliation or inheritance are other possible factors. In oil rich countries such as Kuwaitor Saudi, the differences in wealth are massive. The oil is controlled by the ruling class (the oil sheiks). Although the money is spent on health and education, the GDP average is unrealistically high for 95% of the population. Within Brazil there are 'rich' and 'poor' areas, based on differences in terms of climate, relief, vegetation, soils and natural resources. The SE has the resources, the NE is a poor drought-hit area. Average indicators do not allow for regional variations inside a big country. In many ELDCs there is a big difference in wealth and quality of life between the urban areas and the rural villages and farms. India and China are 70 % rural, with the wealth, jobs, best education and higher quality of life concentrated in the urban areas. Once again average indicators do not take this into consideration.