1. What are Geographical Issues?

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

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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

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

8. 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

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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. 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