Impacts of Rapid Development on People & the Environment (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

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Jacque Cartwright

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Impacts of Rapid Development in India

There are positive and negative impacts of rapid development in India
The biggest negative impact of rapid development is the increasing gap between the core and periphery

Positive and Negative Impacts of Rapid Development in India

	Positive Impact	Negative Impact
Social	Literacy levels are rising due to government policy, leading to better jobs and income Improved health care and longer life expectancy Improved female status	Rapid population growth through decreasing death rates and increasing life expectancy adds stress on housing provision (slums) and healthcare services Younger men still benefit from jobs
Economic	Larger workforce: a stronger economy Increase in tourism: jobs and income Attractive to foreign investors and improved job opportunities	The cost of new infrastructure can be expensive and doesn't reach peripheral regions Located in core regions; increasing income inequality and disparities between rural and urban areas Claims of exploitation and poor working conditions in large TNC factories and private companies Profits from TNCs leave the country
Environmental	Development and availability of new technologies that improve the efficiency and sustainability of farming techniques and reduce overgrazing and over-cultivation of the land Potential to invest in renewables Income from economic development is spent on protecting the environment; projects such as afforestation has increased tree cover	Over-extraction of natural resources leads to pollution and damage to the environment. In Kerala, a drink bottling plant was shut after polluting water supplies Initial increase in deforestation and desertification Increased CO2emissions

Positive Impact

Negative Impact

Social

Literacy levels are rising due to government policy, leading to better jobs and income

Improved health care and longer life expectancy

Improved female status

Rapid population growth through decreasing death rates and increasing life expectancy adds stress on housing provision (slums) and healthcare services

Younger men still benefit from jobs

Economic

Larger workforce: a stronger economy
Increase in tourism: jobs and income

Attractive to foreign investors and improved job opportunities

The cost of new infrastructure can be expensive and doesn't reach peripheral regions

Located in core regions; increasing income inequality and disparities between rural and urban areas

Claims of exploitation and poor working conditions in large TNC factories and private companies

Profits from TNCs leave the country

Environmental

Development and availability of new technologies that improve the efficiency and sustainability of farming techniques and reduce overgrazing and over-cultivation of the land

Potential to invest in renewables

Income from economic development is spent on protecting the environment; projects such as afforestation has increased tree cover

Over-extraction of natural resources leads to pollution and damage to the environment. In Kerala, a drink bottling plant was shut after polluting water supplies

Initial increase in deforestation and desertification

Increased CO2emissions

Strategies to Manage the Impacts of Rapid Development in India

India has agreed to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels by:
- Planting more forests to absorb carbon emissions
- Investing in renewable energy sources such as solar power
  - Partially funded by the World Bank, two large solar parks are being developed in Madhya Pradesh
The government has invested in reforesting and improving degraded land
- People in Payvihir, Maharashtra, received support to reforest and grow organic food, which is sold to the rising middle class in Mumbai.
- Profits are re-invested in healthcare, sanitation and education for the villagers
As a member of the G20, India now has a greater influence on global politics
- India is the third country to have an environmental court; Australia and New Zealand were first
- The National Green Tribunal was set up in India in 2010 to deal with issues of environmental protection and conservation
- It can make companies and individuals pay compensation under the 'polluter pays' principle and has helped clean up some of India's cities
  - E-waste recycling, where old computers and electronic equipment are broken down and re-used
  - In Mumbai, a new Metro system, a ban on diesel cars and regular checks on factory waste have improved levels of pollution for the people living there
- Recently, the Tribunal has struggled with a loss of support and declining resources
Smart City Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting programme by the government to develop 100 smart cities across the country, making them people-friendly and sustainable

Worked Example

Explain two negative environmental impacts of rapid development

(4)

The question asks for negative impacts on the environment
Do not focus on problems for people or authorities in cities or the same environmental impact or talk about social impacts such as lack of housing, jobs or healthcare

Answer:

More people in rapidly developing cities will use cars and other forms of transport (1), which will increase emissions and reduce air quality (1).
There will be a need for more housing (1), which will need land to build on. This will destroy natural habitats, endanger species and pollute waterways (1).

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