A2 DEVELOPMENT AND INEQUALITIES CASE STUDIES

Population = 30,000,000

HDI = 0.465 (171)

Life Expectancy = 60          

Poverty Rate = 36%

Physical = Landlocked, 230 kg of water pollution released, recent 4 year drought

Social = 1/3 of children in schools are girls as women have been banned from public life, 56% adult literacy rate

Economic = 80% of population work in agriculture, depends on foreign aid, $3 trillion worth in untapped mineral deposits

Political = Instable and corrupt government, Taliban have captured most of country and installed a fundamentalist Islamic state, invasion by USA and allies 2001.

Population = 5,000,000

HDI = 0.923 (4)

Life Expectancy = 80        

Poverty Rate = 6%

Physical = Copenhagen City has 346km of dedicated cycling tracks, 48,000 bike parking spaces

Social = Generous welfare system, 80% adult literacy rate, Gender inequality is 1.09

Economic = Redistributive tax system has effectively eliminated the majority of poverty, small enterprises emphasise design and quality

Political = Social democracy with a commitment to equality, coalition government in order to reduce negative parliamentarism, high voter turnout of 86%

Population = 48,000,000

HDI = 0.898 (17)

Life Expectancy = 81          

Poverty Rate = 15%

Physical = Eco-mileage system gives financial inventives to households who cut back on electricity, water or gas use per month by 10%, Seoul has cut emissions to 355,000 tonnes

Social = 100% adult literacy rate, 95% access to flushing indoor toilet, social inequality is 1.74

Economic = TNC investment from Samsung, LG and Hyundai, recent industrialisation in 1970s

Political = Presidential system with three branches, following military coup of 1962 emphasis shifted to foreign trade with Japan

Population = 94,000,000

HDI = 0.442 (174)

Life Expectancy = 62

Poverty Rate = 30%

Physical = 52% drinking safe water, 24% access to flushing toilet.

Social = Gender inequality is 0.87, only 87% of children are enrolled to primary school, government expenditure on health from GDP is 3%.

Economic = Foreign investment between 1999 and 2000 dropped by 810%

Political = Only 28% of seats in Parliament are by women, Ethiopian war with neighbouring country Eritrea cost $2.9 billion.

Population = 12,000,000                                  Life Expectancy = 40

GDP = $820                                                     Poverty Rate = 72%

Survival was possible becasue the tropical climate along with fertile soil created perfect conditions for food growth.

Rains have failed resulting in 95% crop reduction. 200,000 tonnes of maize was imported from Tanzania.

32% of land was owned by European farmers, one million black peasent farmers farmed 38% of land.

Mugabe's government aimed to address the issue of land rights giving land to landless peasants and guerilla army veterans.

Bill outlining this legislation aims to ensure that all companies have a minimum 51% ownership by indigenous Zimbabweans. This policy detered FDI. 

Operation to redistribute people from urban to rural areas in 2005 to eliminate opposition, if people sweared allegiance to Mugabe they will receive a plot of land. 

Air Pollution:

Coal based economy, temperature inversions trap the smog, Datong is one of the world's most polluted cities.

Pollution causes 40,000 deaths a year.

Acid rain falls on 30% of the country and 28 million tonnes of sulphur is emitted a year. 

Water Pollution: 

Factories dump 60 billion tonnes of sewage into lakes and rivers.

Only 2/5ths of river-systems had water quality good enough for human consumption.

Noise Pollution:

In Beijing more than 1 million residents suffer excessive noise pollution every day, 71 decibels from noise traffic, unpleasant for humans over 65. 

Apartheid political system survived in South Africa until early 1990s, segregation today is based on income rather than race. 

Black Africans are concentrated on the Cape Flats, Whites are located in the Cape Peninsula.

Causes of Poverty and Inequality:

Housing - Poor housing leaves people susceptible to extreme weather and they then suffer from poor health conditions and greater risk of disease. Fire is a constant danger due to the high amount of flammable materials and reliance on wood for cooking and heating. 

Employment - 44% of black males are unemployed. Because the formal sector cannot absord the labour demand, the informal sector has had to expand. 

HIV/Aids and Environmental Health - More than one in four of the population in Nyanga are HIV positive. Poor environmental conditions including a lack of adequate sanitation and poor water supply contribute to poverty.

Cross Roads - In Cross Roads, nearly 80% of households live below the poverty line. 

Taxation - In 1999 minimum wage act was introduced, job seekers allowance for unemployed over age of 25, tax credits are available for those who earn a low income.

Local Planning - Social housing provides affordable accomodation, 19% of housing is socially rented, eligibility is based on need with families with young children being priority.

Regional Planning - EU is committed to regional development, policy provides financial support to the poorest regions through a package of grants and subsidies from the EU's structural funds. Convergence regions are the regions most in need with a GDP per capita 75% lower than the EU average. The south east of England saw a GDP per capita of 23% of the EU's average. 

Law - Legislation protects individuals against discrimination. Legislation includes the equal pay act, sex discrimination act, the race relations act and the disability discrimination act.

Education - In 2007, 55% of secondary schools failed to meet the government's benchmark of 30% getting at least 5 C grades, in 2007 nearly half of all 16 year olds qualifying for free school meals failed to pass any GCSEs.