Geography case studies theme three

Steel industry in north Stafordshire declined since the 1970's because of

- high uk production costs, exhausted raw materials like iron ore and coal, collapse of the british empire which reduced sales

Business has moved to places like india where it is cheaper like india as labour and saftey is lower.

Effects- large scale unemployment, crime incease and town depression, brain drain

Future- new jobs created in tourism for example, new jobs in higher level technology skilled industry created

Locating buisiness to minimze costs they do this by opening manufacturing in countries which- low labour costs, cheap land prices and building costs, low tax rates.

They also like to locate offices close to customers much of thier customer base is in NIC's and highly skilled jobs in MEDC's

The local effects of this include, jobs for local people, local people learning new skills, developoment of local infustructure, lower standard of regulation for pollution in LEDC's.

The national effects include, developmant of mineral wealth, new energy projects built for example dams, large scale pollution levels.

The reigonal effects include, avoiding paying tarrifs in the EU by manufacturing in the EU, improve the quality of life for people in the reigon.

granite quarry, 10km south west of Leicester, East Midlands

What makes it a good location- good road links to the m69 and m1, central location, close to rail networks.   

Employs 300 people and produces 300000 tonnes of granite a year

For expansion- new jobs, not too much more noise pollution, workers put money ointo the economy.

Against expansion- croft hill is a site of specific science interest, historical site, attractive site attracts tourists, has rare bird and anial species.

How to reduce negative effects of the quarry- build a new hill, plant trees to act as a sound break, add a new road to take care of new traffic that is created.

China's economy has been growing since the 1990's because of investment from MEDC's. 50% increase in pollution from 1995 to 2005. This is because of NO2 which is realeased when fossil fuels are burnt also CO2 relesed from car emissions. 400,000 people die per year from pollutant related illness and 16 of the 20 more polluted cities in the world are in China.

Managment stratagies- using cleaner fuels in cars, switching from fossil fuels, ban the most harmful fuels, checkph levels of rivers.

The river mekong runs theough the following countries China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. Each countries relies on the river for water and food supply however since dams were built in China fishermen in Cambodia claimed they were catching less fish because of this. 80% of rice production in Canbodia relies on floods which the dams are preventing. 

Dams are good because they reduce flooding as well as produce hydro electric power. However they lower water flow downstream affecting residents in Cambodia. To attempt to resolve these issues China has pledged to warn Cambodia of changes in the river flow for example high risk of flooding however richer countries have more power in situations like this than poorer so China would have alot more power in discussions and actions taken than Cambodia.

Emergency aid/short-term: this is given during times of extreme stress - this could be a famine or drought

Long-term/development aid: this given to a country to help the country develop - this could involve money for schools, hospitals and roads. Often linked to sustainable development

Multilateral aid - given through international organisations such as the World Bank rather than by one specific country.

Charitable aid gived through organisations rather than countries and goverments.

Mali and Niger have been affected by sevre poverty and drought

Aid given, 245 cereal banks, water purifcation tablets, goats for farming, womens organisation and training, schools built. As a result lower child mortality, higher life expectancy, greater education rate and lower rate of malnourishment.