Human Geography... The Development Gap

An Unequal World...

GNP- The value of everything a country produces (On its own it is not an accurate figure of someones wealth)

GNI- Gross National Income per Capita is the average income of each person in the country (tells you more about how well of each person is)

Problems with using wealth to measure development:

It can be easier to collect data from a rich country so the poor country figures might be inaccurate.

The data is only an average and doesnt tell you anything about inequality. a wealthy person from a developing country may be better off than a not so well of person from a developed country.

Also a US$ goes much further in some countries than in others. Someone on 10$ a day would be in poverty in america but quite well off in another country

Development and Quality of Life

HDI- Based on average life expectancy, education and standard of living. It includes social and economic measures

LEDC's Do Primary work on the land

NIC's Do secondary work such as industry

MEDC's Do tertiary work such as services (Alot more money as people pay more)

Obstacles to Development...

PHYSICAL... Natural Hazards which Impend development (Floods, Earthquakes...) (Somalia relies on livestock, if their is a drought the livestock could die so they wouldnt be getting income)

ECONOMIC... Unfair Trade between the rich and the poor

SOCIAL... Access to a clean water supply? (Ndondeni South Africa, women and children had to walk 15 mins to get water which was dirty anyway- it was carried in heavy buckets on their heads. They needed clean water for diseases such as malaria to crow crops to sell to pay for education ect... Clean underground water was supplied with a roundabout pump for children to play on which cleans water.)

POLITICAL... Currupt Governments- Political Conflicts - Mismanagement (ZIMBABWE- The government is corrupt and has destroyed potential for development, Money is not made available for health, education, infrastructure, water and sanitation- Most of the money is spent on the army and corrupt individuals... Trans-national companies won't invest there- Governments and Non government organsiations or charities wont give aid as it wont reach the target population)

EXAMPLE... BANGLADESH... LEDC

Flatland (10m above sea level)

25% Is usually flooded by the monsoon rains

Global warming makes the sea levels rise

People constantly lose land, animals, homes and lives

During the Floods... Half of Bangladesh was covered - cant grow food

760 people were killed - Orphans, Widows Splits up Families

8.5 Millione were left Homeless - High cost to rebuild - Displacement

>35 Million were affected

Rice growing and fish farming was disrupted

Roads and Bridges were damaged and destroyed - Cant travel to work

An Immediate response was to send in emergency services and medical care

in july 1987 the world bank prepared  a flood…