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Date November 2019 Marks available 1 Reference code 19N.2.SL.TZ0.4
Level Standard Level Paper Paper 2 Time zone Time zone 0
Command term Identify Question number 4 Adapted from N/A

Question

Figure 4: A measure of the sustainability of individual countries from a comparison of their ecological footprint and their standard of living

[Source: adapted from Travelplanner/Wikimedia. File licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en. Data sourced from Global
Footprint Network 2008 report (2005 data) and UN Human Development Index 2007/08]

Using Figure 4, identify the country that is above the threshold for high human development and below the Earth’s biocapacity.

[1]
a.

Outline the relationship between carrying capacity and ecological footprint.

[2]
b.

To meet the minimum criteria for sustainability, a country needs to raise its human welfare above the threshold of high human development and have an ecological footprint below the Earth’s biocapacity.

Evaluate two strategies a country can implement to achieve the minimum criteria for sustainability.

[4]
c.

Markscheme

Cuba.

a.

ecological footprint (EF) is the reciprocal/inverse of carrying capacity (CC);
populations with high per capita EF will have low CC / a population with a low EF would be less limited by CC in a given area (and vice versa) / EF determines whether a population is living within limits of CC;
EF identifies area needed (to satisfy the needs of a designated population) whereas CC identifies maximum population for sustainability (a designated area may sustain);
EF is easier to calculate but has clear implications for CC;
both EF and CC depend upon rate of resource consumption/waste produced;
both EF and CC depend upon local environmental resources/waste processing ability;
both EF and CC facilitate a quantitative assessment of sustainability;
local EF may increase by import of goods produced elsewhere, whereas CC is dependent only to local productivity / CC may decrease through export of goods;
EF is not applied to non-human populations (whereas CC is difficult to apply to human populations).

b.

There is a huge range of potentially creditable responses/strategies for sustainability so do credit responses not listed below but of equivalent relevance and detail.

Strategy: reducing consumption of resources by change in lifestyle/reduced population growth/improved efficiency/imposing sustainable limits/ etc;
Advantage: addresses problem at the source / may simultaneously solve multiple problems / etc;
Disadvantage: may be unpopular / depends upon uncertain technological advance / may reduce economic development in LEDCs / etc;

Strategy: reducing pollution through reducing consumption / limiting/regulating emissions / cleaning-up/restoring polluted ecosystems / finding cleaner resources/alternatives / etc;
Advantage: some levels are more effective as they attack root of problem / helps to preserve biodiversity / reduces ecological footprint / etc;
Disadvantage: clean-up may be expensive/ineffective / regulations may hinder development / production / technological advances may not be forthcoming / etc.

Strategy: improving conservation/protection of species through conservation areas/CITES/ex-situ institutions/public campaigns/ etc;
Advantage: biodiversity is maintained improving resilience/increasing stability /potential human resources are preserved / local populations may be educated/involved / etc
Disadvantage
: ex-situ conservation does not provide full range of habitat resources/genetic diversity / conservation areas may conflict with local population needs / policing/monitoring may be ineffective / etc.

Award [3 max] if the response gives either no advantages or no disadvantages.
Award [2 max] if the response gives neither advantages nor disadvantages.
Award [0] if no strategies are identified

c.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.
[N/A]
c.

Syllabus sections

Topic 8: Human systems and resource use » 8.4 Human population carrying capacity
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Topic 8: Human systems and resource use

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