Strategies to Address Uneven Development (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

International Strategies to Reduce Uneven Development

• Intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) have a significant role in reducing uneven development

• Organisations include many that are part of the United Nations (UN):

  • World Health Organisation (WHO)

  • Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

  • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

• There are also organisations that are part of the UN but are not completely controlled by the UN, including:

  • The World Bank

  • International Monetary Fund (IMF)

• The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is not part of the UN but has strong links with it

Role of IGOs

• Governments of countries around the world donate money to IGOs 

• This money is then allocated to other countries for projects to help their development

• The IMF, World Bank and WTO promote free trade and globalisation

• The UN developed the Sustainable Development Goals

  • 193 countries have agreed to these goals

  • There are 17 goals, including zero hunger, clean water and quality education

• Debt relief is also used by IGOs to help development

  • It allows countries to focus on developing and investing in areas such as infrastructure and education

  • There is no guarantee that the country will spend it effectively

International aid

• There are many different types of international aid

  • It can be given as advice, technology, food or money

• Aid needs to be appropriate

  • It needs to fit the developing country

  • For example, aid in the form of tractors may not be appropriate if the community cannot afford the diesel or the skills to maintain them

Types of international aid

Disadvantages of international aid

• Corruption and mismanagement can prevent it from reaching the people 

• It is not always appropriate; large-scale projects such as dams can end up creating more poverty for some people

• Countries may become dependent on aid and development may stall as a result

• Aid is often tied, which means that countries have to spend their money in specific ways rather than on the development which is needed

• Aid can be used by the donor country to apply political or economic pressure

• It can result in food and water costing more

Trade

• This is often promoted as the key to economic development

• It allows countries to sell its resources so they can invest in things to improve their development, such as education and healthcare

• This money means they can import goods which can further their development, such as tractors or communication technology

• However, trading is not always fair

  • Developing countries are usually paid less for their exports than developed countries

  • Developing countries are disadvantaged by trade barriers

  • Trade agreements usually favour developed and emerging countries

Top-Down & Bottom-Up Strategies

• Top down strategies are aimed at an economic level and include large projects which hope to improve incomes for people through developing industry

• A high level of technical support is usually needed with funding from foreign loans and IGOs such as the IMF and World Bank

• Examples include:

  • Major roads, bridges, and railways

  • New airports and ports

  • Hydroelectric power dams

• Freetrade:

  • This approach is where countries do not charge tariffs and quotas between themselves, this encourages trading which is free of taxes and charges

  • This can be beneficial to developing and emerging countries

• Investment:

  • Countries and TNCs invest money in developing countries which provide employment and income

  • Example: Chinese companies investing in Africa (mainly energy, mining, construction and manufacturing)

• Industrial development:

  • It brings employment, higher incomes and opportunities to invest in housing, education and infrastructure

  • This has a [popover id="Xv8wZNTOmELy6nmR" label=multiplier effect"]

  • Example: China’s move away from agriculture to manufacturing made it one of the fastest growing economies in the world

• Tourism:

  • Some countries have become tourist destinations, which leads to investment and increased income 

  • Infrastructure is improved and provides jobs

• Debt relief:

  • Many developing countries borrowed money to develop their economies during the 1970s and 1980s

  • Because of high interest rates, some of these countries have fallen into serious debt 

  • In 2006, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to cancel the debts of 19 of the world’s poorest countries 

  • The money saved in debt can now be used for development projects such as industry, resources and infrastructure

  • But corrupt governments may keep money

  • Example: Ugandan government has spent money to provide safe water to over 2 million people

• Bottom-up strategies are aimed at social development, with smaller community projects that are aimed at improving health, education, or food supplies at a local level

• Examples include: 

  • Wells and water pumps

  • Schools and health clinics

  • Training for farmers

•  Aid:

  • Countries or non-governmental organisations (NGOs such as Oxfam) donate resources to a country to help or improve people’s lives

  • Aid can take the form of money, emergency supplies, food, technology, specialist skills

  • Helps reduce the development gap through investing in development projects

  • Focus is usually on health care, education and services

  • Example: Goat Aid helps families buy goats, which produce milk and meat

• Intermediate technology:

  • This is where suitable, appropriate and sustainable projects, equipment and ideas are used

  • These are tailored to the needs and wealth of a local community 

  • Example: Micro-hydro for the remote villages of Nepal which the community build and maintains

  • Provides enough electricity to improve life for the villagers: enables children to study at night, families to watch TV and use mobile phones and the internet

• Fairtrade:

  • International movement that helps producers in poor countries get a fair deal by setting standards for trade 

  • Farming is done in an environmentally friendly way

  • Product has a better position in the global market

  • Part of the end price is invested back into the local community and future development projects

  • Example: Over 90% of small coffee farmers in eastern Uganda have joined the Gumutindo Coffee Cooperative, which allows the coffee to be milled before roasting, which adds value to the coffee and increases the farmer's income