Higher Geography
Development
& Health
Development & Health What is development?
Since the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries the world
has effectively been divided into those countries who were involved and those who were
not. Those who did experience the benefits of these changes and improvements are
said to be ‘developed’ countries and now experience high standards of living and
generally good health. Those nations excluded from these benefits are said to be
‘developing’ countries, moving towards those standards experienced by developed
countries. Developing countries have lower standards of living and suffer poorer health.
Development & Health Indicators of development
Development is any improvement in the standard of living of the people living in a
country.
Development is a relative term – we can only tell whether a country is developed or
developing in comparison to another country. Countries are compared to one another
using a number of measures, or indicators. These indicators can be either social or
economic in nature.
Need to know:
“examples of economic and social indicators of development “
Economic indicators measure the wealth and industrialisation of a country.
Social indicators show how a country uses its wealth to try and improve the quality of
life of its people.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Social Indicators of Development
Average Life Expectancy Developing Countries will have
relatively low figures here since
diets will tend to be poorer
(quality and quantity of food),
and also due to a poorer
healthcare system reflecting
less
investment
from
government.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Adult Literacy Rate - this is the
percentage of adults who can read and
write. Developing countries will have
relatively low figures for this due to a
lack of formal education for many
children in poorer countries and the
fact that these children are often
needed to contribute to the
household’s income by working
themselves, rather than attending
school. This affects girls more than
boys in some cultures.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Daily Calories Intake - this indicates
the quantity of food eaten per day on
average. Developing countries again tend
to have lower figures here than developed
countries due to problems producing
foods in a country e.g. famine as a result
of climatic / environmental issues, and
also as a result of poorer farming
methods employed, where low levels of
mechanisation and/or desertification may
reduce yields.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Number of persons per doctor - this is
the average number of people in the
country for every doctor. Developing
countries will have a high figure for this
since poorer countries have less resources
to provide medical facilities or train
doctors. Therefore with fewer doctors in
the country each doctor will have to see
many more patients, ultimately having a
negative impact on healthcare in general.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Number of persons per doctor - this is
the average number of people in the
country for every doctor. Developing
countries will have a high figure for this
since poorer countries have less resources
to provide medical facilities or train
doctors. Therefore with fewer doctors in
the country each doctor will have to see
many more patients, ultimately having a
negative impact on healthcare in general.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Percentage of households with access to
running water/W.C. - This shows the
proportion of houses with reasonable
sanitation facilities. Developing countries
will tend to have lower figures here since
poorer countries tend to have less money
to invest in infrastructural improvements.
A low figure here will have consequences
for healthcare and mortality.
Development & Health Indicators of development Social
Percentage of households with access to
running water/W.C. - This shows the
proportion of houses with reasonable
sanitation facilities. Developing countries
will tend to have lower figures here since
poorer countries tend to have less money
to invest in infrastructural improvements.
A low figure here will have consequences
for healthcare and mortality.
Development & Health Indicators of development Economic
Economic Indicators of Development
Gross National Product (G.N.P.) per capita this figure shows the total value of goods and
services provided by a country divided by the
total population. Developing countries tend to
have lower figures here due to the fact that
there is often much less organised
manufacturing industry and many more people
involved in subsistence farming in rural areas.
Development & Health Indicators of development Economic
Economic Indicators of Development
Gross National Product (G.N.P.) per
capita - this figure shows the total
value of goods and services provided by a
country divided by the total population.
Developing countries tend to have lower
figures here due to the fact that there
is
often
much
less
organised
manufacturing industry and many more
people involved in subsistence farming in
rural areas.
Development & Health Indicators of development Economic
Percentage
of
people
working
in
Primary/Tertiary Sector – this shows the
proportion of the population involved in
various sectors of industry.
Developing
countries will have a higher figure involved
in Primary industry and a lower figure for
Tertiary industry.
This reflects more
people living in subsistence farming and
less people in urban areas providing
services like banks or restaurants for
people.
Development & Health Indicators of development Economic
Average income per head – this shows the
average income in a monetary sense for
each person in the country.
Developing
countries will have a relatively low figure
here since many are involved in subsistence
farming in rural areas and even those in
cities tend to work in low paid jobs.
Development & Health Problems with indicators
Need to know:
“Explain why indicators of development may fail to provide an accurate
representation of the true quality of life within a country”
Indicators are too broad/general - creates average
data which hides extremes of wealth and poverty
and so distorts wide internal variations - Developing
countries may have a few wealthy families whilst the
majority of the population live at subsistence level.
Some regions benefit more from
government/international investment than others creates “north / south” or urban/rural contrasts
which are not reflected in national development
indicators.
Development & Health Problems with indicators
GNP can be inflated/exaggerated by oil revenues whilst social
indicators may reflect more accurately the quality of life
within the country e.g. Saudi Arabia, being oil rich, has very
high GNP but low adult literacy rates – especially female
literacy. Similarly, depending on the nature of the government
in power in a country, the G.N.P. per capita figure could
initially seem high, but if the government’s spending priority is
on military equipment rather than health or education then the
actual quality of life experienced in that country won’t be
improved.
Material goods indicators are irrelevant to the real
quality of life in poorer, subsistence-based
economies - T.V’s, per population is an inappropriate
quality of life indicator for rural Ethiopians.
Development & Health Composite indicators HDI
In recognition of the fact that using multiple or composite indicators can give a better
picture of a nation’s state of development, the United Nations replaced it’s use of G.N.P.
per capita with the Human Development Index (H.D.I.). This composite indicator is
based on using three individual indicators:
The Human Development Index (HDI) attempts to look at the quality of life in a
country, and unlike G.N.P. per capita, can also measure differences within a country.
Income per capita
country.
-
shows what an income will actually buy in a
Educational attainment - a combination of adult literacy and average
number of years of schooling.
Life expectancy - how long people can expect to live.
Development & Health Composite indicators Model answer 1
Suggest one economic and one social/human indicator of development and show how
each might illustrate a country's level of development.
(8 marks)
Examples of economic indicator
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP).
These economic indicators measure the total value of goods and services produced by
the country (GDP includes only the goods produced within the country and GNP is goods
and services producing income from abroad). Such economic indicators are usually
measured in US$ per person or capita. GDP is probably the most used and well-known
indicator. A high figure tends to suggest lots of industry/services/wealth. It is fairly easy
to calculate using official government statistics. GDP/GNp, however do not show the
distribution of wealth. Is there a fair distribution of wealth? It is a very simple figure,
e.g. the GDP of Spain in 2002 was $15,000 per person. This does not mean that
everyone in that country has that 'wealth'. The GDP is an acceptable indicator in
countries which have a money economy but less useful in Niger or Chad, where much of
the economy is based on subsistence or informal structures. It is now considered more
appropriate to go beyond simple economic indicators of wealth and include social and
human indicators.
Development & Health Composite indicators Model answer 1
Suggest one economic and one social/human indicator of development and show how
each might illustrate a country's level of development.
(8 marks)
Examples of social/human indicators
Infant mortality
Usually defined as the percentage of children who die within the first year of birth. It is
a significant human indicator which correlates with the overall level of health care within
a society, as well as suggesting the financial capability of a country to look after its
people.
Birth and death rates
The birth rate is the number of babies born per 1000 of the population. A high rate
indicates a Iow level of development, a lack of contraception or the need to have large
families. It seems to be linked to poverty. In the ELDCs figures may not always be
accurate. A high death rate indicates Iow levels of health care provision, poor water
quality, sanitation and living conditions.
Literacy rates (per cent of the people who can read and write).
A high rate indicates that the country can afford to provide education for its children.
However for some countries other skills may be more important, e.g. linked to farming,
child rearing.
Development & Health Composite indicators Model answer 2
Suggest reasons why variations in levels of development occur among the ELDCs.
(8 marks)
Physical factors (can be positive and negative)
Climatic: any extreme will hinder development: for example being too hot, too cold, too
wet or too dry. Such extremes will make life difficult. Difficult to build houses and roads,
difficult to farm the land, difficult to attract industry and generally difficult to earn a
living.
Relief: mountains and steep slopes again make it difficult to farm, live and earn a living.
Natural disasters: those areas likely to be hit by floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes or by drought tend to remain less developed.
Other factors: those areas lacking in mineral resources (e.g. coal, diamonds) or areas
with poor soils or poor drainage and marshland and those areas that are naturally linked
to endemic disease will remain less developed
Development & Health Composite indicators Model answer 2
Suggest reasons why variations in levels of development occur among the ELDCs.
(8 marks)
Human factors (can be positive and negative)
A high population growth will generally limit development, since increasing resources
will have to be spread more thinly (e.g. food, space, jobs, water). There will not be
enough jobs, houses, schools, heath clinics. There may well be a Iow level of
industrialisation with few factories and offices. Some people believe that it is commerce
and industry that generate the wealth for development, such jobs tend to be well paid
and provide security. The ELDCs tend to have jobs in the primary sector, with Iow levels
of trade and often under the influence of the power of the multinational companies. The
resulting profits often go abroad and tend not to be reinvested in the country. The
ELDCs seem to be burdened with debt repayment and suffer from barriers to trade
(tariffs and quotas).
For example, countries such as Brunei or Kuwait have been able to prosper and develop
because of their oil and gas reserves. Countries such as Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore
have developed their industries and prospered (see notes below).
Development & Health Composite indicators Model answer 3
With reference to named countries, explain why indicators of development may fail to
provide an accurate representation of the true quality of life within a country.
(10
marks)
Socio-economic indicators are average figures for a whole country, and do not reveal
internal variations. In India for example, there are great differences between people due
to rank or status; ethnic origins (are a factor in South Africa). Religious group, political
affiliation or inheritance are other possible factors. In oil rich countries such as Kuwaitor
Saudi, the differences in wealth are massive. The oil is controlled by the ruling class (the
oil sheiks). Although the money is spent on health and education, the GDP average is
unrealistically high for 95% of the population. Within Brazil there are 'rich' and 'poor'
areas, based on differences in terms of climate, relief, vegetation, soils and natural
resources. The SE has the resources, the NE is a poor drought-hit area. Average
indicators do not allow for regional variations inside a big country. In many ELDCs there
is a big difference in wealth and quality of life between the urban areas and the rural
villages and farms. India and China are 70 % rural, with the wealth, jobs, best
education and higher quality of life concentrated in the urban areas. Once again average
indicators do not take this into consideration.