What is sustainable development?

development that meets present needs without harming future generations' ability to meet theirs. It balances social, economic and environmental needs.

trade that guarantees producers a fair price. Farmers and workers receive a better and more stable income.

What is emergency aid?

short-term help after a disaster. Food, shelter and medical care.

Which is a criticism of aid?

It can create dependency. A country may come to rely on it.

What does debt relief do?

cancels some debt so that money can be spent on development. Repayments are reduced or ended.

Which is an example of appropriate technology?

a hand pump for a village well. It is cheap and can be repaired locally.

Sustainable development, trade and aid · Cambridge IGCSE Geography

In plain words

Development that uses up tomorrow's resources to pay for today is not a solution. It is a loan. Sustainable development tries to raise living standards in a way that can go on.

7 things to know

Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
It has three sides: social (health, education, fairness), economic (jobs and income) and environmental (protecting resources and ecosystems).
Strategies: education, especially of girls; clean water and healthcare; renewable energy; small loans to start businesses (microfinance); and appropriate technology, which is simple, cheap and can be repaired locally.
Trade: selling more abroad raises income. Fair trade guarantees producers a fair price. But trade rules and tariffs often favour richer countries.
Aid is help given by one country or organisation to another. It can come from governments, from international bodies or from charities. Emergency aid is short-term relief after a disaster. Development aid is long-term.
Aid can save lives and build schools, wells and roads. Its weaknesses: it may not reach the poorest, it can be lost to corruption, it can create dependency, and it may come with conditions.
Debt relief cancels some of a country's debts, freeing money for health and education. It helps only if the money saved is spent well.

Worked example

A village in a low-income country needs clean water. Compare a large dam project with hand pumps as solutions.

A dam is expensive, usually paid for with loans, takes years to build and may never reach a small village.
Hand pumps are cheap, can be installed quickly, and villagers can be trained to repair them.
The pumps are appropriate technology: suited to local skills and money, and so more sustainable.

Tips and tricks

Learn the definition of sustainable development. It is asked for directly, and both halves (present and future) are needed.
Evaluating aid means giving benefits and drawbacks, then a judgement: aid works best when local people run the project and it builds skills.

6 questions, about 2 minutes.

It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.

Sustainable development, trade and aid: 6 questions and answers

These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.

What is sustainable development?
- development as fast as possible
- development that meets present needs without harming future generations' ability to meet theirs (the answer)
- development without any industry
- development paid for by loans
It balances social, economic and environmental needs.
What is fair trade?
- trade with no rules
- trade that guarantees producers a fair price (the answer)
- trade between rich countries only
- trade in manufactured goods only
Farmers and workers receive a better and more stable income.
What is emergency aid?
- long-term loans
- short-term help after a disaster (the answer)
- trade agreements
- debt relief
Food, shelter and medical care.
Which is a criticism of aid?
- It builds schools.
- It can create dependency. (the answer)
- It provides clean water.
- It saves lives.
A country may come to rely on it.
What does debt relief do?
- increases a country's debt
- cancels some debt so that money can be spent on development (the answer)
- stops all trade
- replaces aid with loans
Repayments are reduced or ended.
Which is an example of appropriate technology?
- a nuclear power station
- a hand pump for a village well (the answer)
- a motorway
- a satellite
It is cheap and can be repaired locally.

6 questions

Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.

Worksheet

3 questions, 8 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.

Sustainable development, trade and aid

Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 · 8 marks · papermunch.org

Name ______________________________ Date ______________

Define sustainable development.[2]
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Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
I got this one
Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of international aid.[4]
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Advantage: it can provide schools, clean water and healthcare that improve people's lives. Disadvantage: a country can become dependent on it, or the money may be lost through corruption.
I got this one
Explain what is meant by appropriate technology.[2]
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Technology that suits the skills, money and resources of the people who use it. It is simple, cheap and can be maintained locally.
I got this one

Answers: Sustainable development, trade and aid

1. Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
2. Advantage: it can provide schools, clean water and healthcare that improve people's lives. Disadvantage: a country can become dependent on it, or the money may be lost through corruption.
3. Technology that suits the skills, money and resources of the people who use it. It is simple, cheap and can be maintained locally.