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SingaporeGeography

Sustainable Development and Resource Management

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What makes a city sustainable and liveable, and how can rapid urban growth be managed without wrecking the environment or quality of life?

Explain the characteristics of a sustainable city and evaluate strategies for making rapidly growing cities more sustainable and liveable
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on sustainable cities. The characteristics of a sustainable and liveable city, the challenges of rapid urbanisation, and strategies for transport, housing, green space, energy and waste, with Singapore and Curitiba as case studies.
10 min answer →

How can a growing population be fed securely without exhausting the land, water and ecosystems that agriculture depends on?

Explain the dimensions of food security and evaluate strategies for producing food sustainably, balancing yields against environmental limits
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on food. The four dimensions of food security, the drivers of food insecurity, the environmental costs of intensive farming, and strategies (sustainable intensification, agroecology, technology, urban and vertical farming, reducing waste) with Singapore's 30 by 30 goal.
10 min answer →

How can growing energy demand be met while moving toward a low-carbon, secure energy system?

Explain the components of energy security and evaluate strategies for managing energy demand and transitioning to sustainable, low-carbon supply
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on energy resources. Energy security and the energy mix, the drivers of rising demand, the costs and benefits of fossil, nuclear and renewable sources, demand management and efficiency, and the trade-offs of the low-carbon transition.
10 min answer →

Why do water shortages arise, and how can supply and demand be managed sustainably?

Explain the causes of water scarcity and stress, and evaluate supply-side and demand-side strategies for managing water resources sustainably
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on water resources. Physical and economic water scarcity, the drivers of rising water stress, supply-side strategies (reservoirs, transfers, desalination, reuse) and demand-side strategies (pricing, efficiency, conservation), with Singapore's Four National Taps.
10 min answer →

What does it mean for development to be sustainable, and how do we judge whether a strategy meets that standard?

Explain the meaning and principles of sustainable development, including its environmental, economic and social pillars, and apply them to evaluate development strategies
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on sustainable development. The Brundtland definition, the three pillars, intergenerational and intragenerational equity, strong versus weak sustainability, and how to use these ideas to evaluate strategies and projects.
10 min answer →

How can societies use materials and manage waste so that resources are not exhausted and pollution is minimised?

Explain the difference between a linear and a circular economy and evaluate strategies for sustainable resource use and waste management
A focused answer to the H2 Geography outcome on resource management. The linear take-make-dispose model versus the circular economy, the waste hierarchy, renewable and non-renewable resources, and strategies for reducing, reusing and recycling materials, with Singapore's Zero Waste and Semakau case studies.
10 min answer →