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2.4 Content Key Themes
The content within the themes may be studied at a variety of scales.
Examples may be taken from the UK or other countries, including both LEDCs and MEDCs.
Fieldwork could be an appropriate method of study.
2.4.1 Theme 1: Rivers and Coasts
Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
a. How do systems ideas help
us to understand physical
processes that operate in a
river basin?
The study of water systems in the atmosphere
and river basins.
The hydrological cycle.
The river basin as a local system.
The units and links in the hydrological cycle.
The storm hydrograph and how it responds to changes.
The river basin as a system of inputs, fows, stores and
outputs.
b. How does river fooding
illustrate the interaction
between natural processes
and human activity?
The different causes of river fooding.
The effects of river fooding vary between
areas.
Some strategies for food management are
more sustainable than others.
Physical causes of river fooding.
The activities of people that can cause river fooding.
Two case studies, one from an LEDC and the other
from an MEDC to illustrate the causes, effects and
management of river fooding.
Use of GIS, new technologies, satellite images, aerial
photographs and data in a variety of contexts to highlight
food management schemes and their effectiveness.
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Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
c. What processes and factors
are responsible for distinctive
landforms within a river
basin?
The main geomorphic processes weathering,
erosion, transport, deposition.
Fluvial landforms are also infuenced by
geology.
The development of distinctive fuvial
landforms.
How weathering, erosion, transport and deposition
operate in a river basin.
The formation of fuvial landforms, including meanders,
interlocking spurs, foodplains, river cliffs, valleys and
waterfalls, with appropriate examples.
A case study of one river valley and its landforms.
d. What processes and factors
are responsible for distinctive
coastal landforms?
The main geomorphic processes weathering,
erosion, transport, deposition.
Coastal landforms are also infuenced by
geology.
The development of distinctive coastal
landforms.
How weathering, erosion, transport and deposition
operate along constructive and destructive coastlines.
The formation of landforms along a stretch of coastline,
including cliffs, headland, cave, arch, stack, beach and
spit, with appropriate examples.
A case study of one coastal area and its landforms.
e. Why is the management of
coastlines important?
There is a need to protect stretches of
coastline.
Coastlines can be protected in different ways.


Some strategies for coastal management are
more sustainable than others.
Human and physical reasons why the protection of
coastlines is necessary.
Different methods of coastline protection and the
sustainability of each including groyne, offshore
breakwater, sea wall, rip-rap, revetment, gabion, beach
replenishment and managed retreat.
A case study of coastline management, including
reasons for protection, measures taken, resulting effects
and possible conficts.
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2.4.2 Theme 2: Population and Settlement
Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
a. How and why are there
variations between the
population structures of
countries?
Countries have individual age and gender
profles.
Population structure varies between countries
of different levels of economic development.
The population structure of individual countries
changes over time.
Study of contrasting population pyramids of an LEDC and
an MEDC.
The relationship between population structure (and birth
rates and death rates) and economic development.
Study of population pyramids of an LEDC and an MEDC
over time.
b. What are the causes and
consequences of natural
population change over time?
Population change is mainly a response to
changes in birth and death rates.
Population change can result in
overpopulation.
Some strategies for population management
are more sustainable than others.
The growth of population on a global scale.
Birth rates and death rates vary between countries.
The rate of population change varies over time.
A case study to illustrate strategies to infuence natural
population change within a country.
The effects of overpopulation in an LEDC.
The implications of the proportion of population in
different age groups.
c. Why does migration occur
and what are its effects?
International migration affects population
change.
Local areas are affected by the movement of
people between urban and rural areas.
Push and pull factors infuencing migration.
A case study of international migration to illustrate its
causes, consequences and management.
Causes, consequences and management of urbanisation.
Causes, consequences and management of counter-
urbanisation.
A case study of migration within one country.
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Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
d. How is the pattern of land
use within cities changing?
There are different ways to develop urban
areas.
Some of the ways to develop urban areas are
more sustainable than others.
The need for sustainable development affects
planning and management of change.
The different areas of dominant land use within cities
refect economic, social and cultural factors.
Use of GIS, new technologies and satellite images to
illustrate and analyse changing urban land use patterns in
a variety of locations (MEDC and LEDC).
Different approaches to development in urban areas to
illustrate more and less sustainable variations.
A case study of urban change to illustrate social,
economic and environmental planning and the
sustainability of the urban change.
e. What affects the provision of
goods and retail services in
rural and urban settlements?
The relationship between the provision of
goods and retail services and the population
size of a settlement.
The provision of goods and retail services
changes over time.
Different types of goods and retail services.
The characteristics of retail service provision within an
area.
Retail service provision changes over time.
Reasons for changes over time including transport
provision and market forces.
A case study to illustrate how retail service provision
changes over time.
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2.4.3 Theme 3: Natural Hazards
Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
a. What is the global distribution
of different types of natural
hazard?
Different types of natural hazard have specifc
global distributions.
The global distributions of two tectonic hazards
(earthquakes and volcanoes) and two climatic hazards
(tropical storms and severe droughts).
b. What natural processes
cause different types of
natural hazards?
Natural processes are responsible for causing
severe natural hazard events.

Natural processes affect the global distribution
of natural hazards.
How the movement of tectonic plates causes earthquakes
and volcanoes.
The climatic conditions leading to the formation of tropical
storms and periods of drought.
How natural processes affect the global distribution of the
four natural hazards.
c. How do natural hazards
affect people and places
in parts of the world
with different levels of
development?
Natural hazards have a signifcant impact on
people and their quality of life.

The level of economic development of places
affected by natural hazard events infuences
the severity of the impact.
How the characteristic features of the four natural hazards
affect people and places.
Understanding the nature of primary and secondary
effects.
Comparing the impact of natural hazards in LEDC and
MEDC places, using GIS as well as a range of data and
evidence to build up a comprehensive picture such as:
numbers of deaths, displaced people, cost of damage,
eye witness accounts.
A case study of the following:
i) one tectonic hazard event in an LEDC
ii) one tectonic hazard event in an MEDC
iii) one climatic hazard in an LEDC
iv) one climatic hazard in an MEDC.
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Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
d. How can human activities
affect the impact of natural
hazards?
People continue to live and work in places that
are prone to natural hazards.
Human activities can affect the impact of
natural hazards.
The reasons for people living in hazardous areas.
How settlement and economic activities affect the impact
of natural hazard events.
e. How can people and places
be protected from the impact
of natural hazards?
A range of methods is used to attempt to
reduce the impact of natural hazards.
A range of methods is used to attempt to
predict the location, frequency and severity of
natural hazards.
Some methods are more sustainable than
others.
How building, planning and education methods are used.
Prediction methods and how they work.
Use of GIS, new technologies and satellite images to map
distributions and patterns of natural hazard events and
aid prediction models.
The sustainability of these methods in terms of their
economic costs, impact on the environment, effects on
people most at risk. Refer to selected case studies in
part c on page 16.
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2.4.4 Theme 4: Economic Development
Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
a. What is meant by
"development"?
Is there more to development than wealth?
Measuring economic well-being and quality of
life.
Identifying and explaining why countries are at
different stages of development.
How development can be affected by aid.
Some aid is more sustainable than others.
How levels of economic well-being and quality of life are
measured.
The advantages and disadvantages of using economic
and social indicators.
How development has been described and mapped in the
past and assessment of its validity.
Sustainability of aid in terms of economic costs, impacts
on the environment and effects on people.
A case study of an aid project in an LEDC.
b. How and why are there
variations between the
employment structures of
different countries?
How and why patterns of employment structure
vary in contrasting locations.
How and why these patterns change over time.
How employment structures vary between countries.
How employment structures have changed over time and
may change in the future.
c. What determines the location
of different economic
activities?
The factors that infuence decisions about
where economic activities are located.
How and why the locations of different
economic activities have changed.
Who makes decisions about the present and
future location of economic activities?
The types of industry (primary, secondary, tertiary
and quaternary) and the economic and environmental
locational factors for each.
The environmental, social and economic reasons why the
location of economic activity changes.
Two case studies, one from an LEDC and the other from
an MEDC, to illustrate the factors that affect the location
of different types of economic activity.
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Questions for Investigation Key Ideas Content
d. How do multi-national
companies (MNCs) affect
development?
Defning an MNC and globalisation.
How MNCs affect employment opportunities
and economic development.
The effects MNCs have in the areas where
they choose to locate and in other places.
MNCs have an increasing infuence on
employment opportunities and economic
development.
What an MNC is and the reasons for globalisation.
The positive and negative effects of MNC investment in
an area.
A case study of MNC investment in a specifc area and in
an international context.
The possible future for globalisation and its effects on
specifc groups of people.
e. How can economic
activity affect the physical
environment at a variety of
scales including global?
How different economic activities affect the
physical environment.
The conficts that develop between
responsibilities for the physical environment
and the need for development.
Managing these conficts sustainably.
The causes, effects and responses to global
climate change at a variety of scales.
A range of ways to show how economic activities affect
the physical environment.
Use of GIS, new technologies and satellite images to
analyse economic activity and environmental confict and
areas where this is occurring.
The need to balance environmental concerns and the
need for economic development.
A case study of a specifc development where conficts
exist between economic development and environmental
damage.
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