IBDP Geography Optional Unit – Extreme Environments

Hot, arid areas: examine the opportunities and challenges posed for resource development (mineral
extraction and any associated settlement and communications); examine the opportunities for
agriculture in these areas; Discuss the degree to which human activities in extreme
environments are unsustainable.

You are a geographer interested in the human management of arid areas and particularly in the
environmental impact of different projects. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has
kindly suggested some places you should visit. Unfortunately the names of the places were deleted
from the file you were given (blanks lines below). You know need to use Google Earth to go on a virtual
fieldtrip to make a list of places and link it to the relevant information. You should also take notes on
these places based on the questions below.

Instructions:
1. Open the “arid environments” kmz file.
2. Go to the layers menu at the bottom left of the screen. Turn
off all layers, except for “borders and layers” and “terrain”.
3. Now click on the “global awareness” layer and ONLY TURN
ON the UNEP layer.
4. The kmz file has a list of
the places you should visit. At each location,
click on the UNEP logo and then choose the overlay for the
year that you want to look at (e.g. fly to Tahoua province,
Niger, click on the UNEP button for more information and then using the dates provided in the Tahoua
Province location, choose the year you want to look at – in this case, you can see satellite overlays for
1975 and 2003).
5. Use the information in the UNEP text to figure out which location matches each of the descriptions
below and then take notes based on the questions provided.

AGRICULTURE

1) _________________________
- Where is the location of the satellite photo on the right? (country, latitude,
longitude and climate).
- What is meant by CPI? Why do you think it is an effective means of farming
in arid and semi-arid environments?
- Describe the changes in the environment of the area between 1986 and
2004. Also comment on the changes in the settlements.

2) __________________________
- An area that has shown successful implementation of a strategy aimed at
preventing desertification.
- Describe the location (part of the country, latitude, longitude and climate).
- What were some of the problems in recent decades that led to environmental degradation? Include a
description of the 1975 satellite image.
- What have the people done in order to be less vulnerable to drought? Has this been successful?
Include a description of the 2003 satellite image.

K.Noreisch 2010
WATER USAGE/CONFLICT AND SUSTAINABILITY

3) _________________________
- A location where drilling for oil resulted in the discovery of extensive aquifers.
- Describe the location (part of the country, latitude, longitude, climate)
- What has the water been used for? Describe the growth in agriculture in the area.
- Who uses the water from the aquifers?
- What are environmentalists worried about?
- Use the historical imagery button to help you describe changes in the nearby settlement of Al-Kufrah
between 1972 and 2010.

The historical imagery button will turn

on a timeline at the top of the page.
Scroll along the timeline to see
satellite imagery of the area from
different dates (not the same dates as the UNEP overlays).

4) ________________________
- An oasis that is currently operating in an unsustainable way.
- Describe the location (part of the country, latitude, longitude, climate)
- How is water accessed from the aquifer?
- What is the problem with modern methods of irrigation in comparison to traditional methods?
-

RESOURCE EXTRACTION AND SUSTAINABILITY

5) ________________________
- A location where diamonds are mined.
- Describe the location (part of the country, latitude, longitude, climate).
- To what extent does this country depend on diamond production?
- When did diamond extraction begin? How large is the mine now? What type of mine is it?
- What advantages has the mine brought to this area?

6) _________________________
- An open-pit copper, gold and silver mine.
- Describe the location (part of the country, latitude, longitude, climate).
- How has this mine managed to minimize disruption to the environment? (Has there been a large
amount of growth between 1989 and 2003?)

7) _________________________
- A location that produces gas and has the first solar and gas power generating facility.
- Describe the location (part of the country, latitude, longitude, climate).
- What is special about the solar and gas power generating facility? Take a few notes.
- Describe the changes in the settlement named in the text.

EXTENSION: Visit one other UNEP location that links in to the Extreme Environments syllabus and take notes.

K.Noreisch 2010