Global Distribution of Resources

Understanding how resources are distributed around the world is the foundation of the entire Resource Management topic. Food, water and energy are the three most important resources for human survival, yet they are unevenly distributed across the planet. This lesson explores why that distribution is unequal, which areas face the greatest shortages, and how physical and human factors interact to shape resource availability.

What Are Resources?

A resource is anything that is useful to people. In geography, when we talk about "resource management," we focus on three essentials:

Resource	Why It Matters	Key Fact
Food	Essential for nutrition, health, and economic development	Around 800 million people worldwide are undernourished
Water	Needed for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, and industry	Only 2.5% of the world's water is freshwater
Energy	Powers homes, transport, industry, and agriculture	Over 750 million people lack access to electricity

These three resources are deeply interconnected. For example, you need water to grow food, and you need energy to pump and treat water. This interconnection is sometimes called the food-water-energy nexus.

graph TD
    A[Food] <--> B[Water]
    B <--> C[Energy]
    C <--> A
    A --> A1[Irrigation needs water]
    B --> B1[Treatment needs energy]
    C --> C1[Biofuels need food crops]

Global Distribution of Food

Food production is concentrated in certain parts of the world. Some regions produce far more food than they need, while others cannot grow enough to feed their populations.

Countries with Food Surpluses

USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, France, Australia — these countries have large areas of fertile land, favourable climates, access to technology, and strong agricultural infrastructure.

Countries with Food Deficits

Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan), parts of South Asia (e.g. Bangladesh, Afghanistan), and conflict zones (e.g. Yemen, Syria) are particularly affected by food insecurity.

Physical Factors Affecting Food Distribution

Factor	Impact
Climate	Warm temperatures, reliable rainfall, and long growing seasons increase food production
Relief	Flat, low-lying land is easier to farm than steep mountain slopes
Soil quality	Rich, fertile soils (e.g. volcanic soils, alluvial floodplain soils) support higher yields
Water availability	Regions with reliable freshwater sources can irrigate crops year-round

Human Factors Affecting Food Distribution

Factor	Impact
Technology	Mechanised farming, GM crops, and irrigation systems increase production
Investment	Wealthy countries invest more in agriculture and food infrastructure
Conflict	Wars disrupt farming, destroy infrastructure, and displace farmers
Trade policies	Subsidies in rich countries can make it harder for poor countries to compete
Land ownership	In some countries, large corporations own land while small farmers are marginalised

Exam Tip: When explaining unequal food distribution, always link physical and human factors together. A strong answer might say: "Although Sub-Saharan Africa has areas of fertile soil, food production is limited by lack of investment in irrigation technology and ongoing political instability."

Global Distribution of Water

Water is essential for life, yet its distribution is highly unequal. Some regions receive far more rainfall than they need, while others are chronically dry.

Water Surplus and Deficit

Water surplus — where supply exceeds demand. Examples: Canada, Brazil, Scandinavia, Russia.
Water deficit — where demand exceeds supply. Examples: North Africa, the Middle East, parts of India, Australia's interior.

Key Statistics

The world's freshwater is distributed very unevenly: South America has about 26% of global freshwater but only 6% of the world's population; Asia has 60% of the population but only 36% of freshwater.
By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas of absolute water scarcity.

Factors Affecting Water Availability

Factor	Explanation
Climate	Equatorial regions receive heavy rainfall; arid regions (Sahara, Arabian Peninsula) receive very little
Geology	Permeable rocks (e.g. chalk, limestone) store groundwater in aquifers; impermeable rocks cause surface runoff
Pollution	Industrial and agricultural pollution contaminates freshwater supplies
Over-abstraction	Pumping water from rivers and aquifers faster than it is replenished
Population growth	Rising demand from growing populations and urbanisation
Infrastructure	Pipes, treatment plants, and dams affect a country's ability to deliver clean water

Exam Tip: Remember the difference between water stress (demand is high relative to supply) and water scarcity (there is not enough water to meet basic needs). The exam may test your understanding of both terms.

Global Distribution of Energy

Energy consumption and production are highly unequal across the world. Wealthy, industrialised nations consume far more energy per person than developing countries.

Energy Consumption Patterns

Region	Energy Use Per Capita	Key Detail
North America	Very high	USA uses about 300 million BTUs per person per year
Europe	High	Varies widely — Norway very high, Eastern Europe lower
Middle East	High	Oil-rich nations like Qatar and UAE have very high per capita use
Sub-Saharan Africa	Very low	Many countries average less than 10 million BTUs per person
South Asia	Low	India's per capita use is rising rapidly with industrialisation

Types of Energy

Type	Examples	Renewable?
Fossil fuels	Coal, oil, natural gas	No — finite resources that will eventually run out
Nuclear	Uranium	No — but low carbon and long-lasting fuel supply
Renewable	Solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal, biomass	Yes — naturally replenished

Factors Affecting Energy Distribution

Geology — fossil fuels are found only where ancient organic material was buried and compressed (e.g. oil in the Middle East, coal in China and the USA)
Technology — wealthier nations can exploit difficult resources (e.g. fracking, deep-sea drilling)
Climate — solar energy is more effective near the equator; wind energy is strong in exposed coastal and upland areas
Political stability — conflict and corruption can prevent energy resources from being developed
Economic development — as countries industrialise, their energy demand increases rapidly

The Resource Consumption Gap

There is a clear link between wealth and resource consumption. High-income countries (HICs) consume far more food, water, and energy per person than low-income countries (LICs).

Measure	HICs	LICs
Calories consumed per day	3,400+	Under 2,000
Water use per person per day	300–500 litres	10–20 litres
Energy use per person	100–300 million BTUs	Under 20 million BTUs

This consumption gap is driven by:

Higher standards of living in HICs — more appliances, cars, heated homes
Industrialisation — factories and manufacturing use enormous amounts of energy and water
Diet — meat-heavy diets require far more water and land than plant-based diets
Waste — HICs waste a significantly higher proportion of their food, water, and energy

graph LR
    A[Extraction] --> B[Processing]
    B --> C[Distribution]
    C --> D[Consumption]
    D --> E[Waste and Recycling]
    E --> B

Exam Tip: If asked about the "global challenge" of resource management, emphasise the tension between rising demand (from population growth and economic development) and finite supply (especially of fossil fuels and freshwater). This framing will earn you marks for understanding the bigger picture.

Population Growth and Rising Demand

The world's population is growing — it passed 8 billion in 2022 — and demand for all three resources is increasing.

Why Demand Is Rising

Population growth — more people need more food, water, and energy
Economic development — as LICs and NEEs industrialise, their per capita consumption rises
Urbanisation — urban residents typically consume more resources than rural populations
Changing diets — as incomes rise, people eat more meat, which requires more water and land
Technological growth — more electronic devices, transport, and infrastructure all increase energy demand

The Challenge

The central challenge of resource management is: How do we meet the growing demands of a rising global population without destroying the environment?

This question underpins every topic in this course — from food security to energy sustainability.

Key Vocabulary

Term	Definition
Resource	Anything that is useful to people and can be extracted from the environment
Renewable resource	A resource that is naturally replenished (e.g. solar energy, timber)
Non-renewable resource	A resource that exists in finite quantities and will eventually run out (e.g. oil, coal)
Food security	When all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food
Water stress	When demand for water is high relative to the available supply
Water scarcity	When there is not enough water to meet basic needs
Energy mix	The combination of different energy sources used by a country
Food-water-energy nexus	The interconnection between food, water, and energy systems

Summary

Resources are unevenly distributed across the world due to a combination of physical factors (climate, geology, relief) and human factors (technology, investment, conflict, trade). HICs consume far more resources per person than LICs, creating a significant consumption gap. As the global population grows and countries develop economically, demand for food, water, and energy is rising — making sustainable resource management one of the most important challenges of the 21st century.