Resource Management Case Studies
Case studies are essential for AQA GCSE Geography. In the exam, you are expected to support your arguments with specific, detailed examples. This lesson brings together the key case studies for the Resource Management topic, providing the facts, figures, and evaluation points you need to score top marks.
How to Use Case Studies in the Exam
The AQA exam rewards specific knowledge — names, dates, statistics, and located examples. A generic answer about "a dam in China" will not score as highly as a detailed answer about "the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, completed in 2006, which displaced 1.3 million people."
Tips for Using Case Studies
- Name the place — use specific locations, not vague references
- Include statistics — numbers make your answer more convincing and precise
- Evaluate — always discuss advantages AND disadvantages
- Link to the question — make sure your case study is relevant to what is being asked
- Keep it concise — you do not need to write everything you know; select the most relevant points
Exam Tip: You do not need to memorise every detail of every case study. Focus on 3–4 key facts for each one, and make sure you can use them to support an argument for or against a particular strategy.
Food Case Studies
Case Study 1: Almeria, Spain — Large-Scale Food Production
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| What | Intensive greenhouse farming in south-east Spain |
| Scale | 30,000+ hectares of plastic greenhouses — visible from space |
| Products | Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, strawberries |
| Markets | Exports to UK, Germany, France, and across Europe |
| Technology | Drip irrigation, hydroponics, climate-controlled greenhouses |
Advantages:
- Year-round food production in a naturally arid region
- Employs tens of thousands of workers
- Generates billions of euros in export revenue
- Drip irrigation is more water-efficient than traditional methods
- Greenhouses reflect sunlight, potentially causing localised cooling (albedo effect)
Disadvantages:
- Severe over-abstraction of groundwater — aquifers are depleting rapidly
- Enormous plastic waste — thousands of tonnes of plastic sheeting discarded annually
- Worker exploitation — migrant labourers often face poor conditions and low pay
- Chemical pollution — pesticide and fertiliser runoff contaminates local ecosystems
- Landscape degradation — the "Sea of Plastic" has transformed the natural environment
Case Study 2: Makueni County, Kenya — Sustainable Food Production
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| What | Community-led sustainable farming in a semi-arid region |
| Location | South-eastern Kenya |
| Challenges | Unreliable rainfall, poor soil quality, limited market access |
| Strategies | Sand dams, terracing, drought-resistant crops, farmer cooperatives, community seed banks |
Outcomes:
- Increased food production despite declining rainfall
- Improved nutrition, particularly for children
- Greater drought resilience
- Women empowered through cooperative membership
- Food security improved without dependence on external aid
- Local knowledge and traditional farming practices preserved
Key point for the exam: Makueni demonstrates that small-scale, community-led, sustainable approaches can be more effective and equitable than large-scale industrial agriculture in LIC contexts.
Water Case Studies
Case Study 3: Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| What | Large-scale water transfer from Lesotho to South Africa |
| Partners | Lesotho (water supplier) and South Africa (water consumer) |
| Infrastructure | Katse Dam (185m high), Mohale Dam, transfer tunnels |
| Phase 1 | Completed 1998 |
| Phase 2 | Under construction — Polihali Dam |
| Purpose | Supply water to Gauteng Province (Johannesburg, Pretoria — 15+ million people) |
Advantages:
- Reliable water supply for South Africa's most populous and economically important region
- Water royalties provide significant income for Lesotho (one of Africa's poorest countries)
- Hydroelectric generation improves Lesotho's energy security
- Employment created during construction and maintenance
- Flood control benefits downstream
Disadvantages:
- Over 30,000 people displaced by dam construction
- Inadequate compensation for displaced communities
- Environmental damage — river ecosystems disrupted, habitats submerged
- Corruption scandals — multinational companies found guilty of bribery
- Lesotho becomes economically dependent on water royalties from South Africa
- Climate change threatens long-term rainfall patterns and project viability
Case Study 4: Wakel River Basin, India — Sustainable Water Management
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| What | Community-based watershed management in Rajasthan |
| Location | Wakel River Basin, southern Rajasthan, India |
| Challenges | Semi-arid climate, over-abstraction of groundwater, deforestation |
| Approach | An integrated programme involving check dams, reforestation, rainwater harvesting, and community management |
Strategies used:
- Check dams (johads) — small earth dams that slow runoff and allow water to percolate into the ground, recharging aquifers
- Reforestation — planting trees to reduce erosion, increase infiltration, and protect watersheds
- Rainwater harvesting — collecting and storing rainwater for irrigation and domestic use
- Community management — local villages manage water resources collectively through traditional councils
Outcomes:
- Groundwater levels rose significantly — wells that had been dry for years began producing water again
- Agricultural productivity increased — farmers could irrigate and grow more crops
- Rivers that had been seasonal began flowing year-round
- Deforestation reversed — forest cover increased
- Communities became more resilient to drought
Energy Case Studies
Case Study 5: Three Gorges Dam, China
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| What | World's largest hydroelectric dam |
| Location | Yangtze River, Hubei Province, China |
| Completed | 2006 |
| Capacity | 22,500 MW (world's largest by installed capacity) |
| Reservoir | 660 km long |
| Cost | Over $37 billion USD |
Advantages:
- Generates ~100 TWh of clean electricity per year — equivalent to burning 50 million tonnes of coal
- Dramatically reduced devastating Yangtze flooding
- Improved river navigation — ships up to 10,000 tonnes can reach Chongqing
- Economic development for the region
Disadvantages:
- 1.3 million people displaced and resettled
- Chinese river dolphin (baiji) functionally extinct — ecosystem devastation
- Sediment trapping reduces downstream soil fertility and contributes to coastal erosion
- Reservoir has triggered landslides and possibly earthquakes
- Hundreds of archaeological and cultural sites submerged
- Water quality problems — pollution and algal blooms in the slow-moving reservoir
Case Study 6: Chambamontera Micro-Hydro, Peru
| Feature | Detail |
|---|
| What | Small-scale micro-hydro scheme |
| Location | Chambamontera, Cajamarca region, northern Peru |
| Capacity | 15 kW — enough for 60 families |
| Technology | Turbine powered by diverted mountain stream |
| Management | Community-run with small monthly fees |
Advantages:
- Electric lighting allows children to study after dark
- Reduced dependence on kerosene (reducing fire risk and air pollution)
- Enabled small businesses (carpentry, bakery, phone charging)
- Reduced deforestation (less firewood needed)
- Low cost, built with local materials and labour
Disadvantages:
- Limited output — cannot power heavy industry
- Seasonal variation in river flow affects output
- Requires technical knowledge for maintenance
Key point for the exam: Chambamontera demonstrates the effectiveness of appropriate technology — small-scale, affordable, locally managed, and sustainable. It contrasts with the massive scale and costs of projects like the Three Gorges Dam.
Comparing Case Studies
The exam may ask you to compare different approaches. Here is how the case studies compare: