What is Core Theme 6 in WJEC GCSE Geography?

Core Theme 6, Development and Resource Issues, is the second core theme of Unit 2 (Environmental and Development Issues), a 1-hour 30-minute written exam worth 35 percent of the GCSE. It covers measuring global inequalities and development, the causes and consequences of uneven development within a LIC and a NIC, water resources and their management, and regional economic development within a country.

How is development measured?

Development is measured by economic indicators such as GNI per head (average income) and social indicators such as life expectancy, birth and death rates and literacy. Single indicators have limitations because averages hide inequality and may be unreliable, so geographers use the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure combining income, life expectancy and education into one figure between 0 and 1.

Why is development uneven across the world?

Development is uneven because of physical causes (poor resources, difficult climate, hazards), historical causes (colonialism, which took resources and set up unfair trade), economic causes (reliance on cheap raw materials and debt) and political causes (instability and corruption). These often combine and reinforce each other, creating the development gap between richer and poorer countries.

How can water resources be managed sustainably?

Water can be managed by increasing and storing supply (dams and reservoirs, water transfer schemes, and desalination, which is expensive and energy-hungry) and by reducing and saving demand (fixing leaks, recycling water, efficient irrigation, water meters and education). The most sustainable strategies usually focus on saving water and using it efficiently rather than only building new supply.

Why does development vary within a country?

Development varies within a country because some regions have advantages such as resources, ports, good transport, big cities and investment, attracting jobs and people in a cycle of growth, while other regions, often rural or based on declined old industry, are left behind. This regional inequality is found even in richer countries such as the UK and within Wales.

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Development and Resource Issues (Core Theme 6): a complete overview for WJEC GCSE Geography Unit 2

A complete overview of Core Theme 6, Development and Resource Issues, for WJEC GCSE Geography Unit 2: measuring global inequalities, the causes and consequences of uneven development, water resources and their management, and regional economic development.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.814 min read3110-unit-2-theme-6Updated 2026-06-15

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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What this covers
Measuring global inequalities
Uneven development
Water and regional development
Check your knowledge

What this covers

Core Theme 6, Development and Resource Issues, is the second core theme of Unit 2: Environmental and Development Issues (a 1-hour 30-minute written exam, 35 percent). This overview ties together measuring development, the causes and consequences of uneven development (within a LIC and a NIC), water resources and their management, and regional economic development. Unit 2 is examined by data response.

Measuring global inequalities

Development is the progress in wealth and quality of life. It is measured by economic indicators (GNI per head) and social indicators (life expectancy, birth and death rates, literacy). Single indicators are limited because averages hide inequality, so geographers use the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite of income, life expectancy and education. The world shows a development gap, with countries classed as LICs, NICs and HICs, broadly richer in the north and poorer in the south, though this is changing as NICs grow.

Uneven development

Development is uneven because of physical (resources, climate, hazards), historical (colonialism), economic (cheap raw materials, debt) and political (instability, corruption) causes. Consequences include poverty, poor health and education, hunger and migration. WJEC studies these within a LIC and a NIC (such as India or Brazil). The development gap can be reduced by aid and debt relief, TNC investment, Fairtrade, microfinance and intermediate technology, each with strengths and weaknesses.

Water and regional development

Water is unevenly distributed, giving surplus and deficit areas, with scarcity and stress from physical (dry climate) and human (population, irrigation, pollution) causes. It is managed by increasing supply (dams, transfers, desalination) and reducing demand (leaks, recycling, meters, education). Regional economic development changes through the sectors (primary to quaternary), creating regional inequality that TNCs and government strategies can both shape and try to reduce.

Core Theme 6, Development and Resource Issues, is the second core theme of WJEC Unit 2 (Environmental and Development Issues, a 1-hour 30-minute exam, 35 percent). It covers four things. First, measuring global inequalities: what development means, economic and social indicators, the limitations of single indicators, the HDI, and the development gap with the LIC, NIC and HIC classification. Second, the causes (physical, historical, economic, political) and consequences of uneven development within a LIC and a NIC, and strategies to reduce the development gap (aid, debt relief, TNC investment, Fairtrade, microfinance, intermediate technology). Third, water resources: the global pattern of supply and demand, water surplus and deficit, scarcity and stress, the impacts of an inadequate supply, and sustainable management by increasing supply and reducing demand. Fourth, regional economic development: the changing economic structure through the sectors, the causes of regional inequality, the role of TNCs, and strategies to reduce regional differences. The whole theme is examined by data response.

Check your knowledge

Give one economic and one social indicator of development. (2 marks)
Why is the HDI better than a single indicator? (2 marks)
Give two causes of uneven development. (2 marks)
What is the difference between a LIC and a NIC? (2 marks)
Give two strategies to reduce the development gap. (2 marks)
What is the difference between water scarcity and water stress? (2 marks)
Name the four economic sectors. (4 marks)
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of a TNC. (2 marks)

Solutions

Q1: Economic: GNI per head. Social: any of life expectancy, literacy rate, birth/death rate, infant mortality.
Q2: It is a composite measure combining income, life expectancy and education, so it captures both wealth and quality of life, unlike a single indicator.
Q3: Any two: physical (resources, climate, hazards), historical (colonialism), economic (cheap raw materials, debt), political (instability, corruption).
Q4: A LIC is a lower-income country with little development; a NIC is a newly industrialised country (e.g. India, Brazil) developing rapidly through industry and investment.
Q5: Any two: aid/debt relief, TNC investment, Fairtrade, microfinance, intermediate (appropriate) technology.
Q6: Scarcity means simply not enough water; stress means demand is close to or above the sustainable supply.
Q7: Primary (raw materials), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), quaternary (research and information).
Q8: Advantage: investment/jobs/skills (and the multiplier effect). Disadvantage: low wages/profit leaving the country/insecure jobs/environmental damage.

Sources & how we know this

WJEC GCSE Geography (Wales) specification (3110) — WJEC (2019)