6 case studies

1. An area of hot desert

Name: Thar desert – India
Thar Desert, also called Great Indian Desert, arid region of rolling sand hills on the Indian
subcontinent. It is located partly in Rajasthan state, northwestern India, and partly in Punjab
and Sindh (Sind) provinces, eastern Pakistan.
The Thar Desert covers some 200,000 square km of territory. It is bordered by the irrigated
Indus River plain to the west, the Punjab Plain to the north and northeast, the Aravalli Range
to the southeast, and the Rann of Kachchh to the south. The prevailing southwest monsoon
winds that bring rain to much of the subcontinent in summer tend to bypass the Thar to the
east.
The desert presents an undulating surface, with high and low sand dunes separated by
sandy plains and low barren hills, or bhakars, which rise abruptly from the surrounding
plains. The dunes are in continual motion and take on varying shapes and sizes. Older dunes,
however, are in a semi-stabilized or stabilized condition, and many rise to a height of almost
150 metres above the surrounding areas.
Thar desert is dominated by sandy soils which is coarse-textured, well-drained, and
calcareous (calcium-bearing). The soils are generally infertile and, because of severe wind
erosion, are overblown with sand.
The amount of annual rainfall in the desert is generally low, ranging from about 100 mm or
less in the west to about 500 mm in the east. Precipitation amounts fluctuate widely from
year to year. About 90 percent of the total annual rainfall occurs during the season of the
southwest monsoon, from July to September. May and June are the hottest months of the
year, with temperatures rising to 50 °C. During January, the coldest month, the mean
minimum temperature ranges between 5 and 10 °C, and frost is frequent. Dust storms and
dust-raising winds, often blowing with velocities of 140 to 150 km per hour, are common in
May and June.
The desert vegetation is mostly herbaceous or stunted scrub; drought-resistant trees
occasionally dot the landscape, especially in the east. On the hills, gum arabic acacia and
euphorbia may be found. The khejri tree (Prosopis cineraria) grows throughout the plains.
The thinly populated grasslands support blackbucks, chinkara (gazelles), and some feathered
birds like francolins and quail. Among the migratory birds, sand grouse, ducks, and geese are
common. The desert is also the home of the endangered great bustard. Camel is another
animal common to this region.

2. A TNC (transnational corporation) and its global link

Name: Tata Group and its global link
Tata is perceived to be India’s best known global brand. Tata was founded in 1868 by
Jamsetji Tata as a trading company. Tata Group is an Indian transnational conglomerate
company which remains family-owned. With its HQ in Mumbai, it encompasses 7 business
sectors: Communications and IT; Engineering; Materials; Services; Energy; Consumer
products and Chemicals.
Tata Group has over 100 companies with each of them operating independently. Some of
the largest of these services, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, and Tata Global Beverages.
In recent decades Tata has expanded rapidly in more than 80 countries and receives more
than 58 % of its revenue from outside India.
In 2012, the total number of employees worldwide was 456000. Tata Group has steadily
moved up the ‘value chain’ by producing more sophisticated and higher-value products.
In 2011, the Tata Group as a whole employed about 45000 people in the UK with 19400 in
Tata Steel and 19000 at Tata-owned Jaguar/Land Rover. Other Tata companies active in the
UK are Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Global Beverages.
Tata Group has set great store by its reputation for social responsibility which began in
India, but which has spread abroad in more recent years. It was awarded the Carnegie
Medal for Philanthropy in 2007.

3. Agricultural Systems in terms of Inputs, Processes and Outputs

Concept
Subsistence Farming Commercial Farming Extensive Farming Intensive Farming
-most basic form of -this farming is done -is where a relatively -where high inputs
agriculture where the basically to sell small amount of per unit of land to
product is consumed everything that the agricultural produce achieve high yields
entirely or mainly by farm produces, so as is obtained per ha of per ha.
the family who work to maximise yields in land, so such farms
on the land or tend order to achieve tend to cover large
the livestock. If a highest profits. areas of land.
small surplus is
produced it may be
sold or traded.
Ex. Shifting farming is Commercial farming Inputs per unit of -farms tend to be
generally small scale can vary from small land are low. relatively small in
and labour intensive scale to very large terms of land area.
with little or no tech scale. The very large
input. farms are often
owned by TNCs.
-are both arable and -ex market
pastoral in natura. gardening, dairy
Ex. Sheep farming in farming, and
Australia and wheat horticulture.
cultivation on
Canadian Prairies

Case study A
Extensive Farming-Wheat Farming in Canadian Prairies
The prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) are the most important
agricultural regions in Canada. They encompass an area of approximately 1.96 million
square kilometers. This area experiences a large annual range of temperature, ranging from
below freezing in winter to about 18 degrees Celcius in summer. Rainfall is generally light
with most areas receiving 250mm – 500mm of rain per [Link] soil is deep and has a high
humus content. Wheat farming is an important activity on the Canadian Prairies.
Wheat is one of the world’s important cereal crops. More land is used for growing wheat
than any other crop in the world. Wheat is processed to produced wheat flour which in turn
is used to make many of the things we eat. In order for wheat to thrive, the following
conditions are necessary:
Annual rainfall between 300mm and 500mm, most of which should occur in the growing
season. Temperatures should be between 15 and 21 degrees Celsius during the three month
growing period. Large areas of flat land to enable the use of large machines.
Deep, humus rich soil. All these conditions exist on the Canadian Prairies. Therefore, this
area is ideal for growing wheat.
Wheat farms are very large. Many are over 600 hectares in size. This is an extensive form of
agriculture. The yield per hectare is low, however, farms are so large that farmers are able
to make large profits.
Wheat farming is capital intensive. There is a very heavy reliance on machinery for
ploughing, planting, spraying the crop and harvesting. A large proportion of expenditure
goes toward machinery, chemicals and other equipment. Most of the work can be handled
by just a few workers using machines such as combine harvesters and harrows. One or two
extra helpers may be hired during planting or harvest time.
The trend on the Canadian Prairies is towards larger farms. For instance, average farm size
in Saskatchewan is now about 675 hectares. The number of farms has decreased
significantly during the past few decades. There is also a trend toward using less labour and
more machinery. The machinery being used is also becoming more sophisticated.
Case Study B
Intensive Rice Farming in Ganga Plains
An important area of intensive subsistence rice cultivation is the lower Ganges valley in India
and Bangladesh. The Ganges basin is India’s most extensive and productive agricultural area
and its most densely populated.
The delta region of the Ganges occupies a large part of Bangladesh, one of the most densely
populated countries in the world.
Rice contributes over 75% of the diet in many parts of the region. The physical conditions in
the lower Ganges valley and delta are very suitable for rice cultivation.
-Temp of 210C and over throughout the year, allowing two crops to be grown annually (rice
needs a growing season of only 100 days.)
-Monsoon rainfall over 2000 mm providing sufficient water for the fields to flood, which is
necessary for wet rice cultivation.
-rich alluvial soils built up through regular flooding oer a long time period during the
monsoon season.
-an important dry period for harvesting the rice.
-Rice is initially grown in nurseries and are transplanted after the monsoon rains floods the
padi. During the dry season when there is insufficient water vegetables or cereal crops are
grown.
Rice growing is labour intensive. Lots of manual effort is needed for the construction of the
bunds around the padi, irrigation canals, preparing the field, to plant, weed and harvest the
crop. Many farms are small. The small land and the poverty of the farmer means that hand
labour is more. Water buffalo provide manure and are used in preparing the padi fields.
Planting rice in nursery, ploughing and transplanting rice into padi field, harvesting rice,
planting winter wheat, harvesting wheat, growing vegetables, looking after chickens are the
main processes.
4. Energy: Done
5. Water supply in a country or area.
River Yamuna, one of the polluted river- India
The River Yamuna is the second most important river after River Ganga and has attracted
much attention because three major cities -Delhi (the capital of India), Agra (the city known
for Taj Mahal) and Mathura (the birthplace of Lord Krishna) -are located within a stretch of
200 km on its banks.

46 Gopal and Chauhan: River Yamuna

from Source to Delhi
River Yamuna
River Yamuna, the largest
tributary of River Ganga
(Ganges), originates from
Yamunotri glacier (near Saptarishi
kund) at Bandar Punch in the
Mussorie range of
Lower Himalaya (30° 58’ N, 78°
27’ E) at 6,320 m above mean sea-
level (MSL).
46 Gopal and Chauhan: River Yamuna
from Source to Delhi
River Yamuna
River Yamuna, the largest
tributary of River Ganga
(Ganges), originates from
Yamunotri glacier (near Saptarishi
kund) at Bandar Punch in the
Mussorie range of
Lower Himalaya (30° 58’ N, 78°
27’ E) at 6,320 m above mean sea-
level (MSL).
46 Gopal and Chauhan: River Yamuna
from Source to Delhi
River Yamuna
River Yamuna, the largest
tributary of River Ganga
(Ganges), originates from
Yamunotri glacier (near Saptarishi
kund) at Bandar Punch in the
Mussorie range of
Lower Himalaya (30° 58’ N, 78°
27’ E) at 6,320 m above mean sea-
level (MSL).
River Yamuna, the largest
tributary of River Ganga
(Ganges), originates from
Yamunotri glacier (near Saptarishi
kund) at Bandar Punch in the
Mussorie range of
Lower Himalaya (30° 58’ N, 78°
27’ E) at 6,320 m above mean sea-
level (MSL).
River Yamuna, the largest
tributary of River Ganga
(Ganges), originates from
Yamunotri glacier (near Saptarishi
kund) at Bandar Punch in the
Mussorie range of
Lower Himalaya (30° 58’ N, 78°
27’ E) at 6,320 m above mean sea-
level (MSL).
River Yamuna is relatively
shallow, with an average depth of
about 3 m during
the monsoon season. Its channel
width ranges from about 30 m in
the Himalayan
stretch to >200 m in the plains.
However, at several places within
the Himalayan
stretch, the river passes through
very wide valleys. The rivers
carries large boulders
and gravel in its upper reaches
which turn to fine gravel and
coarse sand as the
river enters the plains. Further
down between Yamunanagar and
Delhi, the bed
sediments are sandy being
derived chiefly from basaltic
rocks, and often have
large proportions silt
River Yamuna is relatively
shallow, with an average depth of
about 3 m during
the monsoon season. Its channel
width ranges from about 30 m in
the Himalayan
stretch to >200 m in the plains.
However, at several places within
the Himalayan
stretch, the river passes through
very wide valleys. The rivers
carries large boulders
and gravel in its upper reaches
which turn to fine gravel and
coarse sand as the
river enters the plains. Further
down between Yamunanagar and
Delhi, the bed
sediments are sandy being
derived chiefly from basaltic
rocks, and often have
large proportions silt
River Yamuna is relatively
shallow, with an average depth of
about 3 m during
the monsoon season. Its channel
width ranges from about 30 m in
the Himalayan
stretch to >200 m in the plains.
However, at several places within
the Himalayan
stretch, the river passes through
very wide valleys. The rivers
carries large boulders
and gravel in its upper reaches
which turn to fine gravel and
coarse sand as the
river enters the plains. Further
down between Yamunanagar and
Delhi, the bed
sediments are sandy being
derived chiefly from basaltic
rocks, and often have
large proportions silt
River Tons originates as Har ki
Dun Gad from the Jamdar Bamak
Glacier and is
joined by Ruinsara Gad from the
western face of Bandarpunch
Glacier near Seema.
The combined stream joins River
Supin (formed by the confluence of
Supingad
and Obragad at Bencha). Further
down the Supin is joined by River
Rupin which
arises in Himachal Pradesh, to
form the River Tons at Netwar (see
next chapter in
this book). River Tons flows
southwards through a narrow and
steep valley. About
11 km downstream of Netwar, it
passes through a township Mori
where t
River Tons originates as Har ki
Dun Gad from the Jamdar Bamak
Glacier and is
joined by Ruinsara Gad from the
western face of Bandarpunch
Glacier near Seema.
The combined stream joins River
Supin (formed by the confluence of
Supingad
and Obragad at Bencha). Further
down the Supin is joined by River
Rupin which
arises in Himachal Pradesh, to
form the River Tons at Netwar (see
next chapter in
this book). River Tons flows
southwards through a narrow and
steep valley. About
11 km downstream of Netwar, it
passes through a township Mori
where t
The Yamuna is one of the most important rivers of north India. It passes through
Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. It merges with the Ganga at Allahabad in
Uttar Pradesh. At one time, it was the lifeline for the people of the area, but today it is the
most polluted river of the country.

Though the Yamuna starts getting polluted by pesticides and fertilisers as it enters Haryana,
most of the pollution occurs in Delhi. More than 10 million people live in Delhi. Yet it does
not have a proper sewage disposal system.
Nineteen drains from Delhi open into the Yamuna. At one time, these carried rainwater. But
because of the poor sewage disposal system, water carrying sewage is discharged into these
drains, from where it finds its way to the river.

In Delhi, along a stretch, the Yamuna is choked by water hyacinth—a weed. This is an
example of eutrophication. Dead fish are also found in the river as soon as the monsoon
begins. This is due to the sudden increase in pesticide and other pollutant levels.

Industrial wastes also find their way into the river from large industrial units (22 in Haryana,
42 in Delhi and 17 in Uttar Pradesh) and many small industrial units. Surprisingly, though
Delhi constitutes only 2% of the catchment area, it is responsible for 80% of the pollution of
the river.

6. A country with high dependent population

Japan: A country with high dependent population
The number of Japanese people with ages 65 years or older nearly quadrupled in the last forty
years, to 33 million in 2014, accounting for 26% of Japan's population. In the same period,
the number of children (aged 14 and younger) decreased from 24.3% of the population in
1975 to 12.8% in [Link] number of elderly people surpassed the number of children in
1997, and sales of adult diapers surpassed diapers for babies in 2014.
Japan has a declining population. The population pyramid below shows the age-gender
structure of Japan’s population. Japan has a large proportion of elderly people, above 60, and
a declining youth population.
There is an increasing proportion of elderly dependents in Japan. The proportion of elderly
dependents is increasing due to an increase in life expectancy. This is likely to cause a
number of problems for Japan, including:
-increased pressure on health and social care services
-financial pressure to provide pensions to a greater number of people
-increased pressure on public transport as elderly people are less likely to drive
-the need to increase tax rates to cover the costs above
An additional problem facing Japan is its declining birth rate. Fewer women are having
babies due to changes in lifestyle. Having fewer children, later in life, leads to a better
standard of living. Also, more young people are focussing on their careers rather than
having children.
If this trend continues the working population of Japan will not be able to support its ageing
population. The result of this will be:
-higher tax rates to cover increased medical costs and pensions
-a declining population
-a negative impact on economic development in Japan as there are fewer people of working
age
To overcome this Japan may need to encourage migration to increase the size of its
workforce. Alternatively, Japan could take steps to increase its birthrate by offering financial
incentives to encourage couples to have children. Without taking measures the population
will continue to decline.