Human welfare & Development
Impacts of uneven development
Contrasting approaches to development
Bottom up development
Top-down
Italy (HIC)
HS2, UK
Mali Water Aid (LIC)
Nigeria (rural to urban divide)
Nigeria's Coastal Railway
HS2 is a planned high-speed railway linking London to cities in the Midlands and the North. The main objective of this massive project is to reduce regional economic imbalance. Cities in the North and Midlands have slower growth, lower productivity and lower wages than London and the South East. Poor transport infrastructure is a critical factor in this disparity. Apart from the high-speed service that HS2 will bring, it will also free up significant capacity on existing railway lines. HS2 is seen as a prerequisite to Northern Powerhouse Rail, a major West to East rail project. High- speed railways have been built in other European countries to reduce regional disparities.
✚ Major construction began in 2018, but the majority of Phase 1 of the project remains to be completed. The first phase, linking London to Birmingham, should open in late 2026. The London terminal will be at Euston station.
✚ Services on Phase 2A (to Crewe) are due to begin in 2027, with Phase 2B (to Leeds and Manchester) starting in 2033. Final decisions remain to be made about the route in certain places.
✚ Trains will operate at speeds of up to 225 mph (362 km/h), reducing journey times considerably.
✚ A recent estimate put the total cost at over £90 billion.
Critics of the project argue that HS2
✚ is far too expensive and that the money could be spent in a much better way
✚ final cost estimates have risen sharply since the project was first proposed
✚ will have an unacceptably large environmental impact that the consultation process was largely cosmetic
It would seem that public opinion is much more in favour of the project in the Midlands and North compared to the South. At the time of writing, the whole project is being reviewed by the government.
WaterAid has been active in the West African country of Mali since 2001. It is one of the world’s poorest nations.
One of WaterAid’s projects is in the slums surrounding Mali’s capital Bamako, providing clean water and sanitation services to the poorest people
WaterAid is dedicated to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people. Without these three crucial elements, communities remain stuck in a cycle of disease and poverty (Figure 9.3.2). It takes a generation for health and sanitation to be properly embedded into people’s day-to- day life
In areas with WaterAid projects, life in times of drought is eased
✚ Women, in particular, would spend hours in search of water, leaving little time to find food.
✚ Children would miss out on education in the search for water.
✚ Cattle can be watered, rather than sold or left to die because of water shortage.
✚ During famines, with sanitation, water and hygiene, people are less sick and so are better able to fend off disease.
✚ over 4 million people still lack access to clean water
✚ over 11 million people lack access to a decent toilet.
✚ WaterAid has financed the construction of the area’s water network.
✚ It has trained local people to manage and maintain the system, and to raise the money needed to keep it operational.
✚ The community has been encouraged to invest in its own infrastructure, which is an important part of the philosophy of the project.
✚ Significant improvements in the general health of the community have taken place.
Southern Italy is very mountainous which means that roads are often very windy (lots of bends). This makes the roads longer and therefore trade takes longer. Large goods vehicles often find the routes impassable. This makes Southern Italy a long way to trade with, so companies will find it difficult, and expensive to get products all the way from Italy to the rest of Europe
Steep sided mountains are difficult to build on. So settlements will be much smaller.
Farming will be difficult because large machinery cannot be used
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent in the area. This means that infrastructure can be damaged. This would affect the development of south Italy as it will slow down their development rate. This is because the more natural disasters there are, the more they have to put the money into renewing the infrastructure and healthcare, …
Southern Italy is mostly temperate with a dry and hot summer. There are also areas of the Arid Steppe. These won’t be ideal conditions for farming as if the soil is too dry, the crops won’t grow.
The industrial triangle is located in the north of Italy. This will produce high quality jobs for the people living in the north.
The young population in the south might have more chances of getting a low skilled job than one in the main cities. This means that the southern Italians might be poorer than the northern ones.
North Italy is massively richer than the South.
The North is characteristically wealthy with a prosperous trade, industrial economy, and developed tourist infrastructure
Milan is the wealthiest city in Italy, and living expenses and income are almost twice that of the south
Core - North
Periphery - South
This is because the North is more developed than the South. For example, the unemployment rate in the North is 33% whilst the South has 60%.
Economic Disparities: Rural areas face lower income levels and limited job opportunities. + Urban areas have better economic prospects, exacerbating rural poverty
Migration and Urbanization: Rural-to-urban migration strains urban infrastructure. + Rural areas are depopulated due to migration to cities
Pressure on Urban Infrastructure: Influx of rural migrants leads to overcrowding and inadequate urban services. + Urban areas struggle to meet the demands of rapid urbanization
Social Services Disparities: Rural communities lack access to healthcare, education, and electricity. + Urban areas have better social services, contributing to disparities in human development
Food Insecurity: Rural areas face food insecurity due to limited market access and environmental challenges. + Urban areas may also experience food security issues due to high prices and distribution issues
Environmental Degradation: Unsustainable practices in rural areas lead to land degradation and deforestation. + Urban areas suffer from pollution and habitat destruction
Social Cohesion and Cultural Loss: Migration disrupts traditional community structures and cultural ties. + Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices may be lost due to urbanization
Geographical Coverage: Connects major cities and ports along Nigeria's coastline, from Lagos to Calabar
Transportation Connectivity: Enhances movement of passengers and freight, improving access between urban centers, industrial zones, and ports
Economic Development: Stimulates growth by reducing transportation costs and attracting investment. + Boosts competitiveness in industries like manufacturing and agriculture
Port Connectivity: Integrates with existing and planned port facilities, enhancing efficiency and international trade
Tourism Potential: Facilitates access to tourist destinations and cultural sites, attracting domestic and international visitors
Sustainable Development: Emphasizes eco-friendly construction practices and wildlife protection. + Minimizes environmental impacts
Social Inclusion: Improves access to transportation for rural communities, enhancing mobility and access to services
Infrastructure Investment: Requires collaboration between government, private sector, and international partners. + Funding sourced from public-private partnerships, foreign investment, and government financing