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Edexcel GCSE Geography

Resource management: food, water and energy — Edexcel GCSE Geography revision

Free revision notes, key terms, common exam traps and 5 practice questions with answers. About 8 minutes to read.

Global resource inequality

  • Food, water and energy are unevenly distributed and consumed: higher-income countries consume far more per person while some lower-income regions face deficits.
  • Food security depends on availability, access, affordability and stability; insecurity causes undernutrition, soil erosion from over-cultivation, rising prices and social unrest.
  • Water security depends on supply (climate, geology, pollution) and demand (population, industry, irrigation); water stress occurs where demand exceeds reliable supply.

UK resource context

  • UK food: growing demand for high-value and seasonal imports raises food miles and carbon footprint; responses include agribusiness, local sourcing and organic produce.
  • UK water: surplus in the north and west, deficit in the south and east, managed through transfer schemes, reservoirs, metering and reducing leakage.
  • UK energy: declining fossil fuel production, growing renewables and continued reliance on imports; each source has economic and environmental trade-offs.

Key terms

Food security
Reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
Water stress
When demand for water exceeds reliable available supply.
Water transfer
Moving water from a surplus area to a deficit area.
Desalination
Removing salt from seawater to create fresh water.
Food miles
Distance food travels from producer to consumer.
Carbon footprint
Total greenhouse gases produced by an activity or product.

Common exam traps

  • Saying water stress only affects hot countries — high demand can cause stress in wetter regions too.
  • Confusing food security with simply producing lots of food; access and affordability matter.
  • Assuming desalination is a simple solution — it is expensive and energy-intensive.

Practice questions with answers

  1. 1. Water stress occurs when:

    • • Rainfall is high
    • • Demand exceeds reliable supply
    • • Reservoirs are full
    • • Rivers flood

    Answer: Demand exceeds reliable supply

    Both supply and demand determine stress.

  2. 2. Explain why the UK uses water transfer schemes.

    Answer: Rainfall surplus in the north and west can be moved to areas of high demand in the south and east

    Supply and demand are geographically mismatched.

  3. 3. Which increases food miles?

    • • Buying seasonal local vegetables
    • • Importing out-of-season fruit by air
    • • Growing food in allotments
    • • Reducing packaging

    Answer: Importing out-of-season fruit by air

    Air freight has a very high carbon cost per kilogram.

  4. 4. Hydroponics grows plants:

    • • In deep soil
    • • In nutrient-rich water without soil
    • • In desert sand only
    • • Underground without light

    Answer: In nutrient-rich water without soil

    It saves water and space, useful in urban food production.

  5. 5. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of desalination.

    Answer: Advantage: reliable supply independent of rainfall. Disadvantage: very high energy cost and brine disposal

    Cost and environmental impact limit its use.

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