Uneven global development has had a range of consequences — Edexcel GCSE Geography A
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Uneven global development has had a range of consequences explained
This statement asks how uneven development affects quality of life in different parts of the world.
Read the full explanation
You must cover six areas: housing, health, education, employment, technology, and food and water security. For each area, identify a contrast between places, such as informal housing with overcrowding compared with planned housing, or unsafe water compared with piped supply. Then explain the consequence, for example poor sanitation raising disease rates or low school attendance limiting later employment. Technology, such as mobile phones and internet access, can narrow or widen gaps. Link food and water security to shortages, price rises or import dependence. Use named places, and recognise that impacts differ between groups within one country.
Your focus
- Identify an impact of uneven development on each of the six named areas.
- Explain how limited access to one service affects wider quality of life.
- Select a named example that illustrates a spatial contrast in quality of life.
Uneven global development has had a range of consequences exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies a distinct impact for each named area: housing, health, education, employment, technology, and food and water security.
- Describes a contrast between places rather than a general problem.
- Explains the mechanism linking uneven development to quality of life, such as low income limiting access to clean water.
- Uses a named place or example to support each impact claim.
- Recognises variation within countries, such as between urban and rural groups.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Build a quick checklist of the six areas and tick off one impact for each before selecting an answer.
- 💡When an option mentions a place, check that it shows a contrast between places rather than a single location.
- 💡Use one precise example per area, such as a named water supply problem, to avoid vague answers.
Common Mistakes
- Treats quality of life as income alone; include health, education and the other named areas.
- Describes poverty without linking it to uneven development; state the spatial contrast between places.
- Assumes all places within one country share the same impact; note variation between regions or groups.
- Gives a vague example such as 'poor areas struggle'; name the place and the specific service affected.