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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 12 Geography unit 3: Management of conflict over resources

Everything here is for unit 3 of the Grade 12 Geography textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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3
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 3
63–91
The textbook pages for unit 3

What unit 3 covers

  1. 1.The Concept of Sustainable Development
  2. 2.Resource Use Policies and Related Conflicts
  3. 3.Governance of Natural Resources
  4. 4.Indigenous Conflict Resolution Practices

Short notes for unit 3

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 12 Geography page. Open one at a time.

Scarcity TypePrimary MechanismKey Drivers
Demand-inducedDemand increases while supply remains constant or cannot keep pacePopulation growth, higher consumption, new technologies
Supply-inducedTotal available supply shrinks or degradesEnvironmental degradation, natural variation, infrastructure breakdown
StructuralUnequal resource access among different societal groupsDiscriminatory laws, cultural exclusion, poverty, land use tradeoffs

When you use it

Use this table when classifying the specific mechanisms driving renewable resource depletion and scarcity in conflict analysis.

Watch out

Do not confuse structural scarcity with supply-induced scarcity. Structural scarcity occurs because of unfair distribution or social barriers, even when the overall physical supply is sufficient.

Drafted from Grade 12 Geography, pages 63-91, then checked twice before it went up

DimensionCore PrincipleMain Objectives
EconomicSustained production of goods and servicesManageable debt, sectoral balance, avoid agricultural and industrial disruption
EnvironmentalMaintain a stable and resilient natural resource baseBiodiversity conservation, atmospheric stability, prevent overexploitation
SocialFairness in distribution and opportunities for allGender equity, access to health and education, social justice

When you use it

Use this card to compare the three interdependent pillars of sustainable development and their respective policy targets.

Watch out

Remember that sustainable development requires balancing all three nested dimensions at once, rather than treating environmental protection in isolation from economic and social factors.

Drafted from Grade 12 Geography, pages 63-91, then checked twice before it went up

Conflict DriverRoot MechanismManifestation
Resource scarcityIncreasing competition over diminishing renewable resourcesDemand, supply, or structural scarcity triggering livelihood disputes
Poor governanceInstitutional failure, lack of transparency, and discriminatory rulesUnclear tenure rights, elite capture, unfair burden distribution
Transboundary pressuresCross-border resource interdependence lacking cooperative frameworksUpstream versus downstream water disputes, pastoral migration, cross-border pollution

When you use it

Use this card to analyze the primary factors that cause, escalate, or sustain conflicts over renewable natural resources.

Watch out

Conflicts over resources are rarely purely environmental. They interact with broader political, institutional, and security factors.

Drafted from Grade 12 Geography, pages 63-91, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 3

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

According to the historical overview of sustainable development, which notion was introduced by the 1972 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Stockholm?

  1. A.Eco-development
  2. B.Agenda 21
  3. C.Global Green Growth
  4. D.The Millennium Project
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Eco-development

Why

The first UNCED conference held in Stockholm in 1972 introduced the notion of eco-development and led to the creation of UNEP.

Question 2

What are the three essential and interdependent dimensions (pillars) of sustainable development?

  1. A.Political, cultural, and technological
  2. B.Economic, social, and environmental
  3. C.Agricultural, industrial, and urban
  4. D.Demographic, institutional, and spatial
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Economic, social, and environmental

Why

Sustainable development is built upon three core pillars: economic development, social development, and environmental sustainability.

Question 3

Non-renewable resources like coal and petroleum are also referred to as:

  1. A.Flow resources
  2. B.Fixed or fund resources
  3. C.Recurrent resources
  4. D.Biotic resources
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Fixed or fund resources

Why

Non-renewable resources form very slowly and have a limited natural supply, which is why they are called fixed or fund resources from the human point of view.

Question 4

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development consists of how many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets?

  1. A.8 goals and 50 targets
  2. B.10 goals and 100 targets
  3. C.17 goals and 169 targets
  4. D.21 goals and 200 targets
Show the answer and why

Answer: C 17 goals and 169 targets

Why

The 2030 SDG Agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015 comprises exactly 17 goals and 169 targets.

Question 5

Which type of resource scarcity occurs when environmental degradation or a breakdown in infrastructure reduces the total available supply of a resource?

  1. A.Demand-induced scarcity
  2. B.Supply-induced scarcity
  3. C.Structural scarcity
  4. D.Technological scarcity
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Supply-induced scarcity

Why

Supply-induced scarcity happens when natural variation, environmental damage, or failing delivery systems constrain or lower the physical supply of a resource.

Question 6

According to Article 10 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), when indigenous peoples are relocated from their lands, what must be secured?

  1. A.A court order from an international tribunal
  2. B.Free, prior, and informed consent along with fair compensation
  3. C.Immediate transfer of alternative urban housing
  4. D.Unilateral government approval
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Free, prior, and informed consent along with fair compensation

Why

Article 10 of UNDRIP specifies that indigenous peoples cannot be forcibly removed without their free, prior, and informed consent, accompanied by fair and just compensation.

Question 7

In which year was the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) formally established to coordinate basin management and promote peace among member states?

  1. A.1972
  2. B.1987
  3. C.1999
  4. D.2015
Show the answer and why

Answer: C 1999

Why

The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) was formally established in 1999 as a cooperation framework among the Nile riparian countries.

Question 8

In the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, what five livelihood assets (capitals) are represented by the letters H, N, F, S, and P?

  1. A.Health, Nature, Farming, State, and Power
  2. B.Human, Natural, Financial, Social, and Physical
  3. C.Household, National, Fiscal, Structural, and Public
  4. D.Historical, Natural, Forest, Social, and Private
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Human, Natural, Financial, Social, and Physical

Why

The five core capitals in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework are Human (H), Natural (N), Financial (F), Social (S), and Physical (P) capital.

Question 9

Under the International Law Commission (ILC) rules on international watercourses, which article contains the specific obligation not to cause significant harm to other basin states?

  1. A.Article 5
  2. B.Article 7
  3. C.Article 9
  4. D.Article 20
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Article 7

Why

The textbook states that an obligation not to cause significant harm to river basin states is written in Article 7 of the ILC document.

Question 10

Under the Aarhus Convention, what are the three recognized pillars of public participation in environmental governance?

  1. A.Access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice
  2. B.Public voting, tax exemption, and resource allocation
  3. C.Free legal aid, media coverage, and state oversight
  4. D.Environmental taxation, emission permits, and state subsidies
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice

Why

The Aarhus Convention sets out three pillars: the right of access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 3

Unit 3 runs from page 63 to page 91 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 266 pages

Download the PDF

All Grade 12 Geography short notes

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