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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 12 Geography unit 7: Contemporary global geographic issues and public concerns

Everything here is for unit 7 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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Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 7
187–216
The textbook pages for unit 7

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The Temari lesson on unit 7

A short video lesson on this chapter, made by Temari. It loads only when you press play.

Three kinds of drought, and what brings them · 4 min · 2 past exam questions worked through

Parts of the lesson

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What unit 7 covers

  1. 1.Climate Change
  2. 2.Desertification
  3. 3.Drought
  4. 4.Famine

Short notes for unit 7

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

Insecurity FormDurationPrimary Cause
ChronicContinuousPersistent inability of a household to purchase or produce enough food.
TransitoryTemporaryShort-term decline in food access from price spikes or production shocks.

When you use it

Use when classifying food security challenges and identifying the root mechanism of famine.

Watch out

Famine is the worst form of transitory food insecurity, rather than a permanent state of chronic food insecurity.

Drafted from Grade 12 Geography, pages 187-216, then checked twice before it went up

Drought TypePrimary FocusKey Characteristic
MeteorologicalPrecipitation deficitRainfall falls significantly below the long-term average for a region.
HydrologicalWater resource deficitStream flows, lake levels, and groundwater fall below normal requirements.
AgriculturalSoil moisture deficitWater shortage directly impedes crop growth and disrupts the rural economy.

When you use it

Use when distinguishing between meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural droughts.

Watch out

Do not treat these three terms as interchangeable synonyms. Hydrological drought can occur in an irrigated basin downstream due to rainfall deficits upstream, even if local rainfall is normal.

Drafted from Grade 12 Geography, pages 187-216, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 7

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 textbook, at what rate are global sea levels currently rising per year?

  1. A.0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters)
  2. B.1.50 inches (38 millimeters)
  3. C.3.50 inches (88.9 millimeters)
  4. D.0.01 inches (0.25 millimeters)
Show the answer and why

Answer: A 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters)

Why

The textbook states that melting ice contributes to sea-level rise and global sea levels are rising at a rate of 0.13 inches (3.2 millimeters) a year.

Question 2

How does the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) define desertification?

  1. A.The natural expansion of hyper-arid sand dunes into wet forest regions
  2. B.Human induced land degradation in dry and sub-humid regions
  3. C.A permanent drop in ocean water levels caused by global cooling
  4. D.The complete loss of topsoil due solely to volcanic activity
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Human induced land degradation in dry and sub-humid regions

Why

The UNCCD defines desertification as human induced land degradation in dry and sub-humid regions.

Question 3

Which type of drought is defined using only precipitation statistics below long-term averages for a specific location?

  1. A.Hydrological drought
  2. B.Agricultural drought
  3. C.Meteorological drought
  4. D.Socioeconomic drought
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Meteorological drought

Why

Meteorological drought describes a reduction in rainfall below a specified amount based solely on precipitation statistics.

Question 4

According to the World Bank (1986), what term describes a temporary decline in a household's access to enough food?

  1. A.Chronic food insecurity
  2. B.Transitory food insecurity
  3. C.Permanent entitlement failure
  4. D.Agricultural aridity
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Transitory food insecurity

Why

Transitory food insecurity is defined as a temporary decline in a household's access to food, which in its worst form produces famine.

Question 5

Which drought index was developed in the United States in 1965 as a soil moisture algorithm based on precipitation, temperature, and local available soil water content, with values ranging from -6 to +6?

  1. A.Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)
  2. B.Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI)
  3. C.Crop Moisture Index (CMI)
  4. D.Satellite Vegetative Health Index (VHI)
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)

Why

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) was the first index developed in the United States (1965) to evaluate long-term drought using soil water balance equations.

Question 6

Irrigated farms along the River Nile in Egypt may experience water shortages because of low rainfall in the Ethiopian Highlands. What form of drought does Egypt experience in this scenario?

  1. A.Local meteorological drought
  2. B.Hydrological drought
  3. C.Atmospheric drought
  4. D.Permanent aridity
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Hydrological drought

Why

A hydrological drought involves a reduction in stream flows, lakes, or aquifers. Egypt experiences hydrological drought when river discharge drops due to low rainfall in the upstream Ethiopian Highlands.

Question 7

Based on the predicted global climate impacts in Table 7.1, what major event is projected to occur with a 1.5 °C temperature rise?

  1. A.Complete melting of Greenland ice, causing a 7-meter sea-level rise
  2. B.Complete shutdown of the global thermohaline circulation
  3. C.A 50% loss of all coastal wetlands worldwide
  4. D.Extinction of all alpine plant and insect species
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Complete melting of Greenland ice, causing a 7-meter sea-level rise

Why

Table 7.1 shows that a 1.5 °C temperature rise will cause the complete melting of Greenland ice, resulting in an estimated 7-meter rise in sea levels.

Question 8

In the traditional natural resource management system of the Gumuz people, who is believed to be the supreme deity that created natural resources as a blessing?

  1. A.Missa
  2. B.Seera
  3. C.Yamba
  4. D.Dhadacha
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Yamba

Why

The Gumuz believe that vital natural resources are the gift and creation of Yamba (the supreme deity), while Missa are the poly-spirits guarding individual resources.

Question 9

According to the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) classification table in the textbook, what drought category corresponds to an SPI value between -1.5 and -1.99?

  1. A.Moderately dry
  2. B.Severely dry
  3. C.Extremely dry
  4. D.Near normal
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Severely dry

Why

Table 7.2 classifies an SPI measurement of -1.5 to -1.99 as Severely dry. Values of -2.0 and less are classified as Extremely dry.

Question 10

In East Africa, desertification severely threatens grazing lands. What percentage of Kenya's total land area is composed of these vulnerable marginal grazing lands?

  1. A.45%
  2. B.60%
  3. C.70%
  4. D.85%
Show the answer and why

Answer: D 85%

Why

The textbook highlights that Kenya is threatened by desertification especially in its grazing marginal lands, which cover 85% of the country.

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

The textbook pages for unit 7

Unit 7 runs from page 187 to page 216 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 266 pages

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All Grade 12 Geography short notes

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