How Can we Reduce the Global Development Gap?

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Strategies to Reduce the Global Development Gap

Below are some of the strategies used to try and reduce the global development gap:

Debt relief

Poor countries often borrow money to build infrastructure and develop their economies.
But because they are poor countries, lending to them is risky. Because of this, they have to pay a higher interest rate on their loans.
In 2005, Malawi was spending 9.6% of its GNI on paying its debts & interest. This was double Malawi's spending on healthcare.
In 2015, the Ivory Coast received $7.7bn worth of debt relief.

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Aid

Aid can come from governments or from charitable foundations (like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
The UK gives 0.7% of GNI as aid to foreign countries.
The top 5 recipients of the UK's foreign aid are Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
This foreign aid can be spent on basic healthcare supplies, vaccinations, food, water, infrastructure projects and things that improve the lives of people living in poorer nations.

Fair trade

The Fairtrade Foundation was created in 1997, aiming to pay farmers fairly for the goods that they produce (usually primary products).
This increases farmers' quality of life, by asking consumers to pay more money for Fairtrade products.
Coffee, cocoa (for chocolate) and bananas are crops that are part of the Fairtrade movement.

Using intermediate technology

Intermediate technology does not require much government support or many institutions for it to be used.
Products like solar cookers (which can cook food or boil water powered by the sun's rays), solar-powered LED lights, water filtration systems, and more effective water pumps are all examples of intermediate technologies.
They aim to improve people's lives on a micro-level, similar to micro-finance.
These innovations can improve and save lives without much government support.

Strategies to Reduce the Global Development Gap

Below are some more strategies that are used to try and reduce the global development gap:

Industrial development

Industrial development includes improving a country's exports, improving infrastructure, improving a workforce's skills and having a strategy to increase productivity, grow and export.
South Korea's Ministry of Culture has contributed to the rise of K-Pop and other Korean exports, whilst Singapore's industrial strategy has focused on physical trade, zero corruption, and professional services.

Tourism

Tourists travel to a country, spend their money in the country, and create lots of local jobs.
Tourism is an export for low-income countries.
Travel and tourism supports 10% of all jobs in Indonesia.

Microfinance loans

Microfinance loans using platforms like KIVA allows people to give very small loans to people living in low-income countries.
By 2020, KIVA had lent $1.4bn to some of the lowest-income entrepreneurs in the world.
These loans can let people set up local businesses or expand existing businesses to more towns.
Local banking systems may not work very well, so microfinance loans could be a solution for lots of people.

1Physical Geography

1.1River Environments

1.1.1Weathering

1.1.2Mass Movement

1.1.3Erosion

1.1.4Transportation

1.1.5Deposition

1.1.6River Landforms: Waterfalls & Gorges

1.1.7River Landforms: Interlocking Spurs

1.1.8River Landforms: Flood Plains

1.1.9River Landforms: Point Bars

1.1.10River Landforms: Levees

1.1.11River Landforms: Meanders

1.1.12River Landforms: Oxbow Lakes

1.1.13River Landscape Changes: Long Profile

1.1.14River Landscape Changes: Cross Profile

1.1.15Vertical & Lateral Erosion

1.1.16Flood Risk Factors

1.1.17Human Activities on Rivers

1.1.18River Management: Hard Engineering

1.1.19River Management: Soft Engineering

1.1.20Case Study: The River Eden - Landforms

1.1.21Case Study: The River Eden - Climate

1.1.22Case Study: The River Eden - Geology

1.1.23Case Study: The River Eden - Management

1.1.24Case Study: The River Eden - Human Activity

1.1.25End of Topic Test - River Environments

1.2Coastal Environments

1.3Hazardous Environments - Tropical Cyclones

1.3.1Characteristics of a Tropical Cyclone

1.3.2Structure of a Tropical Cyclone

1.3.3Physical Hazards of Tropical Cyclones

1.3.4The Impacts of Tropical Cyclones

1.3.5Responses to Tropical Cyclones

1.3.6Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones

1.3.7Preparing for Tropical Cyclones

1.3.8Case Study: Katrina

1.3.9Case Study: Nargis

1.4Hazardous Environments - Earthquakes & Volcanoes

1.4.1Earthquakes

1.4.2Features of an Earthquake

1.4.3Types of Earthquake

1.4.4Case Study: L'Aquila

1.4.5Case Study: Chile

1.4.6Case Study: Japan & Pakistan - Planning

1.4.7Volcanoes

1.4.8Types of Volcanoes

1.4.9Volcanic Eruptions

2Human Geography

2.1Economic Activity & Energy

2.1.1Increasing Energy Consumption

2.1.2Non-Renewable Energy - Nuclear

2.1.3Non-Renewable Energy - Fossil Fuels

2.1.4Renewable Energy - Solar

2.1.5Renewable Energy - Water & Bio

2.1.6Renewable Energy - Hydro

2.1.7Energy - Statistical Skills

2.2Rural Environments

2.2.1Rainforests

2.2.2Temperate Forests

2.2.3Characteristics of a Temperate Forest

2.2.4Goods & Services in Temperate Forests

2.2.5Deserts

2.2.6Tundra

2.3Urban Environments

2.3.1Urbanisation in Different Countries

2.3.2Causes of Urbanisation

2.3.3Consequences of Urbanisation

2.3.4Sustainable Urbanisation

2.3.5Case Study: Rapid Urbanisation in Mexico City

2.3.6End of Topic Test - Urbanisation

3Global Issues

3.1Fragile Environments & Climate Change

3.1.1Natural Causes of Climate Change

3.1.2Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

3.1.3Effects of Climate Change on People

3.1.4Impacts of Deforestation

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Climate Change

3.1.6Increasing Water Supply

3.1.7Sustainable Rainforest Management

3.2Globalisation & Migration

3.2.1Globalisation - Transport

3.2.2Globalisation - Communication Networks & Banking

3.2.3Push & Pull Factors

3.2.4TNCs & Globalisation

3.2.5Tourism Landscapes

3.2.6The Growth of Tourism

3.2.7The Economic Benefits of Tourism

3.2.8The Social & Cultural Benefits of Tourism

3.2.9The Economic Costs of Tourism

3.2.10The Social & Cultural Costs of Tourism

3.2.11Managing Tourism - Sustainability

3.2.12Managing Tourism - Quotas & Tourism Hubs

3.3Development & Human Welfare

3.3.1Ways of Defining Development

3.3.2Different Ways of Measuring Development