Case Studies

Migration of Animals: Caribou migrations in the Arctic Region 

Caribou migrations are the longest land migrations on Earth, with some herd traveling many miles yearly between winter and calming grounds. These migrations are primarily driven from the needs to access food resources (specifically on the tundra for calming and lush grazing during the summer). Also, they help caribou avoid predators and harsh winter conditions.

The Arctic's warming climate is altering Caribou migration patterns, with some researchers thinking the way Caribou, mouse and golden eagles are responding to these changes. Focusing on the Caribous, they seek out specific plants like lichens during different seasons and locations. With many herds having traditional migration routes, they can adjust these routes in response to changing environmental conditions such as climate change. Climate changes and habitat loss can negatively impact Caribou migration population and population sizes.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-17-1-7.htm, https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=caribou.printerfriendly, https://trustees.org/on-beings-and-biomes-caribou-and-their-migrations/

Climate Change Reporting: Majuro, Tarawa and Funafuti + Marshall Islands, Bangladesh

The rising sea levels create threats of more frequent and intense flooding as well as salt water intrusion into ground water resources. In Majuro (capital city of Marshall Islands), they have lost a significant number of land surface to the sea. Residents have to build seawalls to protect their homes from the tides. 

On other islands such as Tarawa of the Pacific Isalnd nation Kiritoati, residents have tried to reclaim land from the sea. However, the sea level rise overwhemled these attempts. Rice farming was the country's main economic activity so farmers are trying to adapt by change by turning their flooded rice paddles into salt paddles + minimize salt instead. This helps highlight the need for equitable social plans to help assist with the migration driven by climate change.

The population needs an opportunity to travel elsewhere by can't because of high cost transportation. The international Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) are NGOs that support migrants who are 'climate displaced' that address the social, political and economic inequalities that these refugees experience. The social inequality is reflected on the disproportionate amount of climate change impacts caused by wealthy countries, but have more significant impacts on how income countries with higher carbon emissions.

In 2015, the COP21 Plans had a task force which established the start of an important conservation in how to help refugees and global compacts were created, but contained a lack of available funding for the mitigation of climate impacts. Across the globe, the number of displaced people by sea level was estimated at 26 million in 2017 and can increase overtime. 

Source: AICE Environmental Management Book by Tana Scott pg 327 (also sourced on the resource page)

Aging Population: Japan's Aging Population Gap 

Japan is an HIC in Asia that is a stage 5 in the population pyramid. Japan's population is expected to decline 20% by the year 2055. The country has an increasing proportion of older dependents due to declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy. Fewer women are having babies due to changes in lifestyle. Women tend to start families later, and have fewer babies in their life time. Several factors are responsible for the aging population.

Firstly, there has been a decline in birth rates. Since the 1950s, Japan's birth rate been below the population's replacement level. Most women in Japan marry later in life. Some women expect to marry after the age of 50 and do not intend to have any children. 

Secondly, working married couple choose to have fewer children due to work pressure, the cost of raising a child and the cost of living. The old-age dependency ratio in Japan was estimated by the UN Statistics division to be 35.7% in 2022. The impacts of this high rate include the following:

• Lower tax revenues - The smaller workforce means less money is collected as tax. Retired people pay lower income tax. Therefore, there is pressure on the amount of money being collected by the government.

• Higher Tax Rates - The governments need to increase taxes to covert costs with fewer workers.

• Higher Government Spending - The governments are committed to paying pensions and benefits to guarantee a minimum income and standard of living for older people -> higher need for access to government health care and old age homes.

• Lower pension funds - People are living longer, pension funds have to stretch further -> Average income for retired people will decline 

• Pressure to raise the requirement age, Higher national debt, Greater pressure on health and social care services, and Increase pressure on public transport systems and older people are less likely to drive.

There have been solutions to challenging an aging population:

• Encourage more older people to remain in the workforce - increase the amount of tax being collected

• Increase in birth rates by encouraging couple to have children

• Encourage migration to increase the size of the workforce, but Japan is resistant to migration, as it is likely to result in the dilation of the country's culture and benefits.

With this issue, it creates negative impacts regarding funding, the governments change in spending and create more pressure in the workforce that the aging population is depending on. This could impact the overall productivity of Japan with less people entering in the workforce.

Source: AICE Environmental Management Book by Tana Scott pg 133 (also sourced on the resource page)

Rewilding: South Africa

The grassland biome in South Africa is mainly found on the high central plateau, the inland areas of Rwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape along the eastern side of South Africa. This biome has an extremely high biodiversity with a number of rare or endangered species. However, urbanization, overgrazing and timber production threaten this biome's existence.

Mondi Forestry Grassland Conservation Project:

In South Africa, a timber company known as Mondi Forestry is a multinational packaging and paper company that operates in more than 30 countries around the world / takes steps to conserve biodiversity in Natal. Mondi plants fast-growing trees such as pine trees. The wood from these trees is harvested and processed to make paper. In South Africa, these forests are often planted in grassland areas, resulting in the loss of natural vegetation and a decrease in the biodiversity. Mondi has a Grassland Programme learn responsible for taking steps to protect grassland areas that are on land they own, and which have not yet been affected by forestry activities. 

The Mt Gilboa nature reserve is situated within a forestry estate, where non-native timber species are grown for wood. It was the first forestry property proclaimed as a private nature reserve in Natal using the Environmental Biodiversity Stewardship mechanism. The grasslands in Mt Gilboa nature reserve are critically endangered Midland MistBelt Grasslands - home to endangered species. By protecting the habitat, the species are given refuge. 

The Mt Gilboa reserve protests the sensitive grasslands, incorporates the source of water of three Natal important river systems with associated pent wetlands which functions as water purification systems and help with flood production. Within the reserve, there are 238 hectares of critically endangered grasslands. The selection of this site, therefore protects biodiversity beyond its borders, as the headwaters of the longitudinal river ecosystems are also protected. This ensures clean from water in the upper reaches of the three rivers. 

With rewilding, it helps restore natural process and ecosystems, ultimately increasing species diversity and resilience. This can connect with the conservation and human impacts which negatively impact the biodiversity of species in the area. 

Source: AICE Environmental Management Book by Tana Scott pg 173, Biodiversity conservation in grasslands - Mt Gilboa Forestry Grassland Conservation Project (also sourced on the resource page)

Energy Security for LIC: Zimbabwe and Southeast Africa

LICs are often short on power even before threats to supply or future demands are considered. Lack of funds, skills, and in many cases, political, inertia, results in the energy security problem becoming greater over time instead of being managed. The cost of changing from existing power supplies to renewable ones are often too high for an LIC to manage. As a result, little to no change occurs.

Some factors affecting energy security:

• Supply diversity (energy mix): Limited energy options, declining HEP facilities and coal generated power. 80-90% of the population rely on wood fuel for lighting and cooking. 44% of their electricity is imported from Mozambique or South Africa.

• Economic and political stability: Economically and political unstable with limited investment

• Population growth rates: High fertility rates with rapid population growth rates, partially offset by high emigration rates

• Education: Decline in level of education within population due to high cost vs income ratio. Poverty limits access to secondary and tertiary education  skills required for further development limited.

• Drought: Zimbabwe relies heavily on HEP power from Kariba Dam. In the past, drought has reduced the flow of water into the dam and significantly reduced power output from the Kariba power station. 

• Rural/urban: Rural areas still have limited access to modern energy resources with only 5.8% of rural households having access to modern energy sources. 

• Power supply: In June 2012, shortages occurred of up to 30% of demand. 2020 saw power outages for up to 17 hours a day and significant increases in the price of electricity to the consumer.

• Price of energy: The government has increase the price of electricity the consumers to discourage usage and reduce pressure on power grid.

• Political stability, farming, medical care, industry, poverty and conflicts with the population.

With energy insecurity occurring for Zimbabwe, it can create gfood and water insecurity with poverty (more of the population struggles to put food on table) and drought (reduce flow of watere into dams, less access for the people).

Source: AICE Environmental Management Book by Tana Scott pg 210, Worlds apart: energy security at either end of the economic scale - LIC Zimbabwe (also sourced on the resource page)

Ozone Depletion/Climate Change: Antarctica and Southern Hemisphere

In the early 1980s, scientists identified damage the ozone layer caused by CFCs (Chloroflurorocarbons). A hole in the ozone layer opened up over Antarctica and depletion was identified at mid latitudes. Scientists urged global regulation to control the use of CFCs. Ozone depleting substances are found throughout the stratosphere because of wind carrying them great distances.

Very low temperatures at different levels in the stratosphere over large areas of Antarctica in wind time causes polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) to form. Chemical reactions in PSCs substantially increase the abundance of reactive chlorine which resulted in the formation of the ozone layer. The problem was worse because the stratospheric air in the Antarctica region is relatively isolated from other regions for long periods of time. This is due to winds that encircle the poles during winter months, creating a polar vortex. This prevents mixing, which causes chlorine the persist over the arctic. 

Source: AICE Environmental Management Book by Tana Scott pg 288, Ozone depletion over Antarctica section (also sourced on the resource page)

More ideas to look at:
- Brazil/South America's conservation/human impacts with deforestation

-Tourism in Antarctica with climate changes (Antarctica Treaty 1991, from Cambridge Case Studies)

-Food Aid or Rationing in Uganda and East Africa (Food security in Uganda: the role of agroecology, from Cambridge Case Studies)

-Swedish 'trash storage' with Waste Disposal Methods/E-Waste

-Water Security/Pollution in East Africa (East African Water Crisis)

-Ozone Depletion/Photochemical Smog in Delhi (in the YouTube playlist)

These are some case studies I studied before the exam, here are some more that I complied in a youtube playlist:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHHUNHDCk89REPXDwvix8tjo5wT1evOrA

Some of these videos are long, but you don't have to watch through it all or take a lot of notes on it. As long as you get the gist and know how it connects to any of the AICE Environmental Management topics 2-8 (yes, all topics), you will be fine.