Case Studies

Question 1

Japan - ageing population

Answer 1

• stage 5 of dtm
• 86 life expectancy
• 70/1000 dependency ratio
• 28% under 65

Question 2

Burdens of ageing population

Answer 2

• shrinking of working population; fewer children born, more people enter retirement age
• benefit payments grow at a faster rate; expanding gap between insurance costs + revenue
• labour force shortages; greater caregiving needs for ill, adults more likely to require medical attention

Question 3

Solutions to ageing population

Answer 3

• promote healthier lifestyles; people work for longer leading to higher productivity, higher saving rates, lower medical expenses and increased foreign direct investment
• raise ages for retirement + pension eligibility; slowly raise pension eligibility from 60 to 65

Question 4

Food shortages; South Sudan

Answer 4

• war torn states
• 1955 conflict between Christian’s and Muslim’s
• South Sudan is landlocked - experiences periods of high precipitation
• food insecurity; 2019 flooding increased weed, pests + diseases in crop field limiting forage available
• South Sudan’s economy; 75% take part in agricultural production, 80% live in farms

Question 5

Issues causing food shortages;

Answer 5

• HIV/AIDS; typically children are more vulnerable 53/1000 death rate, 58 life expectancy, high rates of malnutrition=higher vulnerability, harder to access medicine, high IFR and high youthful population=overpopulation
• Natural disasters; flooding leads to poisoning of water sources and spreading of diseases (cholera)
• Refugee displacement
• War/conflict; cattle raids interior natural grazing patterns of cows, can lead to overpopulation as a result of war leading to desertification and overgrazing of land, inflate food prices and reduce availability causing famine and unemployment

Question 6

Consequences of food shortages

Answer 6

• famine and malnutrition; increases vulnerability to diseases
• 4 million people (40%) are short of food
• 70000 people died from hunger/disease in the civil war
• Aid workers stopped WFP

Question 7

Youthful country; Uganda

Answer 7

• life expectancy is 63
• stage 2 of dtm
• mean age of birth for mothers is 19
• 25% urban population
• population of 47000000

Question 8

Issues of an youthful population Uganda

Answer 8

• civil war; higher chances
• demand for environmental resources; increased land fragmentation and a decrease in soil fertility causes crop yields to fail
• rural-urban migration; 53 million in urban, 51 million in rural, annual urban growth is 5.2%, youth migrate to urban areas due to lack of economic opportunities in rural areas, inadequate land access, family access
• housing; overcrowding, slums, very few have access to electricity and safe drinking water, 24 million housing deficit
• employment issues; results in not enough money for education
• poverty; 35.9% live on poorest wealth
• poor education; high ration of teacher to students 1:50, education is rigid, no family planning knowledge, 1/4 dont reach end of primary, 83% of 10 year olds dont read by end of primary
• poor nutrition; majority unable to afford agriculture inputs, 16700 children die per year
• high IFR; poor healthcare and nutrition, children prone to communicable diseases due to poor hygiene and sanitation

Question 9

Solutions to youthful population

Answer 9

• better family planning; women have right to decide number of children they want, better access to contraception 40% dont use protection
• education; woman with secondary education marry 3-4 years later than women with no education
• family planning services; reduce fertility levels and increase economic age group (adults)
• government incentives; promote parenthood and limit subsidies to first 2 children, educating people on contraception can reduce issues with overpopulation