DRC Case Study info Flashcards
(35 cards)
Why can aid hinder development in the DRC?
The DRC receives hundreds of millions of dollars of aid annually but there are a network of fraudsters who have embedded themselves within the humanitarian organisations and have created corrupt practices
What are the positive impacts of trade in the DRC?
The DRC is in a trade surplus, making money which can then be invested into infrastructure such as hospitals and schools
What are the negative impacts of trade in the DRC?
The DRC has a narrow economic base highly dependent on the primary sector
What are the negative impacts of education on development?
Cost of schooling is a barrier to many
Gender inequalities - some families sending boys over girls if they don’t have enough money
What are the positive impacts of education on development?
Children can get better qualifications and escape the poverty cycle
What are the positive impacts of healthcare on development?
Malaria rates are decreasing (-40% in the last 10 years)
Compared to 50% of children going to school in 2000, this has increased to 80%
What are the positive and negative impacts of technology?
Only 1% of the population have a landline
What are the negative impacts of healthcare on development?
10% of children die before their 5th birthday
What is the level of development in the DRC
LIDC
Describe the case study in a nut shell
Previous Belgian colony struggling with life after independence.
Blessed with physical resources but currently seems unable to convert this in to economic progress.
A bright future awaits for a booming population when/if current issues can be resolved and DRC has the capacity to be a real continental powerhouse.
What is DRC’s coastline access?
DRC is not landlocked.
DRC has a small coastline with few ports.
It’s chief port of Matadi allows access to global sea lanes and global trade, stimulating development
Shape of DRC means it is still expensive and time consuming to get goods in/out of country
How does DRC’s neighbours have an effect on the country?
Politically volatile neighbours means DRC gets swept in to their conflicts (e.g. Hosted Rwandan refugees after Rwandan genocide = costly)
Neighbours are LIDCs with small purchasing power = limited trade opportunities
What is the climate of the DRC
On Equator and therefore in between Hadley cells = hot and wet (tropical and equatorial)
What are the impacts of high rainfall
High rainfall can be a cause of intense flooding. This can lower/damage crop yields, erode fertile soils and increase food insecurity, which would hinder development.
For example, heavy rains in January 2018 caused severe flooding, landslides and silting in nine communes of Kinshasa, affecting more than 15,700 people and claiming 51 lives.
What are the impacts of varied rainfall on the DRC?
Water quantity and quality very low in some parts of the year = healthcare issues
Dry then wet = flash flooding = damage to infrastructure
What are the impacts of high temperatures rainfall on the DRC?
Leads to spread of vector- and water-borne diseases e.g. Malaria
300,000 children under 5 killed every year due to malaria
How do the ecosystems of the DRC impact the country?
Tropical rainforests
- Useful for timber exports and tourism (e.g. gorillas in VNP)
- Difficult to move around
Large parts covered by Congo River Basin (world’s second largest drainage basin)
- Normally good for trade but Congo River has lots of waterfalls and is not navigable
How to DRC’s natural resources positively impact the country?
Diamonds, cobalt (used for jet engine parts; and to be used for new car batteries - a growing market) and copper.
- These are good for export currency - But might they also be a resource curse (e.g. Blood diamonds)
When did DRC gain independence from Belgium?
1960
What are the benefits of colonialism on DRC
Some transport infrastructure and mining infrastructure built
What are the negatives of colonialism on DRC?
Resources extracted (huge rubber plantations)
Conflict with Belgium - up to 10m died under Belgian rule
In what way is the DRC heading out of dictatorship?
2019 first set of ‘fair’ elections
What are the biggest imports for the DRC?
Food, transport equipment and machinery
From EU, South Africa and China
What are the biggest exports for the DRC?
85% exports from mining - cobalt, copper, diamonds, gold, petrol
To China, EU and Middle East
Exports generate revenue which triggers multiplier effect in the country
