Defining Development
- Development is the progress (improvements) that countries make
- The progress improves the lives of the population and makes the country more independent
- For example, improving water infrastructure so more people have a supply of clean water
- Development does not happen in a smooth, continuous process.
- A range of factors may slow, halt, and even reverse development, including:
- War/conflict
- Disease
- Disasters
- Economic recession
Strands of Development
- Progress is not just about a country's wealth but also other areas
- These are called strands of development and include:
- Economic - increasing levels of pay, the standard of living and productivity
- Demographic - life expectancy, birth control, the right to migrate
- Social - equal opportunities, access to services such as education and healthcare
- Cultural - education, diversity, traditions and heritage
- Political - free speech, democracy, human rights and the right to vote
- Environmental - pollution controls, conservation
Economic Development
- Economic development is often the key to development in all the other areas
- This is dependent on three things:
- Resources: Every country has both natural resources (minerals, soils, climate etc...) and human resources (workers, capital, technology, etc...)
- Internal boosters: These are things which help to utilise the resources for example government intervention, businesses
- External boosters: These are from outside the country and include Transnational Corporations (TNCs), globalisation and international agencies
- Levels of development vary on a local, national and international scale
- There are differences between areas of the same city, the same country and between countries
- At the international level, the development of a country can be categorised into one of three groups:
- Developed - a country with very high human development
- Emerging - a country with high or medium human development
- Developing - a country with low human development