IB ESS HL 8.2 Urban Systems and Planning Question Bank

[Maximum number: 1]

Figure:Examples of ecosystems in London

Figure:Climate graph for London

Figure:Green spaces in London

Figure:Fact file on London as a green city

London green space
- 47% of London is classified as green space.
- London has over 8 million trees and 13,000 species.
- Green spaces can provide ecosystem services such as habitat, air cleaning, cooling and flood mitigation.

With reference to Figure: Examples of ecosystems in London and Figure: Climate graph for London, identify an ecosystem found in London.

[Maximum number: 6]

Annual average concentrations of air pollutants in Beijing, 1998-2017

Transport in Beijing, 1999-2017

Green roof examples in Beijing

Central route of the South-North Water Diversion Project

Beijing could be considered a model of good environmental management. Discuss the validity of this statement with reference to the information provided in the resource booklet.

Figure In 2018, the Beijing Clean Air Action Plan included limiting car ownership with quotas of 100000 new car purchases per year.
Coal consumption was reduced from 30 million tonnes in 2005 to 4 million tonnes.
The plan created forested areas and green spaces including 5 urban forests, 21 green spaces, 10 leisure parks and 100 km of greenways.
Beijing has the potential to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Figure Beijing is water scarce. Water use per person has decreased, but total demand has increased because of population growth.
By 2020 about 70% of Beijing water was supplied from the South-North Water Diversion Project.
The project expanded the Danjiangkou dam and reservoir, transfers water over 1200 km to Beijing, generates hydroelectricity and provides flood control.

Figure China issued the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in 2015 to improve water quality by setting stricter standards, increasing monitoring and improving enforcement.
In 2018, 40% of surface water in Beijing was too polluted to use.

In 2018, 9.29 million tonnes of household waste were collected; about 40% went to landfill and 46% to incineration.
Beijing is building incinerators aiming for no waste going to landfill by 2035; waste-to-energy incinerators generate electricity.
In 2020 regulations included compulsory sorting of household waste, ending free supermarket plastic bags, and reducing waste at source.

Figure Beijing Zoo maintains an active breeding programme that recently produced over 1000 surviving offspring of nearly 100 species in one year, including critically endangered species and giant panda.
The Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau plans to plant at least one dead hedge in each city park; dead hedges use pruning/forestry waste and provide habitat for small mammals and reptiles.

Pros for model of good environmental management [4 max]
a. limiting population of the city would limit generation of air pollution/water pollution/waste generated/ecological footprint;
b. limiting factories in the city would limit $\mathrm{PM}_{2.5} / \mathrm{PM}_{10} / \mathrm{PM} /$ precursors of ozone/ $\mathrm{NO}_{2} / \mathrm{SO}_{2} /$ precursors of acid rain/GHGs;
c. the Beijing Clean Air Action Plan is limiting the number of private vehicles/has reduced use of coal which emit air pollutants (such as PMs/GHGs);
d. increasing green areas/dead hedges provides habitats for urban wildlife/wildlife corridors;
e. increasing green areas provides carbon sinks/helps absorb air pollutants;
f. creation of green areas/parks can help improve mental/physical well-being / provide areas for recreation;
g. through these environmental management strategies Beijing has potential to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 which would reduce its contribution to global warming/climate change;
h. policies/investment into prevention of air pollution has resulted in a reduction in pollution between 1998 and 2017 of $\mathrm{PM} / \mathrm{NO}_{2} / \mathrm{SO}_{2}$ ;
i. in recent years there has been an increase in the use of less polluting forms of transport such as bikes/subways and trains; j. the council has stricter standards/legislation/greater enforcement which limits water pollution;
k. the South-North Water Project ensures that Beijing has a reliable/safe supply of water;
I. South-North Water Project provides renewable hydroelectric power/flood control / use of hydroelectric power will reduce use of fossil fuels;
m . waste management strategy includes reduction of waste generation at source / use of waste to energy incinerators to generate electricity will reduce use of fossil fuels;
n. Beijing zoo has an active breeding program that has produced offspring of critically endangered species (e.g. Northern white cheeked gibbon, Guizhou snub-nosed monkey)/flagship species (e.g. Giant Panda);

Cons for model of good environmental management [4 max]
o. aging population increasing burden on health care/younger generation; p. reduction in working population reducing economic growth; q. despite cap on population in city, electricity demand continues to increase / electricity demand continues to increase which uses fossil fuels and releases GHGs;
r. ozone/PM ${ }_{2.5}$ continue to be above the WHO limits;
s. use of private cars continues to be high (about 30 % of all transport modes) which generate air pollutants / a lower proportion of people use bikes than in the past opting to use alternative modes of transport that create more air pollution;
t. a large proportion of rivers in Beijing ( 40 % ) are still highly polluted;
u. the South-North Water Project has diverted water away from other areas adversely affecting wildlife/communities downstream / construction of South-North Water Project has resulted in loss of wildlife habitats / extending the dam/constructing pipelines damages the soil and can lead to soil erosion;
v. dam scheme interferes with fish migratory routes / may cause seismic movement; w. incineration of waste creates air pollutants such as dioxins;
x. focus on popular flagship species (e.g. Giant Panda) may detract from funding/supporting other species with higher ecological value;
y. due to the interconnected nature of systems on earth, relocating factories to outside Beijing can still have an adverse effect on the planet (e.g. carbon dioxide emissions causing climate change);

Conclusion [1 max]

For example: Although air pollution has decreased since 1999, PM2.5 levels are above WHO safe limits throughout the year and therefore Beijing cannot yet be considered a good model of environmental management;
Although expanding the Danjiangkou dam provides more clean/renewable electricity for Beijing, it causes more loss of habitat for local species and demand of energy keeps rising; hence Beijing cannot be considered a model of good environmental management; Despite relatively high levels of PM2.5 recorded in 2015 and poor water quality in 2018, Beijing is moving in the right direction with implementation of the Beijing Clean Air Action Plan, stricter water quality standards and greening the city and hence Beijing can be considered a good model of environmental management;

A valid conclusion should be credited if it is explicit, balanced (addresses both sides of the argument) supported by evidence and makes a clear value judgement.
Do not credit the conclusion if only one side of the argument has been considered within the overall response.

Marking guidance: