IB ESS HL Topic 8 Populations and Urban Systems Question Bank

Year

Crude Birth Rate

1980

22.5-23

2024

5

(23-7.5/10 =) 1.55 Accept 1.5-1.6
Note to examiners: Allow 15-16 per thousand (Do not credit just 15-16)

Stage three (Late expanding);
Birth rates are falling (rapidly) and the death rates are falling/start stabilizing / CBR is still higher than CDR / NIR is relatively high, but decreasing;

Note to examiners: If stage is vague (3/4), unnamed or just wrong, there is no credit available for explanation (it is not clear what is being explained).

Decreasing birth rates due to:
a. Educating women for greater economic and reproductive independence;
b. Providing sex education so people understand how to control how many children to have / improved access to contraception;
c. Direct policies such as governing the number of children women can have;
d. Improved access to healthcare to reduce infant/child mortality rates;
e. public confidence that children will survive into adulthood, reducing the need for multiple children;
f. Investment in social security/pensions so people don't have to depend on children to care for them in later years;
g. Investment in agricultural technology so not as many children are needed to work;
h. Urbanization increasing the cost of raising children;
i. Rapid economic development/industrialization shifting priorities of adults to career;
j. Pro-small family campaigns in media/street posters;
k. Increased legal age of marriage, which increased age of first childbearing;

A population pyramid is shown in the rough shape of a stage 4/5 pyramid, the base and apex must be smaller than the middle (showing a clear decrease in lower and older age classes).

Award 1 mark if base narrows, and 1 mark if apex narrows
Axes do not need labelling for credit

NO/NO2/hydrocarbons;

impacts environment directly on emission / undergoes no chemical change before impacting environment / is active on emission;

Note: Even if response to 3(a) (i) is wrong full credit (ECF) can be given for appropriate definition of primary pollutant.

increase in fossil fuel combustion/increased traffic/transport/industry/power plants;

ozone is (a secondary pollutant) produced from nitrogen oxides/NOx reacting with oxygen;
it increases as more NOx accumulates in atmosphere due to human activity/fossil fuel use; sunlight/heat catalyses this reaction so it increases towards midday; later, ozone decreases due to dispersal by wind/less fossil fuel use/light becoming less intense;

Note: Do not credit any further detail of chemical process of ozone formation.

damages plants (crops and forests) / reduces photosynthesis/plant growth; increase susceptibility to diseases/other pollutants; habitat deterioration; change in water and nutrient cycles; loss of biodiversity; impacts human health eg eye irritation/respiratory illness; damages fabrics and rubber materials; contributes to global warming/climate change / adverse weather;

Note: Do not credit responses that address ozone depletion.

low-lying topography/valley/mountains/high-rise buildings; low windspeed/air movement; thermal inversion / hot humid days; high population density/heavy use of fossil fuels; cities closer to equator get more intense sunlight;

conversion/reduction of nitrogen oxides/carbon monoxide/hydrocarbons from cars;

Part (c) questions in Section B are all to be assessed using the markbands on page 18 with the guidance given below for each question.

Note to examiners: Do not accept improper rounding/no rounding.
(b) Outline how the total fertility rate of New Zealand shown in Table: Population statistics for New Zealand, 2022 will influence its future population.

a. Value/TFR (1.66) is below population replacement levels/needed to sustain population levels;
b. Will lead to long-term population decline;
c. Will lead to less working population to support elderly population/a smaller working population will be supporting a higher non-working/retired population;
d. This will require immigration of workforce/younger working-age people;