Transcript Ec Pol Soc Factors Affecting Development

HIGHER GRADE MODERN STUDIES
The
Social, Economic and Political Factors
Affecting African Development
 ‘Developing World’ is a term used to describe countries where people have low
standards of living because poverty and hunger are widespread and where civil
unrest and war frequently occur.
 Many developing world countries suffer from hunger and malnutrition although not all people in developing countries are poor.
Where is the Developing World?
EQUATOR
Developing Countries
 Many developing countries lie South of the Equator.
 Africa is a continent with major problems which have impacted on its progress
•Although not every African country will have all of the features outlined
below, many will have some of them………………..

Low average income per head

Many work on the land

Unemployment is high

Medical care is poor

Large debt burden
Growing population, esp. among
under 15s


Poor roads and communications
Education poor by Western
standards

Civil war or war with neighbouring
countries common

ECONOMIC FACTORS
The ability of
countries in
Africa to
progress is
hampered by
various factors
namely:
POLITICAL FACTORS
SOCIAL FACTORS
Effects of Debt
Effects of Cash Crops
and Terms of Trade
• Africa faces demands of
$14.5 billion in debt
repayments every year.
• A condition
 Now worldwide
campaignoftogetting
cancelmoney
debt of poor countries.
from the World Bank or IMF is
often the requirement to grow
cash crops
 UK has cancelled 100% of debt owed to
• Idea is that country can use
it.
money to generate income
• Much of this has been
borrowed from IMF or World
Bank
•They often attach ‘conditions’
(SAPs) when lending money
– this can lead to hardship for
countries involved.
• But can lead to overproduction
 In 2005 theand
three
collapse
main lenders,
of pricesthe IMF
and the African Development fund, agreed
• ‘Free markets’ culture favours
to relieve the debts of 30 African Countries
developed countries
Land Tenure
• 60% of African land still in hands of subsistence farmers- 8 out of 10 are women
who do not own the land they farm. Also not educated in farming methods.
• Because land held in man’s name, little incentive to improve it. People need
security of tenure to encourage time and investment in land.
How Debt Can Cripple A Country

Zambia was once one of Africa’s richest countries.
Now it is poorer than it was in 1975!

In the early 2000s it had one of the lowest life
expectancy rates in the world at 33 years.

In 2004, Zambia spent 7.35% of its GDP to repay
its debt – twice what it spent on education.

To meet its debts, Zambia has had to privatise its
public services and take in foreign imports.

ZAMBIA
Because of this, Zambia could not address its
health, educational and economic needs……..

in 2005, the G8 summit cancelled $4bn of
debt. This has enabled the Zambian Government to
introduce free healthcare and to invest in education
Effects of War / Civil War
Effects of Bad Governance
• Armed conflicts now a leading
• Police cannot be trusted
cause of hunger
• Human rights abused
• Wars destroy economic and
social development
• Taxes not efficiently collected
• Key services not delivered
•They destroy communications
‘A key difficulty
for Africa in the past forty
years
been the
• Poor
legalhas
system
• Genocide
and killings can
reduce
workforces
weakness
ofdrastically
governance’ (Commission for
Africa Report)
• Widespread
corruption
• Land can be rendered useless
• Many dictatorships
forWhat
generations
(eg.
mines)
is meant by ‘Bad Governance’?
Kleptocracies
• Kleptocracy linked to bad governance
• A Kleptocracy is where a dictator or elite group exercise their power to the
benefit of themselves at the expense of the population at large.
• Corruption is ignored because keeps powerful people (eg. military elite)
content since their wellbeing is linked to that of those in power.
 Huge losses of civilian life –
destruction of villages and whole
societies
 Displacement of people
(refugees)
 Affects women and
children – traumatised
by conflict – cannot
return to normal lives
 Emergency aid
disrupted by conflict (eg.
Sudan)
 Governments block food
supplies to starve enemies
 Essential money for health,
education diverted to war effort
– disease/illness increase
 Food becomes a weapon
‘scorched earth’ policies –
livestock killed, wells poisoned
How Corruption and Mismanagement Can Affect a Country
 Zimbabwe was once the economic leader in
Africa but poor management by government has
caused economic disaster
 The dictatorial president, Robert Mugabe
introduced a land distribution policy which
drove many white farmers off the land, crippling
commercial farming & food production.
 The country has major economic problems
caused by government. IMF suspended financial
aid because country cannot meet financial goals.
 Vote-rigging and terrorisation by thugs have
crushed much political opposition. Opponents
denied food aid. Journalists banned from country.
ZIMBABWE
Health Issues
Education Issues
• Massive AIDS epidemic in
• Low literacy levels
Africa – 25.4m living with HIV
• Low enrollment levels, even in
primary schools
• Many countries have lost
20-30 years of life expectancy
• Debt owed by many countries
means free education has ended
for many
• Brings major problems to
economy & health systems –
people too ill to work.
• Skilled jobs for bulk of people
just a ‘dream’
Land Tenure & Women
• Many African Women
denied right to own land
• But women play a key role
in farming!
• Excluded from agricultural
training but do most farming!
Poor Farming
In Botswana, almost
40% of country has HIV
• Deforestation, overgrazing
and overcropping are
exhausting the land
• Poor irrigation
• Leads to desertification
• Affects lifestyles
The Impact of Aids on an African Country
AIDs and Botswana – Facts and Figures
(2003)
Population of Botswana
approx. 1,650,000
Est. % living with AIDS
37% of population
Est. no. HIV/AIDS deaths
33,000
Women as % of adults with HIV/AIDs
58%
Women aged 15-24 with HIV/AIDs
30 – 45% (est.)
Men aged 15-24 with HIV/AIDS
13 – 19% (est.)
Number of AIDs orphans
120,000 (est.)
BOTSWANA
How AIDS Affects Development.
•Health - Direct costs of AIDs include expenses
for drugs, medical care, funeral expenses.
•Indirect costs include lost time due to illness,
recruitment/training costs to replace workers etc.
•Pressure on hospitals – cannot cope
•Economy - Young adults lost in most productive
years. Affects overall economic output.
Aids impacts severely
on the economic and
social fabric of
countries. It also
strikes people in the
most productive age
groups and is
invariably 100% fatal
•Agricultural output slumps as workers die and
young children not capable of taking their place.
•Education- children do not go to school as they
are needed as carers at home or to work in the
fields. Teachers die of AIDs – not replaced.
•Social – developing infrastructures (eg. roads)
means many male workers spend time away from
families – engage in casual sex – spread AIDs