ee.4 Extreme environments futures

Unit Contents

• ee.4.1 Desertification
• ee.4.2 Increasing competition for access - Oil extraction in northern Alaska
• ee.4.3 New technology and sustainable development in extreme environments
• ee.4.4 Global climate change in extreme environments

ee.4 Extreme environments futures is part of the Extreme environments geographic theme (Paper 1). The geographic inquiry for this sub-topic is: future possibilities for managing extreme environments and their communities

---

Geographic inquiry: Future possibilities for managing extreme environments and their communities

• The causes, acceleration, consequences and management of desertification, including land use, conflict and climate change
  • One case study illustrating the human and physical dimensions of desertification
• Increasing competition for access to resources in extreme environments, including the role of indigenous groups, civil society organizations, transnational corporations (TNCs) and militia groups
  • One case study to highlight the issues
• New technology and sustainable development in extreme environments, including greater use of solar power and desalination
• The impacts and management of global climate change in extreme environments, including adaptation by local populations

---