IGCSE Geography / Development and human welfare

What contributes to development revision notes

Edexcel International GCSE Geography (4GE1), chapter 9: Development and human welfare, specification point 9.1b. Free lesson.

Watch the video lesson · IGCSE Geography past papers

Development depends on economic, social, technological and cultural factors, as well as basic food and water security. These factors raise human welfare and depend on one another, so a problem in one area can hold back the others.

Four kinds of factor contribute to development

A factor is anything that helps bring about a result. Development has several causes, and each can improve people’s welfare. If one is missing, it can hold a country back. Economic factors include jobs, trade and investment, which is money put into new businesses. Jobs and trade can raise wages, while tax revenue can pay for services. Social factors include education, health care and the position of women. Education and health care help create skilled, healthy workers. Girls who stay in school can earn more later and have more choices. Technological factors include transport,…

Food and water security are basic needs

Food security and water security are basic factors because people need enough food and clean water to be healthy and take part in work and education. Food security means everyone can get enough safe, nutritious food, all the time. In 2025, 645 million people were undernourished, meaning they did not get enough food to stay healthy. This was 8% of the world’s population and 1 in 5 people in Africa. Water security means a reliable supply of enough clean water. Safely managed drinking water is clean water available at home whenever it is needed. In 2024, 2.1 billion people had no…

The factors feed into one another

Development factors are connected in a loop. For example, clean water can improve health, which supports education and skills. Higher incomes can then provide tax revenue to improve services, including water supplies. A clean, reliable water supply means fewer people catch diseases from dirty water, so health improves. Children miss less school, and girls do not have to spend the day fetching water. This supports more schooling. Educated children can become skilled workers and earn more. This links a social gain to an economic gain. Higher incomes mean more tax. The government can spend it on…

Explain the link to people’s welfare

For a developed answer, do not just name a factor. Explain the chain showing how it affects people’s lives. For example, education gives people skills, so they can get better-paid jobs. This raises incomes and provides more tax for services. Technology can contribute in two ways. Better roads and railways lower the cost of moving goods, so farmers and factories can sell to more markets and earn more. Mobile phones provide banking and information, so people can run small businesses and raise their incomes.

More lessons in Development and human welfare