IB Geography SL case studies
IB Geography SL · Put your knowledge to work in context.
IB Geography SL is the standard-level geography course within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a two-year pre-university qualification taught in schools worldwide and assessed by external examinations plus an internally assessed fieldwork report. It suits students who want to understand how human activity and physical systems interact across scales - from a neighbourhood catchment to global climate patterns - and who are willing to support arguments with case-study evidence rather than memorised lists. The IB Geography SL case studies are 5 cases and about 2,971 words.
1Kestrel Bay: Ageing, Care Capacity and the Dependency Ratio
Kestrel Bay is a coastal municipality of 186,000 people. In 2025, 22% of residents were aged 65 or older, and the council projects this will reach 31% by 2040.
693 words, about 3 min2Vela Delta: Choosing Adaptation Under Budget and Political Constraints
Vela Delta is a low-lying coastal city of 1.2 million people. About 62% of its area lies below 3 m above sea level, and land is subsiding at roughly 2 cm per year while local sea level has risen about 4 mm per year.
587 words, about 3 min3Serin Basin: Allocating Water Across Three Countries
The Serin River basin is shared by three countries. Upstream Country A generates 68% of the basin's runoff and has built a hydropower dam that reduces dry-season flow to downstream Country B by an estimated 35%.
595 words, about 3 min4Arden Valley: Prioritising Earthquake Risk Reduction
Arden Valley is a rapidly growing city of 520,000 people built across a fault-bounded valley. A shallow fault lies 12 km from the city centre and last ruptured 140 years ago.
531 words, about 3 min5Tram Street: Designing a Defensible Internal Assessment
A student is completing the IB Geography internal assessment on how a new tram line has changed the retail environment along a 1.2 km street. The street has 84 ground-floor units, a mix of convenience stores, cafes, vacant units and a weekly market.
565 words, about 3 min