Human Geography and Regional Development: HDI, Disparity and Sustainability
Human Geography and Regional Development examines well-being, inequality between regions, and the links between globalisation, sustainability and local livelihoods. The exam tests whether you can distinguish growth from development and interpret development indicators.
Core concepts
- Development is a qualitative improvement in well-being; growth is an increase in output or income.
- Human Development Index combines three dimensions: health, education and standard of living. Health uses life expectancy; education uses mean and expected years of schooling; income uses gross national income per capita. The three dimension indices are combined geometrically.
- Regional disparity means unequal development between areas. In Maharashtra, Mumbai and parts of Pune and Konkan score high on many indicators, while parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada lag in irrigation, industrial investment and some health and education measures.
- Sustainable development meets present needs without reducing future options. It integrates economic, social and environmental goals.
Worked example
Region A has high per capita income but low life expectancy and low school completion; Region B has lower income but near-universal schooling and longer life expectancy. A higher HDI for B is possible because HDI is not an income ranking. Income is only one dimension, and the geometric mean penalises weakness in any dimension. The reasoning is that a region cannot compensate for poor health or education with money alone.
Traps
Do not equate HDI with GDP per capita. Do not treat literacy rate as identical to the education index. Growth can occur without development. Sustainability is not only pollution control; it also involves equity and resource use.