O-LevelPakistan StudiesThe environment of PakistanMay/June 2023 · Q125 Marks

Study Fig. 1.1, a map showing southern Pakistan and surrounding countries.

(a)(i)On Fig. 1.1 label the following: Afghanistan, India, Iran. You should write the name in the correct location on the map.[3]
(a)(ii)Add a dot and the letter K onto Fig. 1.1 to show the location of Karachi.[1]
(a)(iii)Using Fig. 1.1 only, what is the approximate length of Pakistan's coastline? Circle the correct answer. 500 km 1000 km 1500 km[1]
(a)(iv)Name the rivers labelled X and Y on Fig. 1.1. X Y[2]
(b)Suggest four ways in which rivers are important to Pakistan.[4]
(c)(i)Study Fig. 1.2 (Insert), a photograph showing part of the Karakoram range. Describe the natural features of the landscape shown.[4]
(c)(ii)Explain two ways in which the natural topography shown in Fig. 1.2 influences human activities. You should develop your answer.[4]
(d)Water is a valuable resource for the continued sustainable development of Pakistan. Read the following two views about providing water: A Water pollution is the biggest threat to the continued provision of water supplies. B A shortage of dams is the biggest threat to the continued provision of water supplies. Which view do you agree with more? Give reasons to support your answer and refer to examples you have studied. You should consider view A and view B in your answer.[6]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] Afghanistan correctly labelled on map.
[1] India correctly labelled on map.
[1] Iran correctly labelled on map.
[1] Dot and K correctly placed on Karachi.
[1] 1000 km circled.
[1] X: River Hub (Hab)
[1] Y: River Ravi
[1] source of water/create reservoirs (domestic use/people to drink)
[1] to provide a source of food/fish (to eat)
[1] for transport (people/goods)
[1] to provide nutrients/alluvium to the soil/flood plain/mangroves
[1] for farming/agriculture/irrigation (of fields/crops)
[1] for livestock/cattle/buffalo to drink/bathe/cool down
[1] fish farming/commercial fishing/aquaculture
[1] named manufacturing industry e.g. cement/textiles
[1] for cooling in power stations/industry
[1] habitat for wildlife/biodiversity/ecosystems
[1] afforestation projects
[1] to produce hydel/hydroelectric power/electricity
[1] to add to scenic beauty to the area (for tourism)
[1] for leisure activities/named example e.g. boating/swimming/photography/fishing
[1] for employment in a named industry e.g. fisherman/farmer
[1] mountain(s)/mountain range
[1] high/tall
[1] steep (slopes)/sloping
[1] valley(s)
[1] peak/pyramidal peak/arete
[1] snow/ice/frozen
[1] rugged/jagged/sharp/rocky/barren/(bare)rock/scree/moraine
[1] gullies
[1] glaciers/tongues of ice/rivers of ice
[1] confluence
[2] mountains/steep slopes/rugged terrain/uneven land/fast flowing rivers make building settlements/roads/railways/telecommunication lines difficult; routes are forced to follow valleys/or use high passes/embankments/cuttings/tunnels/bridges (dev)
[2] so transport and communications are limited (dev)
[2] so construction is more expensive (dev)
[2] rugged landscape discourages development of large-scale industries; as there is not enough flat land to build on (dev)
[2] so most people work in small scale/cottage industries (dev)
[2] high/mountainous areas experience extreme cold/heavy snowfall/are frozen through winter so roads blocked/cut off; people cannot travel to markets (dev)
[2] people spend some of the year indoors/can't work outside (dev)
[2] bare rock/scree/thin/barren soils so there are few or no farming opportunities/cannot grow crops; so there is transhumance/seasonal migration (dev)
[2] so food is scarce/has to be transported to the area (dev)
[2] so farming activity is limited to valleys where landscape is flatter/soils are deeper/fertile (dev)
[2] glaciers/meltwaters feed the rivers so fresh water is provided for farming lower down in the valley; meaning a variety of crops can be grown (dev)
[2] Natural landscape/mountains/slopes attract tourists to visit; which provides employment opportunities (dev)
[2] so local people provide accommodation/tours/make souvenirs (dev)
[2] to photograph the scenery/for trekking/skiing/climbing (dev)
[2] which encourages government to build services/transport infrastructure in the area (dev)
[2] steep slopes/v shape/narrow valleys are ideal for developing hydel power stations; so can produce renewable electricity for industry/homes (dev)
[2] which creates employment for local people (dev)
[6] Content Guide: Agree with view A because: • untreated sewage/industrial effluent makes water unusable • dumping of waste in rivers is not strictly regulated • regular flooding causes fresh water supply to be contaminated • removing pollution from water is expensive and reduces the money available for water provision infrastructure • etc. Disagree with view A because: • water pollution can be easily solved/prevented by imposing laws and fines on industries/companies who pollute the water • there are more serious threats to Pakistan's water supply such as climate change e.g. increased risk of drought/flooding • a bigger threat is from neighbouring countries limiting the water supply from the headwaters • etc. Agree with view B because: • rising temperatures increase evaporation from reservoirs so more of them are needed • global warming is melting glaciers in the mountains, more dams are needed to store water in reservoirs • Pakistan needs more water storage capacity to hold heavy rainfall e.g. in monsoon season, so water can be utilised • more reservoirs could alleviate future drought conditions if available supply was stored • more small dams across the country could aid in crop irrigation • it would be very expensive to build more dams/money is needed for other sectors. • etc. Disagree with view B because: • there are enough dams already, those under construction need to be completed • existing dams are not all in the places where need is greatest therefore they have limited use • silting of reservoirs causes lower capacity making it less worthwhile • water conservation is a better solution than building more dams • conflicts over how water is used is a bigger threat • etc. Examples: could include named dam/pollutant/settlement/river etc. but not named diseases.