how to write a case study in geography

How to approach Case Studies

There is no set way in which you should approach case studies, however using the rule of the ‘five Ws’ is always a good place to start.

The ‘five Ws’ are:

• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• Who was affected by it happening?

When you revise a case study or meet new content for the first time you should be thinking about the five Ws:

• What happened? – Can you recall some background on what actually happened, with some facts and figures?
• When did it happen? – Have you some idea of the date that the case study happened and if possible the time of day?
• Where did it happen? – The geographical setting is very important, so can you name the location, the country, could you draw a sketch map to show the location?
• Why did it happen? – What causes the case study incident to occur? What natural systems were interacting with human activity?
• Who was affected by it happening? – Which people were affected? How many were affected? Can you say something about the wealth of the people affected? Students aiming for the higher grades will also be able to discuss what the affected people did about the situation. They would be able to discuss the management strategies put in place to reduce the impacts of the case study incident while it was happening and should be able to discuss what could be done to reduce the impacts of any future incident.

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Getting the best case studies for Geography

It can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to case studies and it’s all too easy to bury your head in the sand and go with the ones in the textbook. This guide will help you develop quality case studies in no time at all.

Step 1: Check the syllabus

“Which topics do I need case studies for?” “How many do I need?” “What kind of information do I need?” Don’t panic! The syllabus/specification answers all of these questions. Make a list of what you need and move on to the next step.

Step 2: Use Key Materials

Before you start wildly Googling Colombian micro-climates, take a step back. Go on to the exam board website and have a browse through  practice exam papers, mark schemes, exemplar answers and examiners’ reports. Practice papers and mark schemes will show you which type of questions require case studies, and what type of information you should be looking for. They’ll also help you to identify those dreaded ‘curveball’ questions everyone talks about after the exam. The examiners’ reports for geography are brilliant. They explicitly tell you which case studies top students used and how they applied the information to answer each question.

Step 3: Brainstorm

This step will save you heaps of time in the long run. Although the syllabus lays out everything you need to know, it’s not all that detailed. For example, the AQA syllabus states: Two case studies of recent (ideally within the last 30 years) seismic events should be undertaken from contrasting areas of the world. In each case, the following should be examined:

• the nature of the seismic hazard;
• the impact of the event;
• management of the hazard and responses to the event.

So what you’d do here is take those three bullet points and expand on them. Mark schemes will give you a rough idea of what the examiners are looking for. Break the bullet points down and create a mindmap (like the one below) or write a list. You now know, point by point, exactly what to search for.

Step 4: Use your Textbooks/Revision Guides

This is just a starting point. If you decide to go with a case study that’s in a textbook or revision guide, that’s ok. But be aware that even the 5-page-long case studies in textbooks won’t contain information on all those points you wrote down. Not only that, but pretty much every other student in the country is going to be using that exact case study. Boring! You need to make sure you can stand out from the crowd.

Step 5: Research

This is the big one. Where possible, find case studies so recent that they can’t be in the textbook. It takes the same amount of time to compile a recent and interesting case study as it does to copy one out of the textbook. It’s also a lot less boring and will get you a ton of marks!

Google is your best friend here. Try and get information from reputable sources (in other words, Wikipedia’s a no go). Find news articles and government websites for facts and figures, and take a look at Google Scholar for opinions; Google Scholar is exactly what you’d think it is – Google for Scholars. Search for ‘scholar’ on Google, then tap in some key words and you’ll find some golden material for your case studies: Quotes from experts.

Work through your mindmap or list in order. When you find information on one of the points, take some notes and tick it off.

Step 6: Go A Little Bit Further

Make sure you have a few smaller case studies in addition to your main ones. I’m not saying you’ll need 20 case studies per topic. Just have a few little facts and examples in your arsenal that you could use to compare and contrast with your main case studies in an essay question. It shows the examiner that you’ve gone the extra mile and have a deeper understanding of the subject.

When you’ve finished, you’ll have a set of totally unique case studies and enough information to ensure that no question catches you off guard.

Step 7: Memorise

Remember that mindmap from earlier? That’s your structure. Add the facts, figures and quotes as new branches and you’re half way there. Give it to one of your mates and talk them through it whilst drawing your mindmap on a whiteboard. You’ll have it memorised in no time.

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A Level Geography: Case Studies and Exam Tips

A-Level Geography is a challenging and rewarding subject that explores the dynamic relationships between people and their environments. The curriculum often includes the study of case studies to illustrate key concepts and geographical theories. In this article, we'll delve into the importance of case studies in A-Level Geography and provide exam tips to help you excel in this subject.

 The Significance of Case Studies in A-Level Geography

Case studies are essential in A-Level Geography for several reasons:

1. Illustrating Concepts: 

Case studies provide real-world examples that illustrate the geographical concepts and theories covered in the curriculum. They make abstract ideas tangible and relatable.

2. Application of Knowledge: 

Case studies offer opportunities for students to apply their geographical knowledge and analytical skills to specific situations. This application enhances understanding.

3. Contextual Learning: 

Case studies allow students to explore the complex and dynamic interactions between people and their environments in specific contexts. This contextual understanding is at the heart of geography.

4. Exam Requirement: 

In A-Level Geography exams, you are often required to use case studies to support your arguments and analysis. Having a repertoire of case studies at your disposal is crucial for success.

 Selecting and Using Case Studies

Here's how to select and effectively use case studies in your A-Level Geography studies and exams:

1. Diverse Selection: 

Choose a range of case studies that cover different geographical contexts, themes, and issues. This diversity will prepare you for various exam questions.

2. Local and Global: 

Include both local and global case studies. Local examples may provide opportunities for fieldwork, while global case studies allow you to explore international perspectives.

3. Relevance to the Curriculum: 

Ensure that your case studies align with the topics and themes covered in your A-Level Geography course. They should be relevant to your exam syllabus.

4. In-Depth Understanding: 

Study your selected case studies in-depth. Familiarize yourself with the geographical context, key facts, statistics, and relevant theories and concepts.

5. Interdisciplinary Approach: 

Recognize that geography often intersects with other subjects like environmental science, economics, and sociology. Explore how these interdisciplinary aspects come into play in your case studies.

6. Regular Review: 

Periodically review and update your case studies to ensure you have the most recent data and information. Geography is a dynamic field, and changes can occur over time.

 Exam Tips for A-Level Geography

Here are some tips to help you succeed in your A-Level Geography exams:

1. Practice Essay Writing: 

Geography exams often require essay-style responses. Practice writing coherent and well-structured essays that incorporate case studies effectively.

2. Master Map Skills: 

Geography exams may include map interpretation and analysis. Develop your map-reading skills to excel in this section.

3. Use Case Studies Wisely: 

When using case studies in your exam, ensure they are relevant to the question and directly support your argument. Avoid including irrelevant details.

4. Time Management: 

Manage your time wisely during the exam. Allocate specific time slots for each section or question and stick to the schedule.

5. Understand Command Terms: 

Be familiar with the command terms used in geography questions, such as "explain," "discuss," and "evaluate." Tailor your responses accordingly.

6. Practice Past Papers: 

Work through past exam papers to get a sense of the format and types of questions that may appear in your A-Level Geography exams.

7. Seek Feedback: 

If possible, ask your teacher or a peer to review your practice essays and provide feedback. Constructive feedback can help you refine your writing and analysis skills.

8. Stay Informed: 

Keep up with current geographical events and developments. This knowledge can be invaluable in your essays and discussions.

 Conclusion

A-Level Geography is a subject that bridges the gap between the natural and social sciences, offering a comprehensive view of the world. Case studies are pivotal in this field, providing practical examples that support your learning and exam performance. By selecting diverse and relevant case studies, studying them thoroughly, and practicing effective essay writing and map skills, you can navigate A-Level Geography with confidence and success.

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Case Studies in Geography Education as a Powerful Way of Teaching Geography

• First Online: 20 October 2016

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• Eduard Hofmann 5 &
• Hana Svobodová 5  

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A case study presents an appropriate form and method of providing students with a solution of real situations from the surroundings in which they live. This is called “powerful teaching”, and it is designed to help pupils and students to be able to cope with the rigours of everyday life through geography education. This method is not so well known and used in Czechia as abroad, where it is known under the name “powerful knowledge” or “powerful teaching”. For this reason the introductory part of this chapter devotes enough space to understand “powerful learning” and noted how it differs from inquiry-based, project-based, problem-based, student-centred and constructivist approaches to learning. Knowledge from the Czech geography education is in our case used for solving a case study in a decisive process in which students solve options and consequences of the construction of a ski resort in Brno (in Czechia). They submit their conclusions to the municipal council for assessment.

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Janko, T. (2012). Nonverbální prvky v učebnicích zeměpisu jako nástroj didaktické transformace [Non-verbal elements in textbooks of geography as an instrument of didactic transformation]. (disertační práce/thesis), Brno: Pedagogická fakulta MU.

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Hofmann, E., Svobodová, H. (2017). Case Studies in Geography Education as a Powerful Way of Teaching Geography. In: Karvánková, P., Popjaková, D., Vančura, M., Mládek, J. (eds) Current Topics in Czech and Central European Geography Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43614-2_7

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How to revise geography case studies

Molly, one of my readers, wrote to me to ask:

I was just wondering if you had any tips for revising and remembering geography case studies?

When I've asked around some of the things that students find most difficult about revising geography case studies are:

• Condensing all the information
• Remembering all the statistics
• Knowing what you need to know, and what you can afford to forget

Having been a bit of an ace at this kind of thing myself (I got an A* at GCSE, A at A-Level and a degree in the subject) I thought I'd share some of my top tips on how to revise geography case studies today.

1. Make sure you understand the case study

The first step in remembering anything is understanding it. You need to have a clear model in your mind of how the case study works. This includes how it's laid out in space (a mental map), who the people were who were involved and the context of the case study (historical, political, social, economic and environmental. These tips will help you with this:

• Make sure you've seen a map of the place. In this day and age this is easy with google maps, google earth and google streetview. All of these things can help you understand both the 2-D and 3-D landscape of the case study.
• Find newspaper articles and pictures to give you some background and also help you to visual the place
• Watch videos if they exist. For some case studies there are amazing clips of films (Kibera, the Nairobi shanty town at the beginning of The Constant Gardner springs to mind). For others there will be great video clips on YouTube to help you.
• If you can, visit the place. Nothing is as powerful as this in fully understanding a place.

2. Condense your notes

Once you've thoroughly understood the case study it's time to condense your notes. There are various ways you can do this.

• Create an A3 annotated map of the area. Colour code things like causes and effects or social, economic, environmental and political factors. Have a key. You can even have flaps. Stick the map up on the wall and look at it frequently. The great thing about this is that the finite size of the page forces you to condense the information.
• Create a table. You could put things like the social, economic, political and environmental factors along one side and background, causes and effects along the other.  Inside The Extraordinaries Club I have some grids and guidelines for you to download and use. These are exclusively for members. Find out more about the club here .
• Create index cards. This was one of my favourites as it was quite a kinaesthetic way of separating the information into bite-sized chunks. It was a great format to give other people to test me so that I could learn all those facts and figures. You can even have different coloured index cards for different topics.
• Traditional revision notes . In my opinion this is a bit boring, and can also be a bit intimidating when you see reams of notes that you have to memorise. I'd go with one of the other options if I was you.

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3. Memorise

Now you've condensed your class notes you need to memorise them. Good memorisation, in my experience comes down to two things:

• Using the information in different formats.

I'd advise you to do a combination of the following:

• Read index cards out loud, cover and test yourself.
• Get other people to test you.
• Act it out.
• Make up songs or rhymes
• Whatever else works for you…

4. Teach someone else about the case study

Teaching someone else is one of the best ways there is to a) check your understanding (because they'll never understand it if you don't) and b) practice putting what you know into words so that someone else understands it.

5. Do Past Papers

The final step is to do past papers. I strongly recommend that you do this in the format of Revision Power Hours.

If you do power hours, and make a point of marking your work, you'll not only do lots of repetition of the case study you've been learning, you'll start to learn to think like an examiner and also get a brilliant insight into exactly what they expect you to know in terms of facts and statistics.

I will say this. I used to remember literally hundreds of stats for my case studies. When I became a teacher it surprised me how few students actually needed to know in order to get good marks. However, this comes with a word of warning. You need to have a good insight into what your exam board expects you to know.

Over to you

That's pretty much a masterclass in how to revise geography case studies. Now it's up to you to put it into practice

In the comments below I'd love to know:

• What you're finding difficult about revising geography case studies
• What other subjects you need revision help with

Need more help with your revision?

It works because you develop a personalised study system tailored to the way you work, what motivates you and your ambitions.

Exam success with way less stress.

THE TEN STEP GUIDE  TO ACING EVERY EXAM YOU EVERY TAKE

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• How to personalise your revision techniques to make them more effective for you
• How to enjoy your revision (yes, I did said enjoy...)

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LEARNING TOOL

Explorer mapping case study.

This tool provides Explorers and others who create maps a simple way to share their research in a clear, consistent format so that it can be understood by a wide variety of audiences. Scroll below the resources for guidance on using these resources in your education work.

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Learning materials, instructional links.

• Explorer Mapping Case Study (Google Doc)

Why Use This Tool

Maps are powerful visualizations of data that can help analyze geographic data and communicate important ideas and relationships. This tool provides Explorers and others who create maps a simple way to share their research in a clear, consistent format so that it can be understood by a wide variety of audiences. Once completed, it can be shared as a written document or a presentation. When to Use This Tool

Stage(s) of Learning: Explore - This case study format can be an effective way to structure critical information about research you have conducted, conclusions you have drawn, and action you recommend.

Time: 15 - 30 minutes -  Preparing your information in this format may take significantly longer, but once your information is presented in this format, it should provide material for a 15 - 30 minute presentation that can stimulate additional discussion, research, or action.

Audience: All Ages - The writing level and complexity of the map used in this organizing framework may need to be adjusted to meet the needs of very young learners. However, this organization of information around a small number of maps should help make information accessible to learners of all ages.

Ease of Use: Moderate - This tool requires significant preparation by the Explorer or other presenter, but once it is completed, it is easy to share in a variety of formats.

How to Use This Tool

Preparation: Use the guiding questions in the Explorer Mapping Case Study organizing framework to introduce yourself, your work, and the data that you would like to share. The most important preparation step is choosing a map or maps that provide a powerful visualization of the issues you are investigating.

The tool is designed to demonstrate how maps can be used as analysis tools as well as communication tools. You may wish to share 2 or 3 maps, including a complex or “messy” map that includes many of the complex data sets that you collected for analysis, and a “cleaner” map that simplifies that information so that others can understand it easily.

Directions:

• Develop your case study by reviewing the headings and guiding questions on the Case Study Organizer. You can write in prose or collect your thoughts in bullets, but consider each section as a coherent whole. Do not simply try to answer each guiding question.
• Create your presentation: This case study framework should be flexible enough for a variety of presentation types. You may wish to share it as a written overview for your work, present it as a digital presentation, or use it to guide your public speaking.
• Share with learners: As you engage learners with your work, you may want to provide them with additional tools from the Education Tools for Explorers Collection so that they can take notes, make connections, and engage with the materials.

Provide a few questions for learners/participants to “listen for” and respond to throughout or after the engagement. Such questions could include:

• What will we be able to do with the information we see on our maps?
• How does this relate to issues in our community?

Modifications, Variations, and Extensions

• What is the busiest place in your playground? Why?
• What is the quietest part of your school/neighborhood? Why?
• If you were going to add one more water fountain to your school/neighborhood, where would you put it? Why?
• Introduce students to the Geographic Perspectives outlined in the Exploring Perspectives worksheet. Ask students to consider the data presented through a variety of the analytic perspectives. Students can identify which geographic data layers that would help analyze these perspectives on a map. For example, “which data sets could give us a ‘political’ perspective on this issue (political borders, national park borders, voting patterns)? What would we learn from adding an economic data set (income distribution, land use)?”
• Citizen Science applications such as iNaturalist and Debris Tracker to collect geographic data about a topic in their community
• Digital mapping tools such as Mapmaker to visualize existing data
• Conduct an Affinity Protocol to identify key needs in their own communities related to the topic of your presentation
• Conduct a Socratic Seminar responding to what they have heard and some key outstanding questions
• Conduct a Tuning Protocol to identify the strengths and needs they see in proposed actions.

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The Geography Study School

Geographically on par for your a star.

• Agriculture
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Overpopulation in Bangladesh

Lack of resources, poor infrastructure and under-developed technology coupled with the high population have been responsible for decreasing the carrying capacity of the region.

Problems of overpopulation:

Overpopulation in Bangladesh resulted in overcrowded areas with traffic congestion as there are too many vehicles on the the roads, especially in cities such as Dhaka. Vehicle emissions, industrial discharge and burning of fossil fuels have resulted in air pollution , while the ground water has been polluted due to arsenic. Furthermore, shortage of food lead to overcultivation on the flood plains of the Ganges river , causing lower yields and soil exhaustion. Another major problem is the widespread deforestation for firewood on the slopes of the Himalayas.

The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, also suffers from severe housing shortages due to mass urbanisation.

Canada: Underpopulation

Canada is regarded as an underpopulated country as the carrying capacity is much higher than the current population. The 35 million people in Canada can not fully exploit the available resources and technology.

Problems of underpopulation in Canada:

• Labour shortage: 32% of Canadian employers are encountering difficulties in hiring workers due to a lack of applicants
• Services (eg. schools, hospitals and transport) close down as there are not enough customers.
• Less innovation and development (lee brain power)

Canada has tried to promote immigration to maintain the fairly high standard of living, but in the previous decades less people are migrating to Canada, than during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

• relaxing immigrant policies and visa requirements to encourage migration
• Pro-natal goverment support to increase the birth rate eg. subsidies and parental leave programmes
• allow pensioners to continue working

China: One Family One Child Policy

Anti-natal population policy

China is world’s most populous country with more than 1.3 billion people in 2014. Representing 20% of the world’s people, China suffers from extreme overpopulation.

China became overpopulated since 1960 because of:

• social/cultural desire to have a son
• economical bonus: men could work in the field
• children considered to be social security
• politics: stronger China against America
• previously poor medical infrastructure- high infant mortality rate
• flood 1959-1962: 20 million died

In 1965 the birth rate had grown to 40 births per 1000 until politicians realised the growing problem and launched the One Family One Child Policy in 1979.

Positive consequences of the policy:

• better education and skilled workforce
• average fertility reduced to 1.7
• low urban poverty

Negative consequences of the policy:

• female foeticide
• forced abortion
• abnormal sex ratio/ imbalanced
• more divorce: desire to have a boy
• lack of working population to support old dependents
• girls abandoned, killed, in orphanage

Exceptions to the policy:

• Han-Chinese allowed a second child
• rural areas
• ethnic minorities

Germany: Pro-natal population policy

In Germany, the fertility rate is well below replacement level, having dropped to 1.38 births per woman in 2012. Birth rates have been falling for many years, and the youth plus the immigrants will be unable to support  Germany’s ageing population.

For this reason, Germany has adopted several measures that attempt to encourage families to have more children:

• paid maternity leave and parental leave
• tax breaks to tax payers that have children
• eliminating fees for kindergarden
• free schooling

  Japan: Population distribution in a densely populated country

With a population of around 130 million (2015), and a population density of 336 people per km² (2015),  Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

Uneven population distribution

Sparsely populated rural areas: very few people live on the mountainous slopes in the centre of Honshu island and the south of Shikoku island, because of:

• Lack of flat land for cultivation
• Thin, infertile and acidic soils
• Extreme climate: long cold winters with heavy snow
• Remoteness and isolation: transport and communication are difficult
• Few jobs available (only in forestry/ primary sector)

Densely populated rural areas : many people live on the flat valleys and gentle slopes of Honshu and Kyushu islands because they:

• provide fertile land for cultivation and thus, have attracted many farmers
• attract commuters who work in the cities through the high standard of living and services such as out-of-town shopping malls and sports facilities.

Densely populated urban areas: many people live in towns and cities along the coast, especially on Honshu island, in the conurbation of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka; because of:

• flat land with mild winters
• good service provision like universities and technologically advanced hospitals and health facilities
• good transport facilities such as the Port of Tokyo to facilitate the import of raw materials and the export of manufactured goods

Canada: A Sparsely populated country

With a population of around 35 million (2015), and a population density of 3.87 people per km² in 2013, Canada is considered a sparsely populated country.

Canada is sparsely populated due to the following reasons:

• many mountainous areas eg. Canadian Rockies close to the west coast
• permafrost in the Northern areas (high latidtudes) so land is too cold for agriculture
• snow and ice make transport difficult, especially in less developed areas (ie. the inner provinces of Canada)

Canada: Population distribution

The population of Canada is clustered in the Southern areas; because, the cold Arctic climate makes cultivation impossible and it is rather unpleasant to live in those cold areas. Also, more people live in Eastern areas, since the West has mountainous areas such as the Canadian Rockies that are too steep to farm on easily and challenging for construction and transport.

Russia: Population decline

Russia has a population growth rate of -0.3%. This has been caused by factors like:

• high death rate of 13 deaths per 1000, particularly due to alcohol-related deaths
• low fertility rate of 1.6 children per woman
• high rates of abortion
• low levels of immigration
• underuse of health facilities, resulting in rising costs
• education cannot be sustained in all areas (particularly sparsely populated)
• resources not fully exploited, leading to lower GDP
• lack of workers may result in economic recession
• pro-natal population policies, eg. financial support for parents who choose to have a second child
• robotisation/development of tertiary sector to prevent lack of workers

Uganda: High population growth rate

Uganda has a population growth rate of more than 3% due to its high birth rate of 44 births per 1000 people per year. This has been caused by factors such as:

• low socio-economic status of women
• low educational levels, especially among females
• early marriage
• low use of contraception due to limited access and poverty
• political statements encouraging more babies as some areas in Uganda have a low population density

Problems of high population growth:

• Health sector faces human and infrastructural shortages
• Primary education could not be sustained in all areas
• Insufficient employment opportunities, especially for poorly educated
• Threatens agricultural modernisation as population pressure increases deforestation, soil erosion and land degration
• Pressure on resources, especially in urban areas

Solutions to reduce population growth:

• Widespread availability of contraception
• Universal access to education, jobs and health care and female emancipation
• Promotion of scientific and technical development (tertiary sector)
• Promotion of new modes of production (modernisation and commercialisation of agriculture)
• Growth with equity/sustainable development

For more information visit: Population growth rate in Uganda

Uganda: Youthful population

In 2014, 48.7% of Uganda’s population were young dependents under the age of 15.

• high fertility rate (many children per woman) and high birth rate
• high infant mortality rate encourages more births so some will survive
• children considered social and economic asset

• few old dependents that have to be supported
• possibly a large workforce in future
• Overpopulation if growth is not regulated, resulting in overcrowding, construction of shanty towns, lower standard of life, increased pollution, depletion of resources and food shortages (which encourage deforestation resulting in soil exhaustion and lower yields), as wells as future unemployment
• Stress on tax payers to support young dependents and finance development of necessary infrastructure

United Kingdom: Ageing population

The percentage of elderly dependents (+65 years) has increased by 3% from 15% in 1980 to 18% in 2014.

• Elderly people can share skills and knowledge to train the younger generation
• Elderly people promote the development of grey economies (such as health care, specialised facilities, other facilities desired by elderly, etc.)

An increase in the percentage of elderly dependents is a strain on the working population as higher taxation is required to support the pensions of the elderly and to fund services such as health care and specialised homes. Government-funded pensions may have to shrink to cover everybody, leaving many people with less to spend (and some in poverty). In contrast, services for younger people , such as schools, are underused . These services may then have to close (eg. Woodly School in North Yorkshire which shut in 2012 due to a lack of students). As a result, some people may be left unemployed. Also, there are not enough economically active people, causing a lack of workforce and making it harder to defend the country.

HIV/AIDS: Botswana

Botswana is a landlocked country, north of South Africa. UNAIDS estimates that 400,000 people in Botwana live with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).

HIV/AIDS is transferred through bodily fluids. In Botswana, this occurs mainly during sexual intercourse or from mother to child during pregnancy. AIDS can also spread via contaminated blood transfusions or contaminated needle use (usually in drug users).

As a LEDC country Botswana is particularly vulnerable to HIV because of:

• poor sex education (people are unaware of the consequences of unprotected sex)
• low availability of contraception: many people have unprotected sex
• low status of women: women can not disapprove of unprotected sex, as they are perceived as child bearers
• low availabilty of medical treatment and testing: many people are unaware that they are infected so the disease spreads easily
• poverty: few people can afford anti-retroviral drugs to control the severity of the symptoms

Consequences of HIV/AIDS:

• High death rate and lower life expectancy, especially in economically active population
• Falling birth rate due to abstinence (fear of becoming infected), so people have less children
• Decreased labour pool reduces agricultural and industrial output, causing food shortages and poverty, thus preventing economic growth
• AIDS education programme: used mass media to reach 500,000 students and teach them about HIV/AIDS
• Offering free condoms to population
• Improvements in HIV testing and anti-retroviral drugs in government clinics

For more information visit: https://www.patana.ac.th/Secondary/Geography/IB/Population/AIDs%20Botswanna.htm

Syria to Germany: International Refugee Migration

Approximately 13 million Syrians are escaping the war between the Assad regime and non-state armed forces, 800,000 of which have come to Germany so far.

Many are fleeing from barrel bombings and shootings that have destroyed their houses and killed family members. Also, the refugees are attempting to avoid political persecution, as the goverment has arrested and tortured civilians who they think could be working against them. Others are emigrating to prevent being abused by radically religious groups such as IS, who have trained child soldiers and organised kidnappings and extrajudicial executions .

Many seek asylum in Germany, because the country provides economic stability as the current unemployment rate is low, and many sectors will be looking for suitable workers as Germany’s population continues to age. Besides, Germany is perceived as a country that protects and promotes human rights, offering food, shelter and language courses to refugees .

Rural Settlement (LEDC): Korodegaga village

Korodegaga village – near Addis Ababa in Ethiopia – consists of nine small hamlets with 1400 people in total.

The area was first settled in th 20th century because of:

• water supply from two rivers
• flat, fertile soil for cultivation
• extensive forests for building and firewood

Services provided include: a grain mill, mosques and schools. Villagers walk to the neighbouring towns of Dera and Bofa to access a local market and shops.

Braunschweig: Settlement size and service provision

Braunschweig is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population of around 250,000 inhabitants. The majority ofinhabitants live in the city of Braunschweig, which has the best provision of services (more than 20 schools, 5 hospitals, and a dense network of public transport, which includes, busses, trains and trams). In contrast, the village of Querum, which is also part of the district of Braunschweig, has a population of around 6000 inhabitants only has one doctor’s surgery, and one primary school, as it does not have the threshold population to support higher-order services.

Rural settlement (MEDC): Hötzum, Lower Saxony, Germany

Hötzum has a population of around 900 people. Its function is mainly residential, with most people working in the nearby cities of Braunschweig and Wolfenbüttel.

Map  by: OpenStreetMap und Mitwirkende Source: OpenStreetMap Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0 Mapicons by: Nicolas Mollet Source: Maps Icons Collection Licence: CC BY SA 3.0

The area was first known to be settled by farmers in the 11th century and by the 18th century, the village had 4 arable farms, a shepherd and 6 horsefarms.

The area was initially settled because of:

• water supply from the Hötzumerbach and the Feuergraben
• flat, fertile land for arable and pastoral farming
• extensive forests which provided many logfelling opportunities

Currently there are very few services available (only a church, a community hall, a sports field and a volunteer fire brigade), but villagers can access the neighbouring village of Sickte for basic services and the cities of Wolfenbüttel and Braunschweig for all other needs.

Urban settlement: New York

Currently, New York is the largest city in the US, with a population of around 8 million people.

Site and situation:

• at a sheltered, natural harbour formed by Hudson river, which provided safe, deep anchorage and an extensive waterfront for the development of docks
• Hudson river allowed for transport and communication
• rocky ridge on Island of Manhatten allowed for easy defence

CBD’s:

• Downtown Manhatten: Wall Street (finance district of New York)
• Midtown Manhatten: tourist district, including Fifth Avenue (shopping), Broadway (theatre), hotels, Empire State Building, Chrysler and United Nations Buildings

Urban problems:

• Urban sprawl (middle class moves to the outer areas and lower-income families move into the inner city): due to population growth, relocation of businesses to suburbs for cheaper land and better accessibility
• Poverty and unemployment : around 1 million citizens receive welfare support due to unemployment and poor education caused by a decline in the clothing and harbour induestries in the 1980’s
• Urban decay and housing problems
• Racial conflicts due to a large number of immigrants that become trapped in poverty
• Air pollution as there are too many cars that release toxic exhaust fumes
• Traffic congestion as there are too many vehicles on the road and due to bottlenecks linking various New York Islands
• Water pollution from oil spills

Solution schemes:

• Reduction in air pollution by fitting catalytic converters to the exhausts of diesel city busses and developing a biodiesel plant in Brooklyn to distribute biodiesel to filling stations in the city.
• Reducing energy consumption by using more efficient street light and traffic lights, using renewable energy sources (wind, underwater turbines) to power homes and public buildings
• Waste management plan using barges and trains to export 90% of the city’s waste

Employment structure: Netherlands

Employment in the Netherlands is shifting more and more towards a service-based economy, while the proportion of people working in the primary and secondary sectors is at an all-time low.

While just under 7% of the workforce was employed in agriculture in 1970, this number has dipped to just under 2% in 2020, as machines and new technology have replaced the need for manual labour. Employment in industrial manufacturing and production has also fallen, in this case from over 35% to around 15% of the workforce. This comes as the country outsourced much of its manufacturing to China and East-Asia, and focussed more on highly specialist and complex services. Today, the country is home to several world-leading universities including TU Delft and the University of Amsterdam, and boasts many SaaS start-ups and software companies in urban areas like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The growth of the tertiary sector may also be explained by favourable tax policies that encourage large service-dominated businesses to relocate to the Netherlands, along with a progressively more skilled workforce, as the number of university graduates has increased substantially between 1950 and 2020.

Squatter settlement in Rio de Janiero

Rio de Janiero is the second largest city in Brazil and has a population of 6 million people, of which nearly 17% – 1 million people- are favela-dwellers, living in the slums (called favelas) due to the extremely uneven distribution of wealth.

There are many problems for the shanty town inhabitants:

• Landslides: As the flat land in Rio de Janiero is inhabited by wealthier communties, most favelas are constructed on the mountainous slopes, where landslides are a common occurence (particularly due to excessive deforestation for firewood)
• Housing is made from scrap material which is vulnerable to flooding
• No clean water supply can lead to diseases such as typhoid, cholera or TB
• Sanitation is undeveloped or non-existent, eg. in Rocinha sewage flows down a large channel in the middle of houses. This allows disease to spread and may attract mosquitoes which are responsible for sicknesses such as malaria
• No proper electricity supply leads to dangerous tapping of electricity from the city’s power net
• Illegal activities and high crime rates due to many drug dealers, gangs and murderers

Slum upgrading strategies include :

• Increasing property rights (providing favela residents with titles to their home)
• Improving access to electricity and clean drinking water
• Local trash collection scheme: a bag of trash can be exchanged for a gallon of milk
• To reduce likelidehood of crime and improve education: toyguns can be exchanged for  comic books

Change in land use and resulting conflict: Stuttgart

In the German city of Stuttgart, the rail network is being redesigned as part of the urban development project Stuttgart 21. The construction of new rail tracks means that some of the surrounding land which was previously used for housing and agriculture is now being used for transportation purposes. This has caused significant conflict between proponents and opponents of the projects. Those in favour of the project argue that it aids urban development, as the new transport network with a high-speed railway track improves economic and social mobility. Meanwhile, those opposing the project argue that it damages the environment by contaminating groundwater, destroys historical monuments and devalues private property in the vicinity of the new railway line. Additionally, they point that the project blocks other transport network extensions in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Because of these different perspectives, Stuttgart 21 is so controversial that it has sparked regular, sometimes even violent, protests in the city.

Volcano: Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland, 2010

Image from: http://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfmvn=372020.

Eyjafjallajökull is a stratovolcano in Iceland, located approximately 125 km SE of the capital Reykjavik. It is found along the Mid-Atlantic ridge, where new earth crust is created.

Lava eruptions in March 2010 were followed by an explosive eruption on April 14th 2010.The lava flows damaged many homes and roads and services were disrupted due to evacuation measures.

Flooding was caused as glacial ice melted and torrents of water were flowing down the slopes of the land. Also, ash covered large plots of agricultural land, damaging the crops.

The massive ash cloud blocked air traffic in large parts of Europe for several days, leaving tourists and business people stranded at their destinations.

Immediate responses included an emergency evacuation of more than 800 people. Longterm responses are the reconstruction of damages houses and roads and research on the effect of ash on air planes.

Earthquake: Haiti, 2010

On the 12th of January 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, the epicentre of the quake being merely 15 km SW of the capital city, Port-au-Prince.

Stress building up along the conservative margin between the North American Plate and the Carribean plate was released by slippage along the fault running parallel to the plate boundary south of Port-au-Prince. The major earthquake was followed by several aftershocks up to a magnitude of 5.0 on the Richter scale.

The earthquake resulted in approximately 230,000 deaths (massive loss of life), destruction of 180,000 homes and around 5,000 schools. It left 19 million cubic metres of debris in Port-au-Prince and many services were badly disrupted or destroyed. A major secondary effect was widespread chlora due to polluted drinking water.

Haiti suffered so much because of the widespread poverty that left more than 80% of the population in poorly constructed, high density concrete buildings. Lack of stable goverment and medical infrastructure limited search and rescue efforts. Furthermore, the earthquake had a shallow focus, resulting in severe ground shaking, and the epicentre was located close to the densely populated capital.

Short-term responses to the earthquake included search and rescue efforts, as well as the the import of food, water and shelter from the USA and Dominican Republic. Longterm responses included reparation of three-quaters of the damaged buildings. Besides, migration was common as people moved away to stay with their families. Also, people received cash or food in exchange for public reconstruction work and the World Bank pledged $US100m to support the reconstruction and recovery.

Tropical storm: Katrina, 2005

Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to hit the United States.

How did Katrina form?

• Levees failed to resist the force of the waves, causing 80% of New Orleans to become flooded
• More than 1000 people lost their lives
• Half a million houses were damaged in the Gulf Coast region
• Services in New Orleans were badly disrupted: no electricity, gas and sewage system for 6 months after the event
• $ 10.5 billion of immediate financial aid for the victims
• In the first two weeks after the storm, the Red Cross had brought 74,000 volunteers who provided shelter to 160,000 evacuees
• International aid from over 50 countries
• Rebuilding levees destroyed by Katrina

Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, 2004

On December 26th 2004, a tsunami occured in the Indian Ocean.

The tsunami was the direct consequence of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that was caused by tension along the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates. This rupture triggered massive waves that reached an altitude of up to 30m.

The tsunami resulted in 250,000 deaths, with 170,000 fatalities in Indonesia alone. 13 countries were affected by the powerful waves, and an estimated total of 2 million people have been displaced, as their houses have been destroyed.

Created by Cantus

Short term responses included search and rescue efforts in the local communities, while internationally, people sent donations to help those in need.

An early warning system has been developed to predict future tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.

Coastal problems and opportunities: Wadden Sea Islands

The Wadden Sea provides a large diversity of fish species and other seafood animals, making fishery an important industry for the local communities. Besides, tourism is well established in the area, with around 800,000 visitors annually on the Dutch island of Texel alone.

By Aotearoa (Own work)  CC-BY-SA-3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

However, the area is threatened by storm tides, particularly in fall and winter, which may cause floods that damage the unique ecosystem. Furthermore, the continuous eastward shift of the islands has eroded their westmost regions, endangering settlements such as West-Terschelling, which may submerge in future.

Coastal management strategies to protect the islands include dune grass planting and dune fencing. The newly planted grass traps and hold sand thereby reducing coastal erosion and encouraging the formation of new dunes. This makes the islands less vulnerable against erosion from storm surges.

Coral reef: Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier reef is located along the Pacific shores, where water temperatures are above 20°C. The reef grows in shallow areas (not more than 60 m deep) in the Coral sea, off the Australian coast, east of Cairns. It grows in clear water that is free of sediment so sunlight can pass through.

The Great Barrier reef is threatened by global warming, which increases coral bleaching. Besides, declining water quality (due to agricultural run-off from the rivers of North-Eastern Australia and oil from ships in discarded in the Coral Sea) pollutes the ecosystem. Also, overfishing destroys food chains and disbalances the symbiotic relationships. Furthermore, tourists may destroy parts of the reef when they go diving or reef-walking.

Management strategies:

The Australian government has made the Great Barrier reef a protected area by declaring it a marine park. The GBRMPA (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority) is the ogranisation who looks after the reef and protects it from human threats while allowing sustainable development to take place. The Marine Park Authority gives out permits for fishing, diving and more and has boats patrol the area to prevent illegal activity. Tourists are educated about how their trip affects the reef and they are not allowed in certain sensitive areas. Also, fines of up to US$ 1 million can be forced on companies that pollute the fragile ecosystem.

Pollution in the North Sea

The North Sea is polluted by oil spillages from tankers in the Thames estuary washing out their tanks. As a result, oil clogs up the gills of fish, casuing them to die. Spillages also pollute the beaches along the British coast (eg. near Essex), which reduces the number of tourists. Besides pollution occurs through the disposal of untreated sewage from large urban areas such as Rotterdam, possibly possessing a human health risk along the Dutch coast. Also, pollutants from industrial waste in the Rhine river may be washed into the sea.

By Halava CC BY-SA 3.0

A spit: spurn head, holderness coast, uk.

Spurn head  is a sand and shingle ridge that extends from the headland south of Easington. It has been formed along the Holderness coast under the influence of prevailing winds from the North which result in wave refraction. Subsequently, longshore drift transports the coastal sediments, which deposit in the sheltered mouth of the Humber estuary.

Spurn Head, Holderness Coast

Ynyslas Dunes, Wales, UK

The Ynyslas Dunes in Wales have been formed by deposition, which occured as energy of winds blowing from Cardigan Bay was reduced. Westerly onshore winds picked up dry sand from the wide beach at the estuary of the Dovey (Dyfi) river. Obstructions on the beach caused a sheltered area. Maram grass colonised dunes and trapped further sand.

Bangladesh: Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta

The Ganges Delta in Bangladesh is the most populous river delta in the world. Around 30% of its population work in agriculture, as rice cultivation is well developed due to the fertile soils. Also, fishing is very prominent, as the distributaries are colonised by shrimps. However, the Ganges Delta is threatened by floods, especially from heavy rainfall during the monsoon season and icewater runoff from the slopes of the Himalaya.

Image of Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta from NASA

Water supply: colorado river basin.

The Colorado river originates from the Rocky Mountains, passing through 7 states before reaching Mexico. It is estimated that 40 million people rely on water from the 2,300 km long stream for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. Many dams and canals have been built to control this extreme demand; therefore, the Colorado river is one of the most controlled rivers in the world.

By Shannon, CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0

In 1922, the Colorado River Compact was introduced to divide the water supply between the states of the Upper and Lower Basin of the river, with each group being allocated 9.25 trillion litres of water each year. In 1944, a treaty was introduced to guarantee 1.85 trillion litres to Mexico.

Despite all these management agreements, problems over the river’s resources have arisen, because:

• River was commited to deliver 20.35 trillion litres per year, but only brought about 17.25 trillion litres anually
• Evaporation from lakes has remove 2.5 trillion litres, and even less during periods of drought
• Demand for water has increased, due to population growth and more irrigation for farmland.

Environmental problems:

• Alluvium becomes trapped behind dams (eg. Hoover Dam), damaging the delta and wetland ecosystem at the mouth of the Colorado river
• Salinity has increased in the lower basin, altering the ecosystem
• Reduction in the population of fish, shrimps and sea mammals

Resource management strategies:

• Reducing leakage from broken pipes
• Use of grey water in domestic homes
• Domestic conservation
• Improving irrigation (using drip irrigation) or growing crops with a lower demand for water
• Extraction water from ground water supplies
• Desalinisation of water from the Pacific ocean

(Information from: Greenfieldgeography )

China: Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam is located near Yichang on the Yangtse River in China. It is approximately 180 m high and 2.3 km wide and has taken almost 17 years to construct.

The dam has protected 10 million people from flooding and its 32 generators provide energy for 60 million people (each generagtor produces as much energy as a small nuclear powerplant), enabling China to reduce its dependency on coal. It also allows shipping above the Three Gorges and has 6-folded the water traffic capacity. Also, the dam has created many jobs.

  Model of the Three Gorges Dam

However, the dam meant that 1 million people had to be moved to accomodate the reservoir and power stations. The Three Gorges Dam also interferes with aquatic life, being a major threat to the White Flag Dolphin, which is already at risk from extinction. Furthermore, the large masses of silt transported by the Yangtse deposit behind the dam, which reduces the storage capacity of the reservoir. Besides, the dam lies on a fault line and could be badly affected by an earthquake.

Central European floods 2013

Extreme flooding in Europe began after heavy rainfall in May and early June 2013. Precipitation at the northern rim of the Alps exceeded 300mm over four days. This, along with an already high soil moisture from the wet spring weather, gave rise to severe flood discharges in the Danube and Elbe rivers. Many dykes failed due to the pressure from the water masses, worsening the situation. Flash flooding was recorded in Warsaw as a result of a heavy thunderstorm.

25 fatalities have been recorded due to the 2013 floods. Thousands of people were evacuated in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. The total devastation amounted to 12billion €, with crop losses acounting for 1billion € worth of damage.  River traffic was blocked for several weeks and many railway lines were closed due to flood damage and landslides.

By Honza Groh (Jagro) (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0

Short-term responses included search and rescue efforts and emergency evacuations. Members of the Red Cross built shelter camps for displaced residents. Military soldiers established sand bag walls to control the Elbe and Danube rivers and protect buildings in areas such as Dresden and Passau. In some rural regions, levees were destroyed to allow the water to escape onto flood plains and prevent uncontrolled damage downstream.

The governments of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republik are investigating into longterm measures to reduce the aftermath of future floods. Suggestions include reducing construction activities on flood plains and creating spillways to divert part of the flow in case of high discharge. Some dykes will be raised and stabilised to protect particularly vulnerable regions.

2011 East African Drought

The 2011 drought in Ethiopia,Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia was caused by the La Nina phenomenon, an ocean current in the Pacific which increased the intensity of westerly winds in the Indian ocean, pulling moisture away from East Africa and towards Australia and Indonesia.

• Most crops failed and 60% of cattle perished due to a lack of water
• Severe food crisis: lots of people suffer from starvation or malnourishment
• Thousands fled to refugee camps in hope of food aid from other countries, but many people died of starvation or disease en route

India: Thar Desert, Rajastan

The Thar Desert is dry as hot air rises at the equator and cools. The moistureholding capacity decreases; it rains. As the air moves away from the equator by advection, it cools and sinks at the tropics (where the desert is located). The sinking air warms up and its moisture-holding capacity increases, so the area is very dry. With the low humidity, there are few clouds to reflect the sunlight and as there is no evaporative cooling, most of the sunlight warms the ground surface, creating hot temperatures.

Vegetation:

Low precipitation and temperatures of up to 53°C result in scattered vegetation that has adapted to the extreme conditions. For instance, the Ber tree has a rapidly developing taproot system to survive in drought conditions. However, exept for a few trees, the desert is home to thorny bushes and shrubs. These have spiky leaves to reduce rates of evapotranspiration. Xerophilious grass has a small surface area to reduce water loss. Some species als remain dormant during long dry spells.

The Thar Desert is threatened by excessive irrigation which leads to salinization. Therefore plants can not take up water from th soil, as the soil has greater concentrations of solute than the roots. Soil quality is also decreasing as manure is used as an alternative fuel for firewood rather than to sustain nutrient-rich, fertile soils. Furthermore, population pressure results in overcultivation and overgrazing, especially around cities like Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, damaging the natural vegetation. The desert environment is also threatened by tourist attractions such as dune bashing. The toyotarisation disturbs animals, kills vegetation and creates dust stroms. Also, tourists may dump waste in the desert, poisoning flora and fauna.

Tropical Rainforest in Borneo

Borneo has experienced the fastest tropical rainforest clearance in the world. While 94 % of the island’s land was covered by forest in 1950, less than half of it remains today (44.5% in 2010).

The rainforest has been cleared for the following reasons:

• to boost Malaysia’s economy by exporting timber for furniture and paper production
• population pressure : Indonesia’s transmigration programme caused people to move from overcrowded islands as Java to relatively sparsely populated areas as Kalimantan
• to build palm oil plantations
• HEP : forest clearance to provide space for a reservoir in Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo)
• coal mining in Kalimantan

By T. R. Shankar Raman (Own work) CC BY-SA 4.0

Effects of clearance:

• atmospheric pollution – burning of forest releases enermous masses of ash and smoke
• global warming due to the release of Co2 from burning forests and reduction in carbon sink (as burnt trees do not absorb CO2 by photosynthesis)
• loss of biodiversity : loss of plant species through deforestation
• destruction of habitat: some species (eg. orang-utans) are unprotected due to lower forest cover
• loss of soil fertiliy : soil degration due to soil erosion and leaching
• Afforestation/reforestation and selective logging
• Promoting rainforests as destinations for ecotourism , enabling the undisturbed environment to create a source of income for local people without it being damaged or destroyed
• World-wide initiatives including debt-for-nature swaps: debt relief for retaining rainforests

Tourism in Lanzarote

With more than 2 million visitors annually,  tourism represents the major pillar of Lanzarote’s economy

• Climate: average water temperature of 20°C, and average air temperature of 21°C, very little rainfall and 8.5 hours of sunshine each day
• Numerous luxury and package hotels on beaches eg. Playa Blanca
• Jameos del Agua: an underground lagoon in a lava tube
• Timanfaya National Park
• El Golfo: an emerald green lake situated at the base of a crater on the west coast of the island
• Cueva de los Verdes
• Cactus Garden by Cesar Manrique
• Since the 1980’s , package holidays have created a source of income to promote the development of basic infrastructures, such as the extension of the airport runway to allow for international flights
• Employment opportunities in tourist industries eg. hotels, gastronomy, transport, tour guides

Disadvantages:

• Import leakage to fulfil tourist demands such as food, because only few types of vegetation can thrive on Lanzarote’s arid, volcanic soils

  Ecotourism in Belize

With 245 000 tourists annually, in 2007, over 25% of all jobs were in tourism, which made up over 18% of Belize’s GDP.

Primary and secondary attractions:

• Mangrove swamps
• Mountain pine forests and tropical rainforests
• Archaeological sites eg. Mayan civilization
• Wildlife reserves eg. Coxcomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

How tourist demands are managed:

• Belize Tourist board, Ministry of Tourism and private sector
• Community Baboon Sanctuary to preserve forest habitat and howler monkeys: sustainable farming to increase yield and services for tourists

Problems/Threats:

• Waste dumping and financial leakage due to cruise tourism
• Overfishing
• Coral damage and eutrophication of freshwater from fertilizer runoff
• conserve world heritage site of barrier reef
• increase knowledge of country’s ecosystems through training programmes
• reduce concentration of tourists in specific areas
• support planning and development of a buffer zone
• stricter regulations on cruise ships to reduce waste dumping
• persuade cruise tourists to spend more time on land

Maldives: Tourism as a development strategy

The Maldives are located south-west of India in the Indian ocean and consist of more than 1000 islands.

Tourism accounts for 28% of the Maldives’ GDP and more than 60% of its foreign exchange receipts.

Natural attractions:

• sea-sun-sand combination

Man-made attractions:

• luxury resorts and suites eg. Taj Exotica Resort and Spa on South Male Atoll
• Grand Friday Mosque in Male attracts religious tourists
• Water provided by desalination of sea water
• Energy produced by generators
• Waste dumped in landfill sites or sea (this problem is addressed by the compulsory installation of incinerators, bottle crushers and compactors in all resorts)
• Import leakage due to poor agricultural potential and no economic minerals
• External shocks: sea-level rise, tsunamis, terrorism, etc.
• Depletion of natural resources and climate change

How tourism in damaging the natural environment:

On the Maldives, tropical coconut palms are destroyed for building hotels. Consequently, the ecosystem is threatened as food chains are destroyed or disrupted. For example, lizards loose their natural habitat. Animals are also scared away by traffic. Besides, a ferry from Male every 10 minutes pollutes the seas, threatening the corals. The reefs are also destroyed as tourists take samples home and leave litter on the beaches that may kill reef fish. The atmosphere is polluted by the incineration of waste.

• Encourage linkage between tourism and other sectors as construction, manufacturing and transport (multiplier effect)
• Encourage foreign investment in the development of new resorts
• Increase employment
• Encourage solar and wind power

Global warming management: Maldives

The Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean, only 1,5 m above sea level on average, with 80% percent of the land below 1m.

By Giorgio Montersino on Flickr Licence: CC-BY-SA-2.0

Global warming is a substantial threat to the Maldives, as an increase in temperatures leads to the melting of icebergs, causing sea level rise that may submerge the island group.

The Maldivian Government has built a 3m high sea wall that surrounds the island of Male, to protect it from flooding and preserve its beaches. The sea wall was funded by the Japanese government.

Also, the Maldives plan to be a carbon neutral country by 2019. In other words, they try to avoid adding Co2 to the atmosphere, as carbon dioxide is considered to be responsible for global warming. This should be accomplished by encouraging the development of solar and wind energy.

Fuelwood in Mali:

Image from: Flickr by M Poudyal on 6. April 2007

For local people: The large-scale deforestation that is required to  supply for sufficient energy is problematic, as this energy source is likely to run out if not enough trees will be planted. Besides, deforestation requires people to travel farther to collect enough fuelwood. Deforestation also exposes the soil (as trees cannot trap it) so soil erosion is likely to occur. Furthermore, the burning of fuelwood releases toxic gases which may be trapped in the houses, causing breathing problems or even carbon monoxide poisoning.

Environmental: The widespread deforestation has reduced the humidity of the already dry region, as less plants release water by evapotranspiration.  Also, less roots are anchored in the soil, so the soil is more likely to be eroded. Furthermore, soil salinization is increased, as the cut-down trees no longer provide shade for the soil and the hot temperatures-caused by the desert climate of the Sahel- draw water out of the soil. As an increased soil concentration is poisonous to a large variety of plant species, the natural vegetation will be less likely to grow, and crop cultivation may be hampered.

Two other case studies on fuelwood:

http://geography-student.blogspot.de/2012/06/fuelwood-issues-with-usage-possiblities.html

Geothermal energy in Iceland:

Iceland is located along the Mid-Atlantic ridge, a divergent boundary where heat from the core of the Earth rises to the surface. The energy produced from this heat equates to around 30% of Iceland’s electricity production.

Cold water is pumped down to the igneous rock layers, where it is heated by contact with the hot rocks. The hot water is then piped up and the heat energy is converted to electricity.

Positive aspects:

• emission-free
• sustainable and potentially infinite
• 3/4 of the population live near geothermal sources (in the south-west of Iceland, near Reykjavik)

Negative aspects:

• obstruction that consumes land
• visual pollution
• regional limitations
• may release dangerous underground gases

(More information on: http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/geography/iceland-geothermal-energy-case-study.html )

Solar power in India

India is particularly suitable for solar power due its large mass of land and its tropical location. Besides, solar power is considered a successful means to address India’s development problems.

Advantages of solar power:

• safe and pollution-free
• great potential in rural areas that are isolated from the national electricity grids eg. Dharnai village
• can be used effectively for low power uses as central heating

Disadvantages of solar power

• ineffective in high latitude countries and cloudy areas
• high initial capital input
• less effective for high output uses

Future plans:

• establishing an airport that relies solely on solar power in Cochin
• developing 50 solar cities
• creating world’s largest solar power station in Madhya Pradesh

Wind energy in Germany

Around 9% of the energy produced in Germany comes from wind turbines located both on shore and off-shore (in the North Sea and Baltic Sea).

Wind farms have been built in Germany starting from the 1990s, when awareness of Co2 as a contributing factor to global warming increased.

Primarily, the government fostered the production of onshore wind energy, as technical challenges prevented off-shore farms. The onshore farms were recognised as a cheap form of renewable energy, which does not contribute to air pollution, global warming or acid rain. On the other hand, people did not want to live near wind farms, as these were considered a form of visual pollution.

This issue was resolved by the development of off-shore farms, which are also more productive as there is more wind out at sea. However, the required network capacities for transmitting the power generated in the North Sea to the large industrial consumers in southern Germany have not yet been constructed.

Energy Supply in China

China sources most of its energy from non-renewable sources, with coal-powered plants accounting for roughly 65% of the country’s energy supply in 2020, according to data from the International Energy Association . Renewable sources accounted for another 30% of the country’s energy mix. In China, hydropower is the most-widespread source of renewable energy, and the country boasts many dams, including the Three Gorges Dam, which is the largest dam in the world. Wind, nuclear energy and solar power are also becoming more important as the country aims to transition to cleaner and more efficient energy sources, following the president’s call for an energy revolution.

Plantation: Rubber farming in Malaysia

Plantations are large farms producing a single cash crop (monoculture).

• tropical climate (21-28°C,  around 2000mm rainfall)
• Chinese and Indian labour imported to increase labour force
• location: lower mountain slopes forming the backbone of Malay peninsula; near railway lines and main port

• Planting in germination beds
• Tapping 5-7 years after planting to collect latex
• Latex is coagulated using acid
• Raw rubber washed and rolled to remove acid ad moisture
• Rubber is dried and smoked for stabilisation

Extensive commercial farming: Canadian prairies

• deep, fertile Chernozem soils
• large expanse of flat land (nearly 2 million square kilometres) to grow wide variety of cereals such as wheat, oats etc. in the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan
• able to use large machinery for harvesting
• below zero temperatures in winter break up soil to allow ease of ploughing
• good railway link to Great Lakes allowing export of cereal crops

Human inputs:

There is a very heavy reliance on machinery for ploughing, planting, spraying the crop and harvesting. A large proportion of expenditure goes toward machinery, chemicals and other equipment. Most of the work can be handled by just a few workers using machines such as combine harvesters and harrows. One or two extra helpers may be hired during planting or harvest time.

from: http://www.geoforcxc.com/economic-activities/wheat-farming-in-canada/

Intensive farming: Rice cultivation in Ganges Valley

• Alluvial (silt) soils
• Large labour force
• Temperatures: >21°C
• Monsoon rainfall and dry spells

• Bufallo manure for fertilising
• Weather conditions such as flooding or drought may threaten rice yields
• Monopoly of land: best farmland is owned by few wealthy people, other land owners struggle to cultivate rice in more difficult conditions, especially as they do not have the technology to increase soil fertility
• Little use of machinery and modern methods
• Food shortages: Overpopulation results in overcultivation on flood plains, leading to soil exhaustion and lower yields

Information from: http://geographyfieldwork.com/RiceFarm.htm

Pastoral farming in New Zealand

New Zealand is well known for its agricultural output from sheep farming and dairy farming.

Sheep farming inputs:

• Sheep were brought to New Zealand in the 1800s by British sailors. Initially, the sheep had few natural enemies, so their numbers increased rapidly.
• The sheep are also well adapted to the mild climate and the rich pasture, particularly on the mountainous slopes of South Island.

• Shearing to obtain wool

Sheep farming outputs:

• Meat: beaf and veel
• Sheep manure for fertilizing

Dairy farming inputs:

• Mild climate with high rates of precipitation
• Alluvial and volcanic soils on the flat planes of New Zealand

Dairy farming processes:

Dairy farming outputs:

Subsistence farming: Shifting cultivation in Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

Shifting cultivation is an agricultural practice in which areas of land are cultivated temporarily and abandoned as they become infertile. This allows the land to revert to its natural vegetation and is a sustainable farming technique. Shifting cultivation is mainly practised by indigineous tribes.

Subsistence farming in Lesotho

Lesotho is a landlocked country that borders South Africa. It relies heavily on subsistence farming, with an estimated 86% of the country’s population growing their own crops and maintaining livestock.

Subsistence farming is common in the lowlands northwest of Maseru, where the terrain is flat and thus suited for the cultivation of crops. In mountainous areas, many farmers also raise livestock to compensate for the lower yields from cultivation on mountain slopes.

Additionally,  subsistence farmers in vast parts of Lesotho raise livestock, which can be sold during drought years when crop yields are low. This provides food security for the farmer’s family.

Food shortages in South Sudan

In South Sudan, nearly 4 million people are severely affected by food shortages.

• Drought: Long-term decline in rainfall in southern Sudan (by 20% since 1970s)
• High population growth (4% in 2013) increases demand for food, so unsustainable farming practices such as overgrazing and overcultivation are used, resulting in land degradation and soil erosion
• Reliance on food imports from neighbouring countries: Uganda, Kenya and Sudan
• Civil war between government and rebel forces disrupts planting and harvesting and insecurity along transport routes has hampered the delivery of food and other humanitarian supplies

Water supply in Puglia, Italy

Puglia is one of the most water-scarce regions in Italy, and has very few fresh streams or natural rivers. Its aquifers are vulnerable to contamination by seawater, and so the area’s inhabitants b uilt a large aqueduct to tap into the fresh drinking water from an underground spring in the Campania region , located more than 160 km away. 

Today, cities in the Puglia region (such as Bari) still receive some of their water for domestic use from this original aqueduct. However, precipitation in the Campania region has become less frequent in recent years, and so less water is draining into the aquifer that feeds the acqueduct.

Therefore, Puglia also gets around 250 million cubic meters of water every year from the neighboring region of Basilicata . The local authorities have even considered piping water in across the Adriatic Sea from Albania, to help the region cope with supply shortages.

Soil erosion in Nepal

25% of Nepalese forest was removed between 1990 and 2005 and this trend continues at a rate of 3% per year.

Causes of land degradation in Nepal:

• Deforestation for fuelwood exposes soil to heavy monsoon rainfalls as there will be less vegetation to protect it, causing it to be washed away by extreme surface runoff. Besides, soil is not held together by tree roots, so it can be eroded by icewater runoff from melting glaciers.
• Soil dries out in areas of low rainfall and strong winds can then remove the loose particles
• Agricultural mismanagemnet: poor farming practises such as overcultivation and overgrazing (which deplete the soil’s nutrients) damage the ground vegetation and result in the compaction of topsoil
• Soil pollution through excessive use of persticides poisons bacteria and fungi and thereby disrupts symbiotic relationships

• Crop rotation prevents depletion of nutrients and replenishes soil fertility
• Contour ploughing rather than ploughing up and down the slopes to prevent rapid run-off, gully formation and loss of soil
• Fuelwood conservation: replacing trees where deforestation has taken place or is going to occur
• Environmental education: restrict tourist visits and demand larger fee for use of heating and cooking facilities; environmental education in schools

Transport risks and benefits: Expansion of Heathrow

Discussions about an expansion of Heathrow Airport, Europe`s busiest airport by passenger traffic, arose in 2006, and still, no final decision has been made, as supporters and opposition have been arguing about the benefits and disadvantages for 10 years.

Benefits of an expansion:

• Enhancing economic growth in the UK: Heathrow functions as a major transport hub for both business travellers and tourists, transporting around 70 million passengers annually
• Benefits for financial services industry in London and other independent firms eg. inflight catering, security services
• Better connectivity to other international cities, as more destinations can be scheduled
• Waiting times would be reduced as the airport operates at a lower capacity
• Construction provides up to 100,000 jobs

Disadvantages of an expansion:

• Increase in emission of greenhouse gases from additional flights
• Community destruction: removal of 4000 houses to make space for a runway
• Increased noise and air pollution in West London due to an increase in flights: roaring airplane engines and their exhaust fumes
• Impact on wildlife

High technology industry: Cambridge Science Park

Cambridge Science Park is a Europe’s largest centre for commercial research and development. It is located near Cambridge in the United Kindom, as Cambridge University provides a large supply of expert labour and allows for the sharing of technology. Besides, a large plot of land (152 acres/61.5 hectares) had been available for a low cost, as the facility is located outside of the urban area around London. Nevertheless, good transport facilities exist, including the M11 motorway link to London for the export of finished products and London Stansted International Airport which allows for worldwide trade.

Manufacturing industry: Pakistan’s Iron and Steel Industry

• flat, cheap land available at Pipri, near Gharo Creek
• near Port Qasim, which has a natural harbour to import raw materials and export steel
• close to market: steel-using industries in Karachi, such as tool making
• energy source from Pipri thermal power station and Karachi nuclear power station
• availability of cheap labour from Karachi
• along a railway: Karachi-Pipri-Kotri and metalled roads
• economic assistance from USSR: technical expertise and capital
• water required for making steel brought from Lake Haleji
• heating of ore to separate iron
• burning coke
• rolling into sheets and cutting into lenghts
• cast iron and pig iron
• gases: sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide
• noise pollution from machinery disturbs wildlife
• visual pollution due to large, ugly factory buildings
• air pollution from burning iron ore, which releases carbon dioxide
• water pollution from contaminated cooling water, scrubber effluent and ships supplying raw materials
• depletion of freshwater supplies due to excessive requirement of water in production
• risk of fire and explosions

MNC: MC Donald’s

MC Donald’s is a company at the forefront of globalisation, with more than 35,000 outlets in 121 countries world wide. Founded in the United States in 1940, the company began as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Mc Donald’s employes nearly 2 million people to sell fast food.

• Each new store that is build creates jobs (eg. opening of Mc Donalds at Kennedybrücke in Vienna created 30 new jobs)
• Mc Donalds is involved in youth sports, local charities, and other inspiring events by donating via its charities.
• Salaries vary per country, and are generally low
• Sometimes considered to have poor working conditions

Facebook: A Transnational Corporation and its global links

Facebook is the biggest social network and social media platform in the world, connecting more than 2.8 billion people in the world.

Facebook has close links to businesses all of over the world, as it not only owns the messenger service Whatsapp and the social media platform Instagram, but also offers advertising space through its Facebook Ads service, and allows retailers and people to sell and trade goods in its market place.

In the past, Facebook has also come under fire for data partnerships with other TNCs including, but limited to, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo and Spotify. However, amidst privacy concerns, the company has had to reduce the strength of its global links, and is instead shifting towards a slightly more localised global approach.

Nonetheless, Facebook continues to maintain and develop strong global links through mergers and acquisitions, its headquarter location in Silicon Valley near other high-tech, and software firms, and its relationships with goverments and business networks all around the world.

Nike: A multinational company and its impact on less developed countries

Nike is a global sportswear company headquartered in Oregon in the United States. The company employs around 75.000 people around the world, with an additional 500.000 people working for companies to which Nike subcontracts most of its manufacturing in Eastern Asia.

Benefits for LEDCs:

• Nike factories create new jobs in countries like China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, allowing poorer people to earn a wage. The standard of living for many people improves, increasing the ability to access food and quality housing.
• Nike has invested in and promoted the development of transport infrastructure in the areas near the factories. Better roads make it easier for the population to get around, and this has a positive ripple effect on other economic activity.
• Poor health and safety standards are a major threat to people employed in the factories.
• Short-term contracts and payment below the national living wage also have a devastating impact on the local community. For example, in one Cambodian factory that produced apparel for Nike, several women collapsed after working 10 hour days, six days a week , and they reported feeling hungry and exhausted.
• Natural resources such as oil are being overexploited, as they are required for manufacturing. This has a negative impact on the local environment.
• Factories are often footloose. This means Nike could relocate to another less developed area if the local conditions or government policies are deemed unfavourable – with a devastating impact on employment and the local economy.

You can find out more about Nike and its impact on LEDCs here .

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178 thoughts on “ Case Studies ”

June 6, 2024 at 7:19 am

how can i get this pdf

June 6, 2024 at 9:24 am

Hi, I sent you the PDF

June 20, 2024 at 9:16 pm

could I please have this as a pdf it’s brilliant thanks

June 28, 2024 at 1:46 pm

Sure, sent it your way.

May 29, 2024 at 9:32 am

hi thanks so much for providing this, it’s going to be such a huge help for geo this year do you mind sending a pdf copy 

June 6, 2024 at 9:23 am

Sure, sent you the PDF

May 2, 2024 at 6:48 pm

Could you also please send me the pdf? 🙂

May 1, 2024 at 3:26 pm

Can you send me a PDF file? I really need this urgently, I have my paper 1s tomorrow and I want to print this out to help me!

May 2, 2024 at 11:11 am

Hi Sunny, I’ve sent you the PDF. All the best for your Paper 1 tomorrow.

May 2, 2024 at 4:52 pm

Hi, I will have my paper 1 tomorrow, what topic did you get??

May 1, 2024 at 8:02 am

hi thanks so much for providing this, it’s going to be such a huge help for geo this year do you mind sending a pdf copy 🙂

May 2, 2024 at 11:12 am

Should be on its way 🙂

April 28, 2024 at 12:07 pm

do you have case studies on river formations as well (ex: levees, canyons, v shaped valleys etc) and coast formation (ex: spit, bars, etc)

May 2, 2024 at 11:32 am

Hi ella, There is a case study on the formation of a spit: Spurn Head, Holderness Coast, UK on this page. as well as the Ganges delta. As far as I am aware, you only need case studies on the opportunities presented by a river/area of coast, the associated hazards and their management in the current CIE IGCSE syllabus. Best, Carina

April 28, 2024 at 12:03 pm

thank you. can i please have a pdf. also, how can i memorise all these before the test in 3 days??😭

May 2, 2024 at 11:14 am

Sure, sent it to you. I’m sure you’ll do fine – if you know the core stuff well, just focus on memorising locations/place specific info and I’m sure you’ll do fine. Most examiners don’t bother to fact check what you write anyway, so if in doubt, write what you think you remember and you might still get a point even if you’re somewhat off.

April 24, 2024 at 12:03 pm

Hi can I have to pdf copy of this. Also do you have any tips for memorising the case study

P.S Keep up the fantastic work its much appreciated 🙂

April 24, 2024 at 7:09 pm

Thanks Johnathon, I’m glad you find it helpful. I’ve sent you a PDF.

As for memorising the case studies: If you know the core material well, all you need to really remember is a place-specific reference, or something specific to that location. For example, if you have a case study on flooding, and you know a little bit about the general area where the flood occurred, you can quite easily deduce that houses may have been damaged or destroyed, railway lines and other modes of transport blocked, etc. Then all you’d have to remember is some specific fact related to the flood. What really helped me was having 2-3 specific things I knew about the location already, so I didn’t have to memorise one specific fact and hope that I remember. For example, for the Central European floods I knew (because I saw this on TV at the time) that a dike near the town of Deggendorf broke, and water rose to a record-breaking 8 metres causing the town to flood, while the Austrian stretch of the Danube saw all shipping halted. So having some kind of personal connection to or interest in the location of the case studies really helps.

Apart from that, I would just practice with a lot of past papers, and check my answers against the mark scheme. If you do 1-2 case study questions a day, you become quite good at them quickly.

Best wishes and good luck with the case studies Carina

April 19, 2024 at 12:23 pm

Please can you kindly send a pdf copy of the case studies and notes? Thank you

April 24, 2024 at 6:58 pm

Sent it to you 🙂

April 16, 2024 at 5:10 pm

do you know what the case studies 7 marker questions could be in IGCSE CIE geography 2024 may/june

April 24, 2024 at 7:27 pm

Hi Josiah, I don’t know what will come up, but my guess is something on ageing population, urban land use, coral reefs, energy use in a country, and a specific agricultural system or deforestation. Hope this helps. Best wishes, Carina

March 22, 2024 at 4:54 pm

Hi Carina! i’m new to teaching the course and after the first assessment with my students I realise they are struggling with the case study questions. Would you allow if I share these as notes with my students? If yes, may i request for a pdf, thank you so much.

Like Liked by 1 person

March 23, 2024 at 10:39 am

Hi Nikhat, Sure, feel free to share the notes with your class. I’ve sent you the PDF as well. All the best teaching the course!

March 21, 2024 at 11:27 am

can i have a pdf copy plssss

March 23, 2024 at 10:38 am

Yes, sent it to you.

March 16, 2024 at 11:33 pm

Please can you kindly send a pdf copy of the case studies? Thank you.

March 17, 2024 at 9:50 am

March 15, 2024 at 1:51 am

Hey i like this, thank you. Can i get a pdf copy of this?

March 17, 2024 at 9:51 am

Sure, is on its way 🙂

January 22, 2024 at 2:29 pm

can i have a pdf copy pls

March 17, 2024 at 9:53 am

January 15, 2024 at 11:44 pm

Very helpful notes eyy can l kindly get a PDF of these case studies please l will really appreciate

March 17, 2024 at 9:54 am

Thank you, PDF is on its way.

December 9, 2023 at 5:09 pm

Hi, Do you have case studies for flooding of a river? Thanks.

March 17, 2024 at 9:57 am

Hi Z, yes, just look for the “Central European floods” or “Danube” and “Elbe” on this page. Best, Carina

November 29, 2023 at 7:46 pm

Very useful, thank you! May I have a pdf copy?

March 17, 2024 at 9:55 am

Thanks Paula. PDF is on its way.

November 15, 2023 at 5:32 am

Thank you，it is really helpful. May I have a pdf copy of this?

November 26, 2023 at 9:51 am

Sure, sent you an e-mail

September 28, 2023 at 1:19 am

Hi. Do you have any predictions for 7 mark questions (case study) for October/November IGCSE paper 1?

September 28, 2023 at 10:06 am

Hi Y, You could get case studies on a rapidly growing urban area in a developing country, over- or underpopulation, tropical areas or hot deserts, the risks and management of coastlines, a TNC and its global links and agricultural systems. As always, please take these predictions with a grain of salt, as I have no way of knowing what will be on the exams Best of luch for your revision 🙂 Carina

August 22, 2023 at 5:03 pm

Do yo have an case studies on coasts and the causes of overpopulation and eruption in eyjajjallojokull

September 28, 2023 at 9:50 am

Hi Tanatswa, Yes, you can find the case studies on this page: https://igcsegeography.wordpress.com/revision-materials/case-studies/

August 17, 2023 at 12:01 pm

This is great and i recommend it to my students. So helpful.

June 16, 2023 at 2:22 pm

hi is there a igcse workbook with answers

June 21, 2023 at 5:33 pm

Hi Renee, Some providers such as Hodder Education seem to have IGCSE workbooks and then offer a subscription service to teachers that include answers for those workbooks. But generally the answers are very hard to get as a student – this is one of the reasons why I recommend practising with past papers, as mark schemes are usually published online if you search hard enough 🙂 Best, Carina

June 4, 2023 at 7:16 pm

These are wonderful study notes

May 9, 2023 at 6:38 pm

So useful so detailed

April 24, 2023 at 8:09 am

Hi, Do you have any case studies on urban sprawl? if so please send it.

May 1, 2023 at 10:43 am

Hi J, You can find some information on urban sprawl in Nottingham on this page: https://igcsegeography.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/case-study-answer-series-summer-2008/ Hope this helps. Best, Carina

June 21, 2023 at 4:37 am

Please send me a pdf of these case studies . They are really helpful

June 21, 2023 at 5:23 pm

Hi Gladys, Just sent you an email Best of luck Carina

April 16, 2023 at 12:15 pm

Hi, Any predictions for the IGCSE CIE Paper 1, 2 and 4? Especially for Paper 1; there is so much heavy content!!I have my first exam, paper 1 in about two weeks- Thank you!:)

April 16, 2023 at 12:26 pm

Hey Martina, Did you see my reply from February yet? I would guess that in Paper 1, you’ll see a case study on either energy or development, questions around rivers and earthquakes or volcanoes, and perhaps birth and death rates, and international migration, as well as settlement types or land use. Best, Carina

April 16, 2023 at 12:46 pm

Did not! Just checked! Thank you anyhow for answering again:)! What kind of questions could they ask us in terms of rivers earthquakes or volcanoes?

March 30, 2023 at 11:51 am

Hello. Will this apply for the 2023 October/November IGCSEs?

April 16, 2023 at 11:59 am

Hello Tshepi, These case studies might apply in October 2023, but you’re always best off checking the official syllabus: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/596947-2023-syllabus.pdf Best, Carina

March 7, 2023 at 2:48 pm

hi, do you have any predictions for march 2024 paper1?

April 16, 2023 at 11:57 am

Hey Anvi, It’s a bit early for predictions for March 2024, as the Summer 2023 papers still haven’t been completed. But feel free to ask me again in late Autumn. Best, Carina

March 20, 2024 at 1:01 am

Hey! Do you have any predictions for the march 2024 paper 1 now? I would also love it if you sent me the pdf💓

March 29, 2024 at 3:37 pm

Hi, do you have predictions for P1 May 2024?

April 24, 2024 at 7:21 pm

Hi Hanzo, I have no way of knowing what questions will be on the May 2024 paper, so please do not rely solely on my predictions as you prepare for exams. That said, I would expect population-related questions (e.g. population growth/decline, ageing population), coasts and tropical rainforests/desert environments to come up. You might also have questions about food and energy production or water supply. For case studies, I wouldn’t be surprised if they on urban land use, coral reefs, energy use in a country, and a specific agricultural system or deforestation. But please do take these predictions with a grain of salt. Best wishes for your exams Carina

February 21, 2023 at 9:18 am

Thank you so much for this! It was so so so helpful:) Any predictions for the May/June Exams this year? All of the extended papers(no course work)

February 26, 2023 at 10:19 am

Hi Martina, I don’t know what questions will come up in the May /June 2023 exams, so please take these predictions with a grain of salt. My best guess is that you might see some questions around birth and death rates, international migration, settlement types and/or land use. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was something on earthquakes and volcanos, and perhaps rivers and or a case study on coral reefs. You could also have questions around water supply, perhaps with a case study on energy, and tourism or development is likely to come up as well.

January 9, 2023 at 7:45 am

Hi! Do you have any predictions for the May/June 2023 Paper 1? Like, which case studies do you think are likely to come up?

February 26, 2023 at 10:21 am

Hey Livia, sorry for the delay in replying I’ve just made a few predictions – you can find them if you look for my reply to Martina on this page. Best, Carina

July 3, 2022 at 10:04 am

Thanks so much i found this very helpful.

May 30, 2022 at 6:27 pm

Thank you so much, this information has been really helpful to me in my Geography

May 3, 2022 at 10:36 pm

what are your predictions on the may june 2022 paper 1?

May 11, 2022 at 7:45 pm

Hi eisha, You can find my prediction in the comments section of this page: https://igcsegeography.wordpress.com/revision-materials/industrial-systems/ Best, Carina

May 1, 2022 at 5:33 pm

Also, is it really okay if I got stuck in the test and had to invent a place specific reference. I’ve always wondered how they correct the papers given all those student responses on different countries, tho

May 11, 2022 at 7:37 pm

Hi Jana, you’ll probably be fine inventing something if you really do get stuck, as long as it is remotely reasonable. Just keep in mind that examiners can Google stuff, or may even be from your country, so whatever you do invent probably shouldn’t be contradicted by a quick online search 🙂

May 1, 2022 at 5:21 pm

Hi Carina! Love your website! Do you have any tips or recommendations on the May Jun 2022 series for geography?

May 1, 2022 at 11:03 am

Hi, this might be a dumb question but would you recommend memorising all these case studies, or should we only need to know a certain amount, and in certain areas for the exams?

May 11, 2022 at 7:41 pm

Hi Luke, I would recommend learning the core concepts very well and at least memorising a case study for all frequently occuring topics (e.g. 1 volcano, one earthquake, one river with certain features, one coastal area, one country with population change, urban vs. rural settlement, etc.). I would try to memorise especially those case studies that you can’t find an example for in your local area,, as you probably know your city and surrounding area well enough to come up with something reasonable on at least some of the questions in the exam. Best, Carina

April 30, 2022 at 12:11 pm

thanks so much for this, exams are in less than a week and this i just what i needed :)))

May 11, 2022 at 7:43 pm

April 25, 2022 at 5:52 am

Paper 1 is almost a week away and I had very little knowledge on any case studies prior to just a few days ago. This compilation of case studies has been a great help to me, so I’d just like to say thanks!

May 11, 2022 at 7:46 pm

Thanks Ezad, I am glad you found the case studies helpful!

March 28, 2022 at 11:22 am

Dear Carina who compiles this – this is a mother trying to help her 13 years old to review – this is AMAZING resource!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!

May 11, 2022 at 7:49 pm

Thanks Grace, it means a lot to me! Best, Carina

January 23, 2022 at 6:21 pm

Hello, Are the case studies grouped, for example, are all the ones about tourism together? Thank you very much

March 20, 2022 at 9:49 am

Hi salman, the case studies are loosely grouped, so you will find all the case studies related to a particular topic after each other. Best, Carina

November 3, 2021 at 2:18 pm

This is a great resource. well done!

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Oxford Education Blog

The latest news and views on education from oxford university press., 5 ways to help students remember those case studies.

When I ask my students what they particularly struggle with when it comes to exam preparation I frequently hear the exasperated reply: “case studies!”

Some of the geographers I teach, especially in years 10 and 11, feel overwhelmed when they reach the end of a topic (or an entire course) with the realisation that they have detailed notes on a plethora of case studies.

The number of case studies pupils are expected to learn will vary from board to board and topic to topic but there is no denying that they form an integral part of geography courses. So how do we, as teachers, help them learn and remember not only the general information but the all-important detail? Below are five very simple, tried and tested ideas.

• Choose case studies that are applicable to more than one theme in the specification

Before your students even embark on revision, you can help them remember case study information by carefully selecting those you teach. If a single case study can be used for at least two themes then that can make a real difference to pupil understanding, as well as making the overall number more manageable.

For example, the stretch of the Hampshire/Dorset coastline (from Portland Bill to Milford on Sea) can be used not only to exemplify landforms of erosion (Swanage Bay, Old Harry Rocks etc.) but also those of deposition (Hurst Castle Spit) as well as themes of ecology (salt marsh creation at Keyhaven Marshes) and coastal management (Christchurch Bay and Barton on Sea). Similarly for human geography, the Thai population policy can be used as an example of an anti-natalist approach to bring down birth rates (useful for population change themes) as well as a how the government is tackling the spread of HIV/AIDS (central to topics of health issues and development ).

• A case study on one side

Condensing information onto one side of A4 or A3 is a really useful way of streamlining the case study and making it easier for a student to memorise. Writing out the notes forces the student to read (and hopefully process) the material which reinforces learning. Furthermore by writing out the case study they can see if there are any gaps in their notes or areas they don’t understand – both of which are vital when they are preparing for examinations.

Constructing mind maps on a sheet has the added advantage of encouraging students to see links between parts of the topic or indeed between topics (thereby identifying synoptic links which is particularly important at A2). Finally, a case study on one sheet is portable (ideal for revision on bus journeys) and is easily stuck on a bedroom wall.

• Be realistic

Some people are lucky enough to have photographic memories but most of us, unfortunately, do not. Whilst we always encourage students to learn detail (this is crucial to access the higher mark tier for most specifications) it is important to keep things in perspective. A student who tries to cram in too many facts and figures runs the risk of having a meltdown come exam time. I would say to most of my students to choose three to five key dates or figures to memorise for each case study. Obviously this will depend on the topic and level they’re working towards but when faced with panicking pupils I say some is better than none.

Whether or not a particular student is a “visual learner” (a number of academics now think we should move on from the notion of learning styles ), there is a lot to be said for linking visual stimuli with case studies. Whether it’s a geological map of the Dorset coastline to help remember the theory of bay and headland formation or a propaganda poster to reinforce the mechanisms of the Chinese One Child Policy, images can prompt memory and therefore be a strong tool in learning case study material. Some students may find drawing out a story-board helpful, while others may want to write notes around a central photograph or sketch.

• Mark up the specification

This is one of the most useful things I feel I can do as a teacher to help my students prepare for their exams and it is so simple. Take a copy of the specification and mark on exactly where each case study fits in. You can do this by hand or word process it as a table, but however you do it, your students will thank you for it: putting case studies into context is so helpful and their geographical knowledge will be enhanced by it.

You may want to give them a blank copy of the specification to do it for themselves but you should make sure that each student has a correct copy at the front of their notes when it comes to exam preparation. Choosing the right case study for the right question is absolutely crucial to success; if they don’t they can waste valuable time and marks by barking up the wrong (or less fruitful) tree.

Image: By Saffron Blaze (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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Geographic Information Systems/Science

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Subject Librarian

Introduction

    Case studies are specific examples of how GIS was used to solve a problem or made information sharing easier in a particular industry. The Library has a collection of books which illustrate a number of case studies. These case studies can also provide you with inspiration for your own GIS projects. This is not the complete list of case studies available, but those listed should help you with ideas.

Looking for statistics or data to actually map? Look here .

Finding library resources

• GIS and case studies This is a keyword search in the online catalog.
• geographic information systems case studies
• geographic information systems

Selected case studies

In addition to the books listed below, ESRI has published a series of booklets online to show best practices in different fields using ArcGIS.

Internet resource(s)

Looking for GIS case studies on the Internet? Just do a search for "gis case studies." That will generate a long list. Then you need to decide what you want from the case study. That will help you narrow your search.

• Case studies from ESRI GIS Education Community These case studies are rich, real-world stories of GIS in education – across several educational categories. These stories represent best practices of GIS planning, implementation or evaluation in education.
• Case studies from Lake County, Florida

• GIS Case Studies from the County of Los Angeles, CA
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• URL: https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/gis

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How to Write a Case Study (Examples & Best Practices)

Sudarshan Somanathan

Head of Content

July 19, 2024

Promising your clients powerful solutions is great, but what wins them over is cold, hard proof that you’re successful at what you claim.

And that proof is a case study. Crafting one that grabs attention and showcases business expertise isn’t just about laying out the facts and figures—it’s about making your success stories come alive. 

Whether you’re seasoned or just starting, let’s look at actionable tips to write compelling case studies. From integrating best practices and examples to using tools and templates that simplify the process, learn to write case studies that will win clients over! 🙌

Understanding Case Studies

1. identify the case, 2. research, 3. define the problem, 4. develop a hypothesis, 5. plan the structure, step 1: write an impactful introduction, step 2: provide context, step 3: show your research, step 4: present the solution, step 5: reveal the result, step 6: structure and polish, beyond the steps: different methodologies, leverage clickup for writing compelling case studies , narrative case studies , descriptive case studies , exploratory case studies , explanatory case studies , case study templates, case study examples, best practices for writing case studies, landing pages and onboarding , the role and benefit of case studies in various fields, tell powerful business stories with case studies.

A case study is an in-depth analysis of a real-life situation designed to showcase a concept or principle. It’s an impactful tool in problem-solving and decision-making that gives a detailed illustration of a particular issue and its solution within a real-world context. 

Case studies uncover problems, propose solutions, and highlight successes, making them invaluable for businesses, educators, researchers, and professionals across various fields such as medicine and law. 

Case studies help us explore complex issues through detailed contextual analysis. They help understand cause and effect, identify patterns, and develop strategies for future scenarios. 

By studying how others overcame challenges, you can identify best practices and find new, effective approaches to solve problems that are specific to you.

For instance, a business might use a case study to understand how a specific marketing strategy led to increased sales, or a medical professional might examine a case study to understand the progression of a disease and the effectiveness of different treatments. This enables you to make informed decisions in similar future cases instead of decisions based purely on anecdotal theory or just raw data with no context. 

Attaching a case study of your customer’s success to your proposals or response to Request for Proposal ( RFP) documents can lend credibility to your business’ capabilities and enhance your chances of winning over prospective customers.

How to Prepare for a Case Study

Preparation is key to crafting a compelling case study. Follow these steps to ensure you cover all bases:

Pick a relevant, unique subject that addresses a key customer pain point and provides valuable insights. The chosen case should provide a meaningful story and outcome.

Suppose you consider a local environmental group struggling to raise funds for a critical habitat restoration project. This could be a great case study to showcase how you, as a consultant, helped them develop a compelling fundraising strategy, identify new donor segments, and ultimately reach their financial goals.

Gather information and raw data relevant to your topic, including quantitative data (such as statistics and numerical data) and qualitative insights (such as interviews and observations).  

For interviews, you might need to prepare a list of interviewees and research questions beforehand. Comprehensive research helps build a solid foundation for your case study. This is where research plan templates can come in handy. You can use them to structure your research process—from defining the key elements of your case study upfront to formulating clear research questions and outlining the methods you’ll use to gather data.

Let’s go back to our environment group example. To understand the environmental group’s fundraising struggles, you would gather data on their past fundraising campaigns, donor demographics, and website traffic. You would also interview key staff members and conduct focus groups with potential donors to understand their giving habits and concerns.

Clearly outline the issue or challenge faced. A well-defined problem sets the stage for a focused and effective analysis. Spend some time fine-tuning your case study.

In our example, based on your research, you define the problem as the environmental group’s reliance on traditional fundraising methods that were no longer reaching new donors, leading to stagnant funding for critical projects.

Formulate a potential solution or theory to address the problem. Crafted carefully in one or two sentences, this thesis statement will guide your investigation and analysis.

To help the group, your hypothesis could be that by implementing a multi-channel fundraising strategy that leverages social media, targeted email campaigns, and grant proposals, the environmental group can expand its donor base, increase donation amounts, and secure funding for the habitat restoration project.

Decide on the format and structure of your case study. A well-organized structure ensures that your case study is easy to follow and understand. Most case studies follow a chronological structure. This is great for storytelling and helps you take the reader on a journey from the initial challenge to the successful resolution achieved. It allows you to build suspense and highlight the transformation that took place.

For the example given above, you can decide to structure your case study with sections on the environmental group’s mission and the importance of the restoration project, the fundraising challenges they faced, the implemented solutions using your consulting framework, the results achieved (increased donations and project funding), and the key takeaways for other non-profit organizations.

Once you’ve addressed these steps related to case study planning, you’re ready to jump to the writing process. Let’s do that together, one step at a time! 🤝

How to Write a Case Study

Writing a compelling case study goes beyond simply recounting a project’s success. It’s about weaving a narrative that showcases the problem, your approach, and the impactful results. 

Let’s examine how to write case studies that inform and inspire potential customers and stakeholders.

The introduction is prime real estate in your case study—your chance to grab the reader’s attention. 

Here are two effective strategies to start strong

• Intrigue with a challenge: Open with a relatable scenario highlighting the common pain points your solution addresses. Example: “A struggling e-commerce store has stagnant sales despite offering high-quality products. This was the reality for [Company Name] back in [year/month]”
• Spark curiosity with a statistic: Hook your audience with a surprising or thought-provoking statistic related to the industry or challenge. Example: “Did you know that 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts before checkout? [Client Name] faced this very issue, leading to [amount] in lost revenue”

Once you’ve piqued their interest, provide context for your case study:

• Introduce the client: Briefly introduce the client, their industry, and their specific goals or challenges
• Highlight the problem: Clearly define the problem the client faced. Be specific about the impact it had on their business

Give your readers insights into tangible data and evidence of your study:

Quantitative research 

Numbers add credibility to your case study. Gather data relevant to the problem, such as sales figures, website traffic, or customer churn rates.

Qualitative research

Go beyond the numbers! Interview key stakeholders to understand the client’s perspective, thought processes, and emotional impact of the problem.

Behavioral science 

Understanding human behavior can strengthen your case study. Consider incorporating principles of psychology or decision-making to explain why the client’s previous approach wasn’t working and how your solution addressed those behavioral patterns.

For instance, if your case study focuses on improving a website’s conversion rate, you could mention how applying the “scarcity principle” by highlighting limited-time offers or low stock availability can incentivize purchase decisions.

Help your readers understand how exactly you solved the problem:

• Explain your approach: Detail the steps you took to address the client’s problem. Be clear about the specific strategies or methodologies you implemented
• Highlight expertise: Showcase your unique knowledge and expertise. If you developed a custom framework or used innovative techniques, explain them here

The result of your case study shows your success. Ensure you make it appealing to your readers:

• Showcase results with data: Present the positive outcomes achieved through your solution. Quantify the results whenever possible using the data you gathered earlier. For example, if you helped a client increase website traffic, mention the specific percentage increase observed
• Include client testimonials: Weave in positive quotes or testimonials from the client expressing their satisfaction with the results

Now that you know what exactly to put in your case study, you must understand how to present it:

• Organize for clarity: Structure your case study logically. Common sections include Introduction, Client Background, The Challenge, The Solution, Results, and Conclusion
• Pay attention to readability: Use clear and concise language. Break down complex concepts into digestible terms for a wider audience
• Proofread with precision: Ensure your case study is free of grammatical errors and typos. A polished presentation reflects professionalism

While the above steps provide a general framework, case studies can be structured using various methodologies. Here are two common approaches:

• Challenge-Solution-Benefit: This linear structure directly addresses the problem, presents the solution, and highlights the resulting benefits for the client
• Customer journey: This method focuses on the customer’s experience throughout the process. It showcases how your solution helped them navigate challenges and achieve success at each stage of their journey

The chosen methodology depends on the case study’s specific goals and the message you want to convey.

By following these steps and considering different approaches, you can craft compelling case studies that not only inform but also inspire your target audience. 

Remember, a well-written case study is a powerful marketing tool demonstrating your expertise and the value you deliver to clients.

ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity tool. Its intuitive interface and powerful features make it easy to conduct further research, collaborate with team members, and produce high-quality case studies. 

Its marquee feature, ClickUp Brain , is great for writing, editing, and summarizing case studies. This AI-powered tool simplifies the entire process, making it faster and more efficient. 

With ClickUp Brain, you can generate comprehensive case studies from scratch, thanks to its intuitive prompts and suggestions that guide you through each section, ensuring you cover all essential points. Just give it a few bullet points of instruction, and it will help you outline the case study, gather and organize your data, and create a compelling narrative highlighting your achievements and solutions.

Editing is a breeze with ClickUp Brain. The AI can review your content, providing insights and suggestions for improvement. It checks for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy, ensuring your case study reads well and conveys your message effectively. This saves you time and effort, allowing you to focus on fine-tuning your content rather than doing the heavy lifting!

When it comes to summarizing, ClickUp Brain excels by distilling lengthy case studies with too much detail into concise, impactful summaries. This is particularly useful for creating an executive summary of your case study that won’t overwhelm your audience with too much information at once while still sharing the key details with them. 

By leveraging ClickUp Brain, you can produce polished, professional case studies that effectively communicate your successes and expertise.

Case Study Formats

Case studies have various formats, depending on their purpose and audience. This also determines their length. Marketing case studies are usually 500–700 words long. 

In-depth ones for academic, financial, or scientific purposes can exceed 1,000 words, including detailed data, analysis, methodologies, and interviews. Here are some common case study formats with examples:

They tell the story of the case in a linear format . This narrative form is ideal for engaging readers and making complex information more accessible. For instance, a narrative case study about a startup’s journey from inception to success will captivate readers by walking them through each milestone, highlighting challenges and triumphs. A customer success story can be another example.

This format provides a detailed description of the case and its context . It’s useful for presenting a comprehensive overview of a particular situation. An example would be a case study on a company’s operational processes describing how a specific change in workflow improved efficiency, with detailed descriptions of each step and the overall impact on productivity.

Investigates a phenomenon in a preliminary way to lay the groundwork for future studies . This format is often used in academic research to explore new areas of interest. For example, an exploratory case study might examine the initial effects of remote work on employee productivity during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, setting the stage for more extensive research.

This format is ideal for understanding the cause-and-effect relationships in complex scenarios. A case study explaining how a particular marketing strategy led to a significant increase in sales can provide insights into the specific tactics used, customer responses, and overall outcomes, helping clarify the strategy’s direct impact on sales performance.

Each format serves a distinct purpose and can be tailored to the specific needs of your audience and the goals of your case study.

Having templates to structure your case study will save you a great deal of time. 

They help streamline your case study creation process and ensure consistency in formatting. They also provide a framework for organizing your information and presenting it well.

Try the ClickUp Case Study Template to get a head start on your case studies. It helps capture critical information such as project background, challenges faced, strategies implemented, and measurable outcomes. 

This template includes prompts and sections that cover all necessary aspects of a case study, from initial analysis to final results. Its intuitive format helps streamline the writing process, making it easier to organize data and insights coherently, eventually allowing you to showcase the tangible benefits of your work.

If you’re looking to craft visually appealing and well-structured case studies, the ClickUp Case Study Design Template is what you need. This template provides a comprehensive layout that guides you through the essential components of a case study, such as problem statements, solutions, methodologies, and results.

With its pre-designed sections, you can easily organize your content, ensuring that each part of your case study is clearly defined and logically presented. The template’s customizable elements allow you to tailor the design to match your brand’s aesthetics , making your case study informative, engaging, and professional-looking. 

By using this template, you can save time on formatting and focus more on the important stuff.

Case studies illustrate how solutions are applied in various scenarios, offering valuable insights and practical lessons. Here are some other real-world examples:

Business case study: This type of case study analyzes a company’s strategy and outcomes. For example, this is a ClickUp case study featuring Cartoon Network that doubled its output in 50% less time. It outlines systematic ways the business cut short on duplicative efforts, facilitated deeper real-time collaboration, and leveraged insights to boost its productivity.

Medical case study: It examines a patient’s history and treatment. This National Institutes of Health example details a patient’s symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, providing a comprehensive view of the medical journey. It offers medical practitioners valuable insights into diagnosing and managing similar cases.

Technology implementation case study: This details how an organization implemented new technology. For example, a Microsoft case study explores how a company adopted Microsoft Azure to enhance its cloud computing capabilities. It covers the challenges faced, the implementation process, and the positive impact on business operations.

Marketing case study: This form of case study analyzes a marketing campaign’s strategy and results. For instance, Comedy Central launched an innovative search campaign using YouTube videos to introduce Trevor Noah as the new host of “The Daily Show” and engage fans through an interactive Easter egg hunt. The campaign generated 38M impressions and 2.8M views with high engagement rates.

We’ve curated a set of business best practices for writing and promoting impactful case studies to help you create them. 

Incorporate key elements

• Start with a strong introduction: Grab the reader’s attention and set the stage for your analysis. A compelling introduction can draw readers in and make them want to learn more about your case study. This introduction draws on a historical timeline and sets a very strong narrative

• Be clear and concise: Keep your writing concise and focused. Avoid unnecessary jargon and complex language that might confuse readers
• Use visuals: Enhance your case study with charts, graphs, and images to illustrate important sections. Visuals can help make complex information more accessible and engaging

• Include real data: Support your analysis with real data and statistics. Providing concrete evidence can strengthen your arguments and add credibility to your case study

• Tell a story: Make your case study engaging by telling a compelling customer story. Use narrative techniques to bring your case study to life and make it more relatable to readers

Promoting case studies 

Your case study must be supported by a structured  marketing plan . To reach a wider audience, leverage social media marketing and content distribution. Share your case studies on LinkedIn, Twitter, and industry-specific forums to generate interest and engagement.

You can repurpose key elements of the case study into bite-sized LinkedIn posts or Tweets. You can even capture client video testimonials to support the results highlighted in the case studies and share them on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Additionally, consider using SEO best practices to ensure your case studies are easily discoverable online.

Presenting a Case Study

Presenting a case study effectively is crucial for conveying your findings and recommendations. Follow these steps:

• Prepare a clear outline: Organize your presentation logically with a clear outline. This helps ensure that your presentation is easy to follow and that you cover all key points
• Use visual aids: Enhance your presentation with slides, charts, and graphs. Visual aids can help make your presentation more engaging and easier to understand
• Engage your audience: Encourage questions and discussions to engage your audience. Interaction can help reinforce your message and make your presentation more memorable
• Highlight key points: Emphasize the most important findings and recommendations. Make sure your audience leaves with a clear understanding of the main takeaways from your case study

Create dedicated landing pages to showcase your case studies. Use effective onboarding techniques to guide readers through your content. 

For example, you can create a landing page on your website with a strong headline, an overview of your case study, key findings, and a call to action encouraging readers to download the full report. 

Here’s an example from the National Library of Medicine

Another best practice most businesses follow is a landing page featuring the full collection of their case studies . This helps your target audience quickly review all the powerful business stories you have on offer and select the one that’s most relevant to them. 

Take a look at ClickUp’s landing page for case studies below.

Case studies are used across various fields to provide in-depth analysis of relevant theories and insights.

Nursing  

Case studies in nursing help understand patient care and treatment outcomes. 

For example, a case study detailing a diabetic patient’s journey can highlight effective management strategies and complications, such as monitoring blood sugar levels, dietary adjustments, and medication adherence. 

This comprehensive account can offer valuable lessons for healthcare providers, contributing to better patient care practices and education.

Public policy

Public policy case studies provide a detailed analysis of policy decisions and their impact. 

For instance, a case study on a city’s implementation of a new public transportation system can showcase successful interventions, such as increased ridership and reduced traffic congestion. It can also identify areas for improvement, such as the need for better infrastructure or more frequent service. 

These insights can guide future policy decisions, helping policymakers design more effective and efficient public services.

Business case study examples in marketing illustrate successful campaigns and strategies. 

For instance, a case study on Apple’s marketing strategy for the iPhone highlights how they arrived at their creative briefs , positioning, branding, and targeted advertising to capture a significant market share. 

This detailed account of Apple’s approach to market research, consumer behavior analysis, and creative advertising techniques can offer valuable lessons for other businesses looking to enhance their marketing efforts and connect more effectively with their target audience.

Operations management

These case studies provide insights into process improvements and operational efficiency. 

For example, this case study on Toyota’s implementation of lean manufacturing principles shows how the company reduced waste, improved production efficiency, and increased overall product quality. 

By examining the specific steps Toyota took to streamline its operations, such as adopting just-in-time inventory systems and continuous improvement practices, other businesses can learn how to optimize their processes and achieve higher productivity.

Strategic planning

Case studies in strategic planning demonstrate how companies navigate complex business environments. 

For example, a case study on Netflix’s transition from a DVD rental service to a global streaming giant reveals the strategic decisions that fueled its growth. This includes their investment in original content, adoption of new technologies, and expansion into international markets. 

By understanding the strategic choices and challenges Netflix faces, other businesses can gain insights into how to adapt their strategies to changing market conditions and emerging opportunities.

These examples illustrate how case studies in various fields provide actionable insights and practical knowledge to help companies innovate, improve efficiency, and make informed strategic decisions.

Writing an effective case study is more than just presenting data; it’s about telling a story that resonates with your audience and showcases the impact of your solutions. 

By focusing on clear objectives, customer quotes, thorough research, and engaging narratives, you can create strong case studies that not only highlight your successes with previous customers but also build trust with prospective clients and future customers. Remember, a well-crafted case study can help you achieve your marketing goals .

One tool that can significantly streamline the process of creating impactful case studies is ClickUp. With its robust project management features, ClickUp helps you organize your case study research, track progress, and collaborate seamlessly with your team. 

Its AI-powered features streamline the writing process , allowing you to focus on in-depth analysis and creativity. 

Use ClickUp’s templates to structure your case study, set deadlines, and capture every detail accurately. Its document and task management capabilities ensure that your case study is well-organized, visually appealing, and professional. Don’t take our word for it. Try it yourself. 

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KS3 / KS4 Geography: Case study write-up template

Subject: Geography

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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How to write a good conclusion

By Matt Burdett, 21 February 2020

This article is about how to write a good conclusion in a Geography essay.

This is one of the hardest things in a Geography essay. How do you avoid repeating yourself?

The simple answer is: paraphrase.

Paraphrasing is where you write the same thing, but using different words. However, some students end up repeating themselves a lot, even if they paraphrase, and waste time by writing out all their evidence again, as well as the theories they’ve referred to. Unfortunately, they fail to answer the question! For exam essays, I recommend aiming for four sentences.

Sentence 1: The main argument in favour (or against)

This is a one-sentence summary of the strongest points you have made in your paragraphs that support your view. It can help your thinking process to actually say ‘in conclusion’ at the start of your sentence. For example:

“In conclusion, there are many benefits of large scale sporting events such as billions of dollars of increased funding, an increase in social well being and a positive long term impact on the local environment.”

Sentence 2: The main argument against (or in favour)

This is a similar sentence to the previous one, but with the opposing view.

“Some people argue that there are important drawbacks, such as short term employment although this may be a result of the globalized workforce rather than the sporting events themselves.”

Sentence 3: Close the debate

Make clear the main reason you think that one side is better than the other. For example:

“The benefits are clear and undebated, whereas the negatives may have far more complex underlying causes.”

Sentence 4: Answer the question directly

Answer the question directly, with firm language. For example:

“Therefore, I agree that large-scale sporting events often create more benefits than problems.”

Putting it together

When we look at it together, we can see how this sums up the entire essay without repeating specific facts:

“In conclusion, there are many benefits of large scale sporting events such as billions of dollars of increased funding, an increase in social well being and a positive long term impact on the local environment. Some people argue that there are important drawbacks, such as short term employment although this may be a result of the globalized workforce rather than the sporting events themselves. The benefits are clear and undebated, whereas the negatives may have far more complex underlying causes. Therefore, I agree that large-scale sporting events often create more benefits than problems.”

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9 Case Study Examples, Plus a Useful Case Study Template

Writing a case study can help you pitch your services to prospective clients. Learn how to write one by studying successful examples and using a free template.

If you can write a résumé, you can write a case study. Just as a résumé shows potential employers how your experience can benefit their team, a case study highlights an existing client’s success story to demonstrate your business or product’s value to prospective clients.

A compelling case study includes relevant data without overwhelming your reader, considers the customer’s perspective, and demonstrates how you handled a specific challenge.

The best way to learn how to write one is by reading a stellar business case study example.

What is a case study?

A case study is a document business-to-business (B2B) companies use to illustrate how their product or service helped a client achieve their goals. A winning case study introduces the featured client, gives a brief description of their challenge or goal, and showcases the results they achieved with your help.

Businesses that provide software, tools, or consulting services often provide case studies to potential customers trying to choose between several options.

A company’s marketing team is typically responsible for writing case studies, but if you have a small business without a dedicated marketing team, don’t worry. Anyone can write a case study, and it’s a straightforward process if you use a template.

Why should you create a case study?

A case study brings your product or service to life for future customers with real-world examples. These success stories offer tangible results. Case studies are, thus, a form of social proof , but their power goes beyond a mere testimonial or review.

Since B2B services often are expensive and require approval from multiple decision-makers, typical forms of social proof often aren't enough to convince potential customers. Business customers want to be able to share compelling data with their teams, and that’s where the case study is beneficial.

How to write a case study

• Choose a template
• Interview your client or customer
• Describe the situation
• Identify the solution
• Present the results

1. Choose a template

You don’t necessarily need a template to write a case study, but it can make the process easier—especially if you haven’t written one before or need to write several at once.

You’ll notice that most business case studies take the same general format; after inputting the basics into the template, you can add your own personal flair. (That is, your branding and voice.)

2. Interview your client or customer

The client or customer interview is the heart of the case study. Identify several current or past clients willing to chat with you about their experiences. Look for repeat customers and those who reached out independently to tell you how much they enjoyed your product or service.

A phone interview is the best way to get conversational quotes, but you can correspond via email if your subject is short on time. Not sure what to ask? When social advertising agency Biddyco interviewed the VP of Marketing at Fellow , they asked him the following questions , according to their case study:

• What were the obstacles that would have prevented you from choosing/hiring Biddyco?
• What have you found as a result of hiring Biddyco?
• What specific feature or thing do you like most about Biddyco’s services?
• Would you recommend Biddyco and why?

The goal of the interview is to better understand your client’s experience with your product or service and grab a soundbite you can use as a testimonial in your case study. If you didn’t work directly with the client, you may also want to interview someone on your team who did to get more context.

3. Describe the situation

Give context to your case study with a brief description of the client’s business and the desired outcome that led them to seek your product or service. You can follow this general formula:

[Client’s name] is a [type of business] with [unique feature]. [Client’s name] came to [your business] seeking [client’s desired outcome] while [requirement].

Here’s an example of a one-sentence situation summary in the case study for Sharma Brands ’ client Feastables:

“Feastables, a better-for-you snacks company, came to us in need of a team to take the DTC setup off their plate.”

Advertising company Adgile, which created moving billboards for the non-alcoholic aperitif brand Ghia , has a longer description in its case study that provides background on the marketplace, but the heart of it is this:

“Ghia was seeking creative ways to break through the clutter of a crowded—and big-budgeted—adult beverage market, all while managing customer acquisition cost (CAC).”

4. Identify the solution

This section can vary depending on your field. Also described as “the action,” “the work,” or “the strategy,” the solution describes the strategic insights your company brought to your client’s problem or how your customer used your product to achieve their goals.

The basic formula: [Client’s name] partnered with [your business] to [service received].

Here’s an example from email marketing software Klaviyo’s case study featuring olive oil brand Graza:

“Graza uses Klaviyo’s granular segmentation tools to send automated flows and promotional campaigns to small, targeted groups of customers based on purchase frequency.”

This section describes exactly which of Klaviyo’s features Graza used (granular segmentation) and how they used it (to send automated flows to small, targeted groups), without getting into any outcomes or results yet.

5. Present the results

This section is where you’ll win over prospective customers and build trust. The basic formula is:

[Client’s name] used [service received] to [desired outcome].

Share how your product or service positively affected the client’s business, whether that’s cost savings, more clients, or improved company culture. According to a case study from community platform TYB, the results it delivered for skin care company Dieux were as follows:

“Dieux was able to create thousands of authentic, personalized referrals ahead of its new product launch plus live out its brand promise of transparency.”

Depending on your product or service, your results may include quantifiable outcomes (like thousands of referrals), intangibles (like living out your brand promise), or both, as in the case of TYB.

Real-world examples of case studies

Sharma brands for feastables, adgile media group for ghia, meta for lulus, tyb for dieux, biddyco for fellow, outline for heyday canning, klaviyo for graza, culture amp for bombas, kustomer for thirdlove.

A great way to write a case study is to look at a sample case study—or better yet, many. You’ll notice that wildly different businesses have case studies that follow roughly the same structure, which is why we recommend using one of our free case study templates to write yours. Learn from this mix of business, design, and marketing case study examples:

Sharma Brands is a branding agency founded by Nik Sharma , “The DTC Guy.” Sharma Brands keeps its case study featuring snack company Feastables short and sweet, breaking it down into three chronological sections: the situation, the work, and the outcome.

The Sharma Brands case study is a good example of how to incorporate meaningful results without sharing actual numbers (which the client may not wish to make public) or getting into an in-depth analysis.

Instead of metrics, Sharma Brands lists the tasks it executed: 

• “Successfully launched their DTC site.” 
• “Simultaneously launched on GoPuff with no downtime.”

It also lists some general achievements: 

• “Broke Shopify records in the first 24 hours of launch.” 
• “All revenue and engagement metrics were highly exceeded.”

Adgile Media Group creates outdoor advertising by providing brands with mobile billboards. Unlike traditional outdoor advertising, Adgile also tracks the digital impact of its IRL campaigns.

Adgile’s case study featuring the non-alcoholic beverage brand Ghia is the perfect place to show off the metrics it collects, like:

• 78% homepage visit lift
• 91% conversion lift
• 82% lift on its Find Us page
• Increase in brand awareness and recall, more than 75% over the competition

Meta, the social media and digital advertising platform, does something in its case studies that every company can replicate. Instead of saving the numbers for the results section, Meta provides a brief overview near the top. This breaks up the text visually, provides a quick snapshot for anyone who doesn’t want to read the full case study, and intrigues those curious to know how they achieved those numbers.

Meta’s case study for the clothing company Lulus starts by teasing its most impressive stat:

“The women’s fashion ecommerce company compared the performance of a Meta Advantage+ shopping campaign with Advantage+ catalog ads versus its usual ad campaign setup and saw a 47% increase in return on ad spend using the Advantage+ products.”

It then presents three key figures in a visually appealing design, drawing clear attention to the impact it had on this customer.

TYB is a community platform that rewards fans for creating user-generated content . TYB’s case study for Dieux details how the skincare brand used its platform to involve customers in product testing.

It also does something small worth noting: Instead of sticking the call to action at the bottom of the case study, TYB places a “request demo” button at the top of the page. That way, anyone compelled by the results of the case study can take the next step immediately.

Advertising agency Biddyco took a unique approach to its case study for the coffee- and tea-gear company Fellow . Unlike other business case study examples that use the typical situation-solution-results format, Biddyco structured its case study as an extended testimonial, with a series of questions like, “What specific feature or thing do you like most about Biddyco’s services?”

In addition to client feedback, Biddyco also highlights a few key accomplishments under the heading “All You Really Need to Know.”

A branding studio like Outline won’t approach case studies in the same way an advertising platform like Meta would. What matters here isn’t cost per impression or ROAS, it’s how everything looks.

That’s why Outline’s case study for ​​ Heyday Canning is relatively light on words and heavy on imagery. If your work is more visual than numerical, your case study is a great place to show your behind-the-scenes process.

For example, Outline shows the label design alongside images of the cans on the shelf and provides a brief description of the design inspiration. This example shows how you can have a design-focused case study that still tells a compelling story.

Klaviyo , an email marketing software company, puts numbers front and center in its case study for the olive oil company Graza . If your product or service involves tracking metrics like email open rates, revenue, and click rates, highlight those stats in a larger font size, as Klaviyo did.

Klaviyo’s case study for Graza also shows you don’t necessarily need to fix a problem to create a great case study; you can also simply help your client achieve their goals. According to Klaviyo’s case study, Graza’s challenge was to create strong customer relationships.

How do you write a compelling case study if your service doesn’t involve tangible metrics or flashy design? For the performance management software company Culture Amp , it’s highlighting key statistics about the subject of its case study , sock company Bombas .

Like Meta and Klaviyo, Culture Amp highlights three numbers in large font. But these numbers are stats about their client Bombas, not Culture Amp’s services: “120+ employees,” “25M+ items donated,” and “$100M+ in revenue for 2018.”

Instead of showing off the results it achieved for Bombas, these numbers let prospective clients know that Culture Amp works with big, important companies on their performance management process.

Choosing a customer relationships management ( CRM ) platform is a big decision. Switching platforms—as bra company ThirdLove did in this case study from customer support platform Kustomer—can involve lengthy data migration, customization, and employee onboarding.

That’s why it makes sense that Kustomer’s case study for ThirdLove is a four-page-long PDF and not a blog post. If your case study involves a long, detailed analysis, follow Kustomer’s example and make two versions of your case study.

The first page is an executive summary, with about a paragraph each describing the challenge and results. If after reading the first page, you want to learn more, you can dive into the rest of the case study, but you don’t have to read the entire thing to get a sense of how Kustomer collaborated with ThirdLove.

Case study examples FAQ

How do you write a simple case study.

To simplify the case-study writing process, download a template. Shopify’s fill-in-the-blanks case study template can help you share your customers’ success stories in an easily digestible, well-designed format.

Why are case studies important for businesses?

For the business reading a case study, the contents can help them decide between different products or services. For the business writing the case study, it’s a chance to connect more deeply with potential customers.

What is an example of a case study?

An example of a case study is a mobile billboard company’s overview of the services it provided to a client. The case study might include an overview of the client's goals and how the advertiser addressed them, plus a list of outcomes—increased website visits, decreased costs per visit, and a rise in brand awareness.

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