Cambridge IGCSE™

* 6 2 0 2 2 6 2 8 6 2 *

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 0680/12

Paper 1 Theory February/March 2024

1 hour 45 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 80.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 20 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (PB/SG) 330657/1
© UCLES 2024 [Turn over
 2

Section A

1 (a) The list contains examples of energy resources.

nuclear geothermal coal oil biogas

Draw a circle around two renewable energy resources. [2]

(b) The diagram shows how ocean tides are used to generate electricity.

sluice gates

barrage tidal basin

direction of water flow

ocean

A barrage is a dam‑like structure. The tidal basin stores tidal sea water. The sluice gates slide
up inside the barrage and down into the ocean.

(i) Describe how ocean tides are used to generate electricity.

Use the diagram to support your answer.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) The barrage in the diagram has sluice gates.

Suggest the function of the sluice gates.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 3

(c) Describe one benefit and one limitation of using ocean tides to generate electricity.

benefit .......................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

limitation ....................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

[Total: 8]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 4

2 (a) Use words from the list to complete the sentences describing soils as a medium for
plant growth.

carbon dioxide nitrate phosphate potassium water

Each word may be used once, more than once or not at all.

Soils provide plants with nitrogen as ................................. ions and phosphorus as

................................. ions. The organic content of the soil is important because it helps the

soil to retain ................................. .

[3]

(b) Plants photosynthesise to provide substances and energy needed for growth.

(i) State the word equation for photosynthesis.

+ +
...................... ...................... ...................... ......................
[2]

(ii) State the substance found in some plant cells that absorbs light energy during
photosynthesis.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 6]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 5

3 The map shows the distribution of some major ocean currents.

Key

major ocean current

North
North Atlantic
Pacific

Indian South South

Pacific Atlantic

Antarctic

(a) (i) Label with an X a cold ocean current in the Indian Ocean. [1]

(ii) Draw on the map the major ocean currents in the North Pacific. [1]

(b) Many marine fisheries are found where ocean currents meet or are found on continental
shelves.

Explain how ocean currents and continental shelves affect the distribution of marine fisheries.

ocean currents ..........................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

continental shelves ....................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[4]

[Total: 6]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 6

Section B

4 The photograph shows the Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador.

(a) The Tungurahua volcano is on a plate boundary.

Suggest the type of plate boundary that the Tungurahua volcano is found on.

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) (i) The Tungurahua volcano is very active. It has erupted several times in the past 20 years.
In 2000, a group of volunteers from local communities started to monitor the volcano.

Suggest the benefits and limitations of this strategy for managing the impacts of a
future eruption.

benefits ..............................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

limitations ...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[3]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 7

(ii) There is a small town near the volcano.

Explain two reasons why people choose to live close to a volcano.

1 .........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 .........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[4]

(c) (i) During an eruption in 2006, the Tungurahua volcano emitted 12 000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide
gas that reached a height of 8 km in the atmosphere.

State the layer of the atmosphere that contains this sulfur dioxide gas.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Sulfur dioxide gas is an atmospheric pollutant.

Explain how sulfur dioxide gas causes the acidification of lakes.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

[Total: 12]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 8

5 (a) The photograph shows maize growing on a subsistence farm in Africa.

farmer’s home

irrigation

(i) Identify one feature from the photograph that shows this is subsistence agriculture.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Adding fertilisers is one technique used to increase the yield of maize.

Identify two other techniques that this farmer is using to increase the yield of maize.

Only identify techniques shown in the photograph.

1 .........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 .........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 9

(b) The bar chart shows the effect on the yield of maize of adding different fertilisers to different
fields.

Key
none = no fertiliser added
N = nitrogen-based fertiliser
P = phosphorus-based fertiliser
K = potassium-based fertiliser
NPK = nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertiliser
OF = organic fertiliser

2.5

2.0

yield of maize 1.5

/ tonnes per
hectare 1.0

0.5

0.0
none N P K NPK OF
fertiliser

(i) One conclusion from the data is that adding fertiliser made from a mixture of nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium gives the highest yield of maize per hectare.

State one other conclusion from the data.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Explain why fertiliser was not added to one of the fields of maize.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) State two types of organic fertiliser.

1 .........................................................................................................................................

2 .........................................................................................................................................
[2]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 10

(c) Describe how the overuse of fertilisers can lead to the death of aquatic organisms.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

[Total: 11]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 11

BLANK PAGE

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 12

6 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are known as ozone‑depleting substances because they destroy

ozone in the atmosphere. The table shows the emissions of ozone‑depleting substances from
1980 to 2015.

emissions of ozone‑depleting
year substances
/ million tonnes
1980 1.1
1990 1.3
2000 0.5
2010 0.4
2015 0.3

(a) Plot a line graph to show the emissions of ozone‑depleting substances between 1980
and 2015.

Draw a straight line between each plotted point.

[5]

(b) Explain how CFCs destroy ozone.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 13

(c) Describe the benefits and limitations of strategies to reduce the impact of CFCs.

benefits ......................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

limitations ..................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[5]

[Total: 13]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 14

7 The table shows the distribution of fresh water on Earth.

volume of fresh water

source
/ cubic kilometres
ice sheets and glaciers 24 500 000
ground water 10 500 000
lakes and rivers 125 000
atmosphere
total 35 140 000

(a) (i) Calculate the volume of fresh water found in the atmosphere. Include the unit.

volume = ............................ unit = .................. [2]

(ii) Calculate the ratio for the volume of water in lakes and rivers compared to the volume of
water in ice sheets and glaciers.

Give your answer as the simplest whole number ratio.

ratio = .................. : .................. [2]

(iii) Ice sheets and glaciers contain stored frozen water.

State one other natural form of stored frozen water on Earth.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 15

(b) The diagram shows the volume of water in litres needed to produce 1 kg of different foods.

sheep / goat meat 8763

chicken meat 4325
eggs 3265
wheat 1644
milk 1020
fruits 962
vegetables 322

Describe how people can change their diets to reduce the volume of water used in food
production.

Use data from the diagram to support your answer.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(c) In many areas, safe drinking water is unavailable. This means that water‑related diseases
are more common.

Leptospirosis is a water‑related disease that causes liver and kidney failure. Like cholera,
leptospirosis is a bacterial disease.

Suggest how people can avoid catching leptospirosis.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

[Total: 10]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 16

8 The map shows the annual change in forest area for countries between 2010 and 2015.

Key
no data available
increasing forest area
decreasing forest area

Tropic of
Cancer

Equator

Tropic of
Capricorn

(a) Describe the distribution of countries with increasing forest area.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) A country can increase its forest area by reforestation or afforestation strategies.

Compare these two strategies.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 17

(c) Young forests act as carbon sinks and mature forests act as carbon stores.

The graph shows the area of the world’s forests by age from 1900 to 2020.

Key
mature forest
young forest

50

40

30
area of forest mature forest
/ million km2
20

10
young forest
0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
year

(i) Describe the trends shown by the data.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) Calculate the percentage of the world’s forests that were mature in 2020.

.......................................................% [2]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24 [Turn over

 18

(d) A landowner wants to extract timber from 10 000 ha of forest.

The landowner says:

Extracting timber from the forest has more benefits

than negative impacts.

To what extent do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [6]

[Total: 14]

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 19

BLANK PAGE

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24

 20

BLANK PAGE

The boundaries and names shown, the designations used and the presentation of material on any maps contained in this question paper/insert do not imply
official endorsement or acceptance by Cambridge Assessment International Education concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area or any of its
authorities, or of the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Permission to reproduce items where third‑party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer‑related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2024 0680/12/F/M/24