GCSE Geography Case Studies: Essential Examples You Need to Know

GCSE Geography without case studies is like trying to write an essay without examples—you might know the theory, but you can’t prove it. Case studies are the specific, real-world examples that turn general geographical knowledge into high-scoring exam answers.

Whether you’re studying AQA, Edexcel, or OCR, you’ll need detailed case studies for both physical and human geography topics. The key is knowing not just what happened, but specific facts, figures, and place names that show examiners you’ve studied real examples in depth.

Why Case Studies Matter

Examiners can spot vague answers instantly. “A river in the UK flooded” scores far fewer marks than “In December 2015, Storm Desmond caused the River Eden in Cumbria to flood Carlisle, affecting over 5,200 properties.”

Case studies demonstrate:

Your ability to apply geographical theory to real places
Depth of knowledge beyond textbook definitions
Understanding of specific processes, impacts, and responses
The skills to evaluate and compare different locations

Most importantly, they’re where the marks are. A 9-mark essay question without specific case study evidence might scrape 4-5 marks. With detailed examples, you’re looking at 7-9.

Physical Geography Case Studies

Tectonic Hazards

Developed Country Example: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (2011)

Magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Tōhoku
Triggered 10-metre tsunami waves
15,900 deaths, 2,500 missing
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
£235 billion in damages
Strong building codes and early warning systems saved thousands
Effective emergency response and evacuation procedures

Know: Specific locations, magnitude, deaths, economic cost, why impacts were limited (preparation and wealth).

Developing Country Example: Nepal Earthquake (2015)

Magnitude 7.8 earthquake, epicentre 80km northwest of Kathmandu
9,000 deaths, 22,000 injured
Over 600,000 buildings destroyed
Avalanche on Mount Everest killed 19
£4 billion damages (half Nepal’s GDP)
Poor building quality increased deaths
Remote mountain villages took weeks to reach
International aid crucial for recovery

Know: Why impacts were worse than Japan despite lower magnitude (poverty, building standards, accessibility).

Weather Hazards

UK Example: Somerset Levels Floods (2013-14)

65 square kilometres flooded for several weeks
Villages cut off, 600 homes affected
Lack of dredging blamed for severity
£10 million damage to agriculture
Political controversy over flood management
Response: pumping, temporary defences, 20-Year Flood Action Plan

Know: Causes (prolonged rainfall, high water table, lack of dredging), impacts, management strategies.

Tropical Storm: Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines (2013)

Category 5 super typhoon
Wind speeds 314 km/h
6,300 deaths, 4 million displaced
Tacloban city devastated by 5m storm surge
£2 billion damages
Slow response due to destroyed infrastructure
International aid provided water, shelter, medical care

Know: Primary impacts (storm surge, wind), secondary impacts (disease, homelessness), immediate and long-term responses.

Ecosystems

Tropical Rainforest: Amazon, Brazil

Covers 5.5 million km²
20% of world’s oxygen produced here
Deforestation rate: 10,000 km² per year
Causes: cattle ranching (80%), logging, agriculture, mining
Impacts: habitat loss, indigenous communities displaced, soil erosion, climate change contribution
Management: selective logging, replanting, international agreements, eco-tourism

Hot Desert: Thar Desert, India/Pakistan

Located in northwest India and eastern Pakistan
200,000 km², temperatures exceed 50°C
Challenges: water scarcity, extreme temperatures, inaccessibility
Opportunities: solar energy, tourism, mineral extraction
Desertification risk from overgrazing and climate change

Human Geography Case Studies

Urban Issues and Challenges

UK City: London

Population: 9 million (growing)
Opportunities: cultural diversity, employment in finance and technology, recreation (museums, parks)
Challenges: housing shortage (average price £525,000), traffic congestion (congestion charge zone), inequality (Kensington vs. Tower Hamlets)
Urban regeneration: Olympic Park (Stratford), King’s Cross redevelopment
Sustainability: cycle lanes, green spaces, energy-efficient buildings

Know: Specific locations within London, statistics, regeneration schemes.

Developing/Emerging City: Mumbai, India

Population: 20 million, growing by 5% annually
Dharavi slum: 1 million people in 2.1 km²
Opportunities: Bollywood film industry, port trade, growing middle class
Challenges: 60% live in slums, inadequate sanitation, traffic chaos, air pollution
Urban planning: Slum redevelopment schemes, new metro system, affordable housing initiatives

Resource Management

Water Supply: Lesotho Highland Water Project

Transfers water from Lesotho to South Africa
Dams: Katse and Mohale
Supplies Johannesburg and Pretoria
Benefits: Lesotho earns £50m annually, provides electricity
Costs: displaced 2,000 people, environmental damage

Energy: Fracking in the UK

Hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction
Potential sites: Lancashire, Yorkshire
Benefits: energy security, job creation, cheaper gas
Concerns: earthquakes (Blackpool 2011), water contamination, carbon emissions

How to Learn Case Studies Effectively

1. Create Case Study Cards

One card per case study with:

Name and location (be specific)
Key statistics (dates, costs, deaths, area)
Causes
Impacts (social, economic, environmental)
Responses (immediate and long-term)

2. Use the 5 W’s Framework

Where: Exact location (not just “Africa” — which country, which region?)
When: Specific dates
What: What happened, what were the key features?
Why: Causes and contributing factors
Who: Who was affected, who responded?

3. Compare and Contrast

The best way to remember case studies is to actively compare them:

Japan vs Nepal earthquakes: why different impacts?
London vs Mumbai: what challenges do both face?
Amazon vs Thar: how do people adapt to different environments?

Comparison questions are common in exams, so practise writing about similarities and differences.

4. Use Memory Triggers

Create memorable acronyms or stories. For Somerset Levels floods: “FRAID” (Flooding, Rain, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Dredging). Link facts together into a narrative — stories stick better than isolated facts.

5. Update Your Knowledge

Geography is current. If a major earthquake, flood, or heatwave happens during your course, add it to your notes. Recent examples show engagement with the subject.

Common Mistakes

Being too vague. “A city in India” isn’t a case study. “Mumbai” is.

Only learning one example. You need at least two contrasting examples for most topics (e.g., one developed country, one developing country).

Forgetting numbers. Examiners love statistics. Deaths, costs, area affected, dates — these prove depth.

Not explaining impacts. Don’t just list what happened — explain the social, economic, and environmental consequences.

In the Exam

When a question asks for a case study:

Name the place in your first sentence
Add key facts immediately (when, where, scale)
Structure your answer: causes → impacts → responses
Use specific evidence throughout
If comparing, make explicit links between examples

You might only have 10 minutes for a case study question, so know your examples well enough to write quickly and confidently.

UpGrades includes comprehensive case study revision materials with key facts, maps, and practice questions to help you memorise and apply examples effectively in your GCSE Geography exams.