Revision

Issue Evaluation is Section A of Paper 3 (37 marks). You are given a pre-release resource booklet 12 weeks before the exam to study. The June 2026 booklet focuses on water supply and demand in the UK, water futures, and the proposed Lincolnshire reservoir. You must analyse all the information, consider different viewpoints, and be able to argue a case for or against the proposed development. The booklet contains three main figures: Figure 1 -- Water supply and demand in the UK (pages 5-19), Figure 2 -- Water futures (pages 20-25), and Figure 3 -- The proposed Lincolnshire reservoir (pages 26-37).

1) Part A of Paper 3 is an issue evaluation. You have to answer questions based on a geographical issue. 2) You will be given a resource booklet 12 weeks before the exam to let you get your head round the topic. It will contain loads of material about a geographical issue. 3) The issue could be based in the UK or elsewhere and vary in scale from local to international. It might be about physical or human geography topics, or a mix of the two. It could cover any of the compulsory content you have studied during the course. It might extend into new contexts that you have not studied before. 4) You need to study all the information carefully, work out what it all means and how it fits together. 5) In the exam, you will have to answer questions about the issue, using the resources you have been given, as well as your existing knowledge of Geography. 6) You will also have to write a longer answer where you will have to make a decision about something related to the issue you have been presented with, and justify that decision.

Exam Tips

•In the exam you will get a clean copy of the resource booklet -- you cannot take your annotated copy in. Learn the key statistics and stakeholder viewpoints thoroughly.
•For the extended writing question, you need to make a decision (e.g. for or against the reservoir) and justify it using evidence from the booklet AND your own geographical knowledge.
•Give a BALANCED argument even if you have a clear opinion. Discuss economic, social, and environmental impacts for BOTH sides before reaching your conclusion.
•Use specific data from the booklet to support your points -- e.g. '55 million cubic metres', '500,000 homes', '2.6 billion pounds investment', 'over 50 families displaced'.
•Consider alternative solutions and explain why the reservoir might still be necessary (or why alternatives could work better). Alternatives include: reducing leakage (3 billion litres/day lost), water conservation, grey water systems, desalination, smaller reservoirs.
•Think about conflicts between stakeholders: Anglian Water vs local residents, farmers vs water company, local economic needs vs regional water security.
•Link to your wider geographical knowledge about water management, sustainability, resource management (from Paper 2 Section C), and climate change impacts.
•The household water use table is useful for suggesting where savings could be made -- toilets (30%) and personal washing (25%) are the biggest uses.
•Remember the water balance diagram -- explain WHY there is a seasonal mismatch between supply and demand (surplus in winter, deficit in summer when demand is highest).
•Paper 3 Section A is worth 37 marks. Questions include multiple-choice, short answer, levels of response, and extended prose. 6 marks are available for SPaG.

Study

What is Issue Evaluation?

Using the Resource Booklet Effectively

FIGURE 1: Where Does Our Water Come From?

FIGURE 1: Annual Average Rainfall Map (1991-2020)

FIGURE 1: What is Effective Rainfall?

FIGURE 1: Typical Annual Average Water Balance for the UK

FIGURE 1: Seasonal Pattern of Water Demand

FIGURE 1: The Changing Demand for Water in the UK

FIGURE 1: Climate Change Will Mean Water Shortages Within 20 Years

FIGURE 1: Reservoir During Drought Conditions

FIGURE 1: Environment Agency Spokesperson Statement

FIGURE 1: Water Pollution Causing the Death of Rivers

FIGURE 2: Household Water Use in England

FIGURE 2: Building More Water-Efficient Homes

FIGURE 2: Moving Towards a More Sustainable Water Future

FIGURE 2: A New Reservoir for Lincolnshire

FIGURE 3: The Proposed Lincolnshire Reservoir -- Overview

FIGURE 3: Artist's Impression of the Proposed Reservoir

FIGURE 3: Anglian Water's Case for the Reservoir

FIGURE 3: Opportunities Created by the Proposed Development

FIGURE 3: Opposition -- Petition Against the New Reservoir

FIGURE 3: Helpringham -- Village at Risk

FIGURE 3: Farmers Devastated by Reservoir Plans

FIGURE 3: National Farmers Union (NFU) Response

Stakeholder Summary

Key Arguments FOR the Reservoir

Key Arguments AGAINST the Reservoir

Key Statistics to Remember

Case Studies

Proposed Lincolnshire Reservoir

Exam Tips