Unit 1: Foundations of ESS

Topic 1.3: Equilibrium, Stability and Resilience Questions

Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB ESS Topic 1.3. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.

1State1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
Singapore has an ecological footprint roughly 6 times greater than its biocapacity. State one mechanism that allows Singapore to maintain this level of resource consumption.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
2Outline1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
The island nation of Maldives supports a population far larger than its local ecosystems can sustain. Outline one mechanism that allows the Maldives to maintain a population that exceeds its local carrying capacity.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
3state2 marks
2026vault
State the three pillars (domains) of sustainability.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
4State2 marks
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
State one advantage and one limitation of using the carbon footprint as a model for assessing the sustainability of a country's energy system.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
5Identify1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
The bar chart below compares ecological footprint (EF) and biocapacity (BC) for five world regions in 2020. Identify one region that is operating with an ecological surplus.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
6Outline1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
The city of Lagos has an ecological footprint that is three times larger than the biocapacity of its surrounding region. Outline one environmental consequence of this imbalance.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
7define1 mark
2026vault
Define the term footprint in an environmental context.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
8state1 mark
2026vault
State what the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
9State2 marks
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
State one strength and one weakness of using the ecological footprint as a model to measure the environmental impact of an individual's lifestyle.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
10define1 mark
2026vault
Define the term environmental justice.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
11identify1 mark
2026vault
Using Figure 1, identify the country that meets the minimum criteria for sustainability.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
12State1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
The Netherlands has an ecological footprint per person of approximately 4.9 gha while its biocapacity per person is only about 1.8 gha. State one way the Netherlands is able to sustain this imbalance.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
13Identify1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
The table below shows ecological footprint and biocapacity data for six countries in 2022. From the data, identify one country that has a larger biocapacity than ecological footprint.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
14Outline1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
Outline one reason why a country whose ecological footprint exceeds its biocapacity is considered to be living unsustainably.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
15define1 mark
2026vault
Define the term sustainability.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
16state1 mark
2026vault
State the unit commonly used for ecological footprint.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
17state2 marks
2026vault
State two different scales at which environmental justice can be applied.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
18define1 mark
2026vault
Define a composite indicator.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
19state1 mark
2026vault
State what is meant by a single indicator of development.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question
20Outline1 mark
Aimnova PP-practice — 1.3.4
Outline one way in which a country's carrying capacity can be increased, allowing a larger population to be sustained without importing additional resources.
Markscheme and model answer locked
Unlock Question

Ready to practice Topic 1.3?

Get instant AI feedback on your answers, view detailed markschemes, and track your progress across all IB ESS topics.

Start Practising Now