1. Drought

2. Reading: Smith Ch 12

3. Drought A slow-acting, often long-term hazard Geographically widespread and territorially large

4. Niger, 1983

5. African Sahel Famine 1984-5 Followed 16 dry years from 1968 onwards 2/3 of Africa is dryland, 70% of its dryland farming areas are degraded

6. Drought MDCs: –Drought is costly, but not deadly LDCs: –Drought is frequently deadly –food supplies are fragile, malnutrition is “normal”, the poor can be killed quickly in famine

7. Drought Most famine deaths in sub-Saharan Africa

8. Mid 1980s African Drought Affected 20 countries, 150 million people 30 million in urgent need of food aid 10 million refugees seeking food and water 100,000 to 250,00 deaths

11. Africa Current drought conditions in southern Africa –14 million in 6 countries face starvation –Botswana refusing food aid from US and EU: fears about genetically modified food.

12. Victoria Falls, Dry Season

13. Ethiopia Drought and war brought famine in 1984 –1 million deaths in Ethiopia Now in Ethiopia –6 million require food aid, –15 million face starvation by the end of 2002 –10% of government revenues spent on foreign debt repayments –Will require 200 million tonnes of food aid

14. 1984 Ethiopian Famine

15. Australia 1979-83 Drought No-one died of famine Several died in bushfires Drought affected –50% of farms –60% of livestock –economic hardship –permanent environmental damage?

20. Drought Effects are relative –Drought for a wheat farmer may not affect livestock farms –Balance of moisture and evaporation –Long-term drought management can reduce vulnerability

21. Meteorological Drought Shortfall of precipitation Link between precipitation and useful moisture is indirect

22. Hydrological Drought Reduction of stream-flow or groundwater levels Important impacts on urban areas Reduces available reserves of accessible water

23. 1971 Frostproof Florida

24. Agricultural Drought Reduction in soil moisture available for plant growth Reduced crop growth and output

25. Summer Drought in Toronto Lawns absorb 1/2 of domestic water consumption Most water pumped from Lake Ontario Drought increases demand for water To reduce demand: –better conservation –increase cost

28. Agricultural Drought Australia 1982 drought –Wheat production down 37%, Livestock slaughtered USA 1988 drought –31% drop in corn yield, 1/3 of crop destroyed –Losses of $4.7 billion USD –World grain reserve drops to 288 million tonnes or 63 days supply

30. US Corn Belt Drought 1988

31. Agricultural Drought Southern Africa 1990-2 –30-80% harvest failure –86 million people affected over 7 million km2

32. Agricultural Drought NE Brazil 1985 –1 million men abandon farms, head to cities to seek work

33. Fleeing famine in Ethiopia, 1984

34. Famine Drought Drought a physical hazard Famine a cultural hazard Famine sometimes found in extreme agricultural drought conditions. Most deaths in famine are from disease, lack of access to clean water

35. Physical Causes Drought more likely in drier climates –low annual precipitation –high variability –rains unreliable

38. July

39. October

40. Wet/Dry Seasons, Thailand

41. Thailand Dry season

42. US Great Plains Dry to semi- arid climate –Major droughts every 20 years or so 1890s, 1910s, 1930s, 1950s

43. US-Canada Dust Bowl 1930s Cyclical drought Botched dry-farming techniques Depressed economy

44. Palliser’s Triangle

45. Destroying Grassland 1900 Oxbow SK

47. Saskatchewan 1930s

48. Saskachewan 1930s 70% contraction in Provincial revenues Mass emigration of Saskatchewaners to BC

49. Swift Current SK

50. Sahel Rainfall low (100 mm to 800 mm p.a.) –declines northwards Rainfall reliability variable –becomes less reliable northwards Rainfall highly seasonal –80% falls in July-August

51. Rain in Nigeria

53. Niger River, Mali

54. Sahel Desertification –immediate economic needs force overgrazing –demand for firewood destroys tree-cover –land degradation

55. Physical Causes Risk of African and other tropical droughts increased by El Nino Global atmospheric and ocean circulation rhythms involved Dust storms and dry soils alter albedo –may accentuate drought

56. Broken Hill dust storm

57. Asian dust over California

58. Dust Storm, Canary Islands

59. Human Causes Land degradation due to population pressure –90% of Africa’s energy needs come from wood –Urban shadow denuded of trees around most cities

61. China’s Great Leap Forward Mao’s efforts at a crash programme of industrialization and forced collectivization –disrupted rural life and food-producing systems –mild drought in northern China

62. China’s Great Leap Forward 20-30 million died of starvation 1959-61 End of Mao’s economic leadership –Mao tried to regain control via the Cultural Revolution...

63. Senegal Senegalese change habits when they move to the city –Eat more rice: demands water –Cook, heat with Charcoal not wood: stresses the forests Increases pressure on the water-resources

64. Human Causes Role of colonialism and global trading system?

65. Assignment 2 Due date 28 November To get it back –Provide a stamped, addressed envelope with sufficient postage –collect it during Dr Anderson’s office hours next term

66. Exam Wednesday December 11, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Curtis Lecture Hall D Format: –Choice of essay questions, do two in 2 hours