Humanities

Eliminating Droughts and Famine in Kenya by End Of 2023

Reports of severe droughts are rarely out of the headlines as our

world warms up. North Korea has said it's suffering the worst drought
in 37 years, while the last five months have been the driest in the
history of the Panama Canal, according to authorities.

 The drought that prompted the spread of humanity:

Scientists say that variable climate conditions made the land in
parts of Africa frequently inhospitable for human habitation.
Droughts may have limited access to fundamental resources,
forcing inhabitants to migrate outside the continent to find
sustenance.

 The drought that changed ancient Egypt:

Archaeologists investigating the royal tombs of Egypt's Old
Kingdom found evidence of a drought that hit the Middle East
and parts of Europe 4,500 years ago.
Some experts’ say it was that drought, rather than civil strife,
that caused the fall of the pharaohs, who ruled Ancient Egypt
for 3,000 years before the region became a province of the
Roman Empire in 30BC.

 The drought that destroyed the Mayans:

The Mayan empire in Mesoamerica was hit by drought at the
most vulnerable moment in its history.
Rapid population growth coincided with a halving of annual
rainfall 1,200 years ago, causing crops to fail and a war with
neighbouring nations over dwindling water resources to
ultimately precipitate the demise of the Mayan civilization.
 Nairobi, Kenya, February 21, 2023 drought- About 5.4 million
people are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity
between March and June this year of which 1.2 million people
will likely be in the emergency phase. This latest projection
highlights a 43% increase of people facing high levels of food
insecurity compared to the same period last year. Weather
forecasts suggest a reasonable chance that the upcoming
March–May rains will again underperform. Should this happen,
it would be an unprecedented sixth poor season, about 970,000
children aged 6 - 59 months and 142,000 pregnant or lactating
mothers in Kenya will likely suffer from acute malnutrition over
the course of 2023 and are in need of treatment.
The Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) occupy over 80% of the
country’s landmass. It is home to about 36% of the population,
70% of the national livestock and 90% of wildlife. The annual
rainfall in arid areas ranges between 150 mm and 550 mm and
semi-arid areas between 550 mm and 850 mm per year.
Temperatures are high throughout the year, with high rates of
evapo-transpiration.

From the arable land historical data from 2020- 2011 except
2012 the percentage is the same the year were the highest
percentage of arable land was in 2012
Water conservation-One of the easiest steps we can take to
help mitigate the impacts of drought is conserving water. If we
use water wisely at all times, more water will be available to us
and to plants and wildlife when a drought happens.

Water-saving Devices-Just shutting off the faucet or fixing a

leak can save a lot of water. Another way to save water is to
install devices that use less water to perform everyday tasks.
For example, we use the most water in our homes when we
take a shower or flush the toilet. Companies now sell low-flow
toilets and showerheads that can cut the amount of water used
in half. People are even beginning to use composting toilets
that require no water. Also, new washing machines and
dishwashers use much less water than older machines.
Farmers and businesses are also using new inventions to help
them reduce the amount of water they use to grow crops or
manufacture things. New sprinkler irrigation systems can
reduce water use by spraying the water out with less force so
more gets to the plant and less evaporates or blows away.
Some drip irrigation systems use less water by directing the
water directly to the plant’s roots. If you have a garden or if your
parents water your lawn, many similar devices are available for
use around the home too.

Xeriscaping-Another great way that you can reduce the amount

of water used around your house is through xeriscaping .It is a
type of landscaping that uses little water by only using plants
that are native to the area you live in. Native plants usually need
less water to grow or can make better use of the water that is
available to them than other types of grasses, trees, and
shrubs. People who do this type of landscaping also find
creative ways to use rocks or other types of ground covers in
their yards or even in front of their businesses.