DROUGHT

HAZARDS…
- N. ISWARYA
WHAT IS DROUGHT?

A drought is a natural disaster of below-average precipitation in a given

region, resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether
atmospheric, surface water or ground water. A drought can last for months
or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days. It can have a
substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected
region and harm to the local economy. Annual dry seasons in the tropics
significantly increase the chances of a drought developing and subsequent
bush fires. Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by
hastening evaporation of water vapour.
EFFECTS OF DROUGHT…

The effects of drought are widespread and have devastating

effects on the environment and the society as a whole. Water
use is part and parcel of almost every human activity as well as
the life of plants and animals. On this basis, extended
deficiency of water can affect the society in various ways both
directly and indirectly. The effects can therefore generally be
categorized as environmental, economic, and social.
1. Environmental Impacts of Droughts:
Animal and plants die off as a consequence of drought. Mainly, the damages
arise out of extensive destruction of the wildlife habitats and reduction in
water quality and quantity. Some plants and animals may completely fail to
recover after the drought. The overall climate, the rocks, and soils are also
affected, negatively impacting various living and non-living factors.

2. Drying out of water bodies:

Surface waters such as lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, streams and lagoons dry
out during extended dry conditions which destroy natural habitats. Most
especially, aquatic life and other wildlife dependent on these water bodies die
or become endangered, destroying the entire food chain and alters the
ecosystem.
3. Reduction in soil quality:
Soil moisture, essential for soil microbial activities, is reduced in drought
conditions. As a result, soil quality is lowered because of minimized organic
activity and continued dry spell which kills soil organisms. The end result is
dry and cracked soil and it even becomes easier for decertification to occur.

4. Unsuitable conditions for plant and vegetation survival:

Drought conditions make it unsuitable for plants and vegetation cover to
survive. Besides, fertile lands are lost as a result of drought, and in
consequence, desertification sets in. Desertification is whereby the lands
become infertile and bare, frequently as a result of overgrazing and is
exacerbated by drought which makes it difficult for such lands to recover.
4. Migration and even death of Animals and Wildlife:
Animals and wildlife are forced to migrate in drought conditions since they have to
move for long distances to get water and food. The prevailing circumstances during
droughts also make it difficult for the survival of the animals. When the wildlife and
animals migrate, they end up in new locations where they can be vulnerable,
endangered because of new threats. This leads to loss of biodiversity and disruption of
the natural ecosystems.
5. Economic Impacts of Droughts:
The economic impacts of drought are realized from monetary and business losses
incurred during droughts by governments, businesses, families, and at the individual
level. Due to the less availability of water, the farmers have to spend more on seeds and
irrigation. Generally, low crop yield is observed during droughts. Due to this the farmers
experience major economic loss. Industries and businesses in farm equipment
manufacturing and merchandising respectively loss millions of dollars when farmers
lack the money to buy their resources.
Governments, on the other hand, have to allocate more money and spend even
more for drought mitigation as they have to cushion the farmers and the entire
society from the adverse impacts of the droughts. Extended dry spells can
translate to lowered water levels in rivers and dams used to generate hydro-
power. This means higher costs of energy for businesses because the hydro-
energy companies are driven to operate below capacity.

6. Social Impacts of Droughts:

Social implications are possibly the most felt effects of drought. They are the direct
effects to people and communities. Since water scarcity is high during drought
conditions, water quality significantly depreciates. This means the availability of
clean water for drinking and water for sanitation and cleaning may not be
sufficient. Droughts also increase the concentration levels nutrients, chemicals,
and solid particles or impurities in surface waters leading to diseases.
Hunger, anemia, malnutrition and deaths of people are often
witnessed in drought-stricken areas. Drought is a great causal factor
for low food production, thus, when experienced in poorer regions
the effects of malnutrition, hunger, anemia and mortalities are
compounded since there is little food available for consumption.
Often, it is as a result of lack of sufficient food nutrition that directly
contributes to diseases and health vulnerability. People are forced to
shift to other places in search for better living conditions during
droughts. This contributes to loss of livelihoods and disorients small-
scale farmers who are dependent on their farm produce. People
forced to migrate also undergo lots of stress, anxiety and are
compelled to indulge in strenuous activities to provide for their
 CAUSES OF DROUGHTS…

There are both natural and human factors responsible for drought! The reasons are
given below:
1.Land and water temperatures cause drought. As overall temperatures increase more water
evaporates and severe weather conditions increase. Landscapes and crops need more water
to survive and overall the demand for water increases. This is why it is so important to
consider changes in ET when discussing water savings. You might be using more water or
less water depending on weather conditions.
2.Air circulation and weather patterns also cause drought. Key events like El Nino or La Nina
help contribute to drought in areas. All the water we ever had we have today and it is stored in
the air or on land. Weather patterns move the water in the air around. This is constantly
changing.
3. Soil moisture levels also contribute to drought. When soil moisture is depleted
there is less evaporation of water to create clouds. Surface temperatures rise, more
water is needed and less is available which contributes to a more severe drought.
4. Drought can also be a supply and demand of water issue. When a region is
growing rapidly the demand for water can exceed the supply. When weather
conditions, temperatures or air patterns push a region toward a drought the demand
for water by people can offset or worsen the situation depending on how the region
reacts. Excessive irrigation is an excellent of people contributing to a drought.
5. If the timing of water doesn’t match the agricultural season you may have too
much water when you don’t need it and too little when you do need it. Proper
storage and collection of water is key to counter balancing this cycle and clearly in
the scope of human management.
DROUGHT IN INDIA…
 WAYS TO REDUCE DROUGHT:

Droughts can be reduced by following these following steps:

1.
SHOWER MORE EFFICIENTLY.
Reducing your time in the shower is a common tip for reducing water use, but showering more
efficiently (and especially thinking about when to leave on the water while you’re in the shower) is
just as important. Try turning off the water while you’re shampooing your hair, and rinsing your razor
in the sink instead of in the shower.
2. DON’T LET THE TAP RUN.
Letting the water run, or even drip slowly, while you’re not actively using it is a big water-waster.
While you’re brushing your teeth or washing dishes, turn off the tap in the interim time when you’re
not actively using it.
3. RUN FULL LOADS.
For laundry and washing dishes, running loads that are full makes sure that you are only using the
water you really need. Plus, it makes for fewer loads and less.
4. RUN YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM MANUALLY.
Many timed sprinkler systems don’t account for recent rainfall and don’t water just
the plants that need it the most. Try only running your sprinklers when you really
need to. When you do turn them on, focus on the plants that need the extra water
the most. For example, most lawns only need about 1 inch of water per week.
5. GO NATIVE.
Native plants are more suited to the local climate than the typical lawn. In
California, for example, native plants are built to withstand a dry climate and don’t
need to be watered as much. Filling your garden with mostly native plants will save
you water and work to keep them alive in an unfamiliar climate. Putting a layer of
mulch around plants and trees in your garden will also help them retain moisture.
6. REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT.
It may seem like an unrelated issue, but power plants use tons of water to produce
energy for the grid. By biking more, turning off the lights, and unplugging your
devices, you can also save water!
7. EAT FEWER WATER-INTENSIVE FOODS.
Eating local foods reduces the amount of water used in transporting and
preserving them in travel, and many specific foods require a large amount of water
to produce. Meat, especially beef, pork, and lamb, as well as almonds, walnuts,
eggs, rice, soybeans, avocados, and wheat, are some of the most water-intensive
foods. Almonds use 2,126 gallons of water per pound produced, and beef uses
1,875 gallons per pound. By buying less water-intensive foods, you are
demonstrating your commitment to more efficient food products that are more
compatible with the current drought conditions.
8. REPLACE SHOWERHEADS AND INSTALL DUAL-FLUSH SYSTEMS.
Changing to a low-flow or water-saving shower head reduces water waste by over
50%. These are super easy to buy at the hardware store and install on your own.
The same goes for dual-flush toilets – you can change the system on your existing
toilet to one that can do both a half-flush and a full-flush, which saves up to 70% of
water flushed and can decrease your indoor water consumption by 30%.
9. USE A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE.
Plastic single-use water bottles that you can buy in stores do a
lot of harm to the environment. This is true both in terms of
resources to manufacture them and waste they create in
natural ecosystems, which harms wildlife. It takes three times
as much water to make a plastic bottle as it does to fill it, and
reusable water bottles last a lifetime and don’t produce harmful
waste upon disposal. There are also much more stringent
regulations on the quality and safety of tap water than bottled
water. Therefore it is also healthier for you to refill from the tap!
 CONCLUSION!!

Droughts are caused due to both natural and human causes.

Though we don’t have control over natural causes, we can
change our life styles a little to reduce wastage of water. We
should plant trees to hold ground water and should follow the
precautions mentioned above to reduce the intensity of

droughts worldwide.