My topic is the extreme cases of droughts that are occurring throughout Africa. Drought is a local or regional lack of precipitation such that ability to raise crops and feed animals is seriously impaired. Our Environmental Science textbook covers this topic in chapters 9 and 20. Environmental Science is the branch of science concerned with environmental issues. My topic relates to environmental science because in developing countries such as Africa, food, water, clothing, medicine, and many other essential needs for life is extremely limited and situations such as droughts make it even harder for people to live and go through life.
My first article, “Study Finds Pattern of Severe Droughts in Africa” which I retrieved from The New York Times, written by Andrew C. Revkin on April 17, 2009, has the main point that Sub- Saharan Africa is home to tens of millions of the world’s poorest people as said by climate researchers. Most of Africa’s 390 million people live off of less then a $1.25 a day. These people’s lives depend on the quality of the land and rainfall. Kevin Watkins, director of Human Development Reports of the United Nations, says, “Even small climate blips such as a delay in rains, a modest shortening of the drought cycle, can have catastrophic effects”. Timothy M. Shanahan of the University of Texas and Jonathan T. Overpeck of the University of Arizona have warned that global warming that is caused by human exposure of greenhouse gases is a major reason for droughts in Africa. Major droughts have also been linked to pattern increases and reductions in surface temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1972 to about 1974, Ethiopia’s human population was about 31 million; from 31 million, one million died due to t...
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... third and last article is that people aren’t exactly looking forward to rainfall either because along with rainfall comes floods which then too destroy livestock, crops, and cause soil erosion.
After reading these articles, I conclude that a reduction of greenhouse gases in the developed countries should be mandatory and it will help reduce the amount of droughts tremendously. As said in my first article, “It is important for developed countries to curb greenhouse gases to keep climate shifts around the globe in as manageable a range as possible”. We also need to pitch in with Red Cross and help donate as much as we can whether it be food, money, water, clothing, medicine, etc. to help lower to no income families in less fortunate countries and help them restore their lives because after all, we live in a one world and no one person deserves more then another.
With every passing year, human beings are emitting more and greenhouse gases than the previous year. The world right now is at a stage where there is no time to look back and wait for things to happen on its own. We should try everything possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that enough opportunities are made available for future generation and there is scope for sustainable development by proper utilization and not by exploitation. The poorest of all should have hope for a better future.
On the heart (center) of California is a flat area with miles and miles of farms and up to 230 different crops. The central valley agriculture is essential to the United States; it not only delivers almost half of the produce but also helps the economy by also giving more job opportunities (California Department of food and agriculture, 2014). Many families depend on the central valley agriculture to survive economically in the United States. It is a well-known fact that rain and snows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains are a very important element in the central valley. No rain in the central valley can cause many devastating issues to occur quickly. Recently in the year of 2013 California received less rainfall than years before. The small amount of water the central valley is receiving is harming not only to the land but humans and animals as well. It’s destroying the habitats of animals with forest fires caused from the dry spells occurring. The central valley is going through a drought, so much that around this time of year the central valley usually accumulates enough rain for the necessities in the valley, agriculture for example. This year, however, has been different, the central valley hasn’t received enough water and this has caused a drought in the valley. Water is an important element in this world for not only human life, but for the environment in general, a shortage of water supply can bring issues to the environment and those living in it. The central valley holds the largest percent of class one soil, not only that, the valley grows a third of all the produce being grown in the United States, that’s more than 230 crops that are being grown in the central valley. However, this drought isn’t only affecting the resident...
Second, long term and short term climate changes (e.g. global warming and El Nino) may lead to dryness. Global warming rises
...the El Nino air pressure. The drought also has many impacts on economic, social and environmental. Manage drought comes from daily life and the government measure.
Climate change is a relatively new phenomenon in regards to its relevance towards the human population. This is because over the last several decades, negative consequences of climate change are just now starting to infringe upon the human life. Africa, a country made up of mostly periphery countries due to their topography and climate, experiences tremendous amounts of setbacks due to climate change. Therefore, this research will be centered on the consequences humans may face in Africa due to climate change and possible recommendations to combat this phenomenon. Africa is only second to Asia in landmass between all of the continents; therefore the research will be broken down into the different geographic locations of Africa
Introduction: Drought affects our lives in many different ways because water is such an important part of so many of our activities. We need water to live, and animals and plants do too. We need water to grow the food we eat. We also use water for many different things in our lives, like washing dishes, cooking, bathing, and swimming or river rafting, so water is very important for us to survive.
For example, then, drought is difficult to define in modern standards, it is typically classified as a shortage of water, usually associated with a deficit of rainfall. That is, drought occurs when the demand or use for water exceeds the current supply of water. It follows, then, the Colorado river drought does not solely affect one area, it’s grandeur has affected the whole southwestern United States. Additionally, the Colorado River Basin Water Management: Evaluating and Adjusting to Hydroclimatic provides information on the meager volume of rain fall. In theory, then, combined with increased temperatures from global warming, and a deficient of rainfall both circumstances have had a descending effect on most surrounding
Flooding has been a dominant climate impact for the contribution, and the principal cause of damage to property and infrastructure (Smith and Lawson, 2011). Climate change impact effect flooding risk on infrastructures both urban and rural areas in Ethiopia flooding risk damage urban and rural infrastructures (Negussie Ashebir, 2015; DDAEPA, 2011). In Ethiopia climate change impact cause food insecurity, outbreak of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, cholera and dysentery, malnutrition, land degradation and damage to infrastructure (Kidanu et al., 2009; Adem and Bewket, 2011; Adem and Guta, 2011; Oates et al., 2011; EPA,
The rainfall levels according to the San Francisco Chronicle are way down this year in California due to the drought, for example in San Francisco the rain level has been about 8.5 inches and the normal level of rainfall for this time of y...
Already scientists have observed that more than 75% of the recent economic losses are caused by natural hazards which can be attributed to wind storms, floods, droughts and other climate related hazards. In the year 2008, the U.S. state of Iowa was on the front pages of newspapers all around the world. Weeks of heavy rain in the Midwest caused rivers to swell and levees to break. Millions of acres of farmland are now underwater, their plantings most likely destroyed. By March, Iowa had tied its third-highest monthly snowfall in 121 years of record keeping, and then came the rain. April’s st...
Therefore, the fact remands this drought changed the way of East African peoples life and the affects on the children who never knew the environment any other way are all born into a life of inequality and with all the resources in the world and ability to make food surplus there is no reason to why people should be starving not only due drought but in any condition.
The forth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change concludes that climate change is unequivocal. While the national climate change response strategy asserts that the evidence of climate change in Kenya is indisputable; higher temperatures are being experienced across the country, rainfall patterns are uncertain, uneven and unpredictable; drying up of water catchment areas; depletion of water sheds, wells, rivers and other water bodies while others are growing in size.
Scientists, economists, and policy makers all agree the world is facing threat from climate warming. Climate warming is caused by excess greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which are heat trapping gasses. Human use of fossil fuels is a significant source of these gasses. When we drive our cars, heat our homes with oil or natural gas, or use electricity from coal fired power plants, we contribute to global warming. Including any loss of trees or forests also contributes, considering trees convert carbon dioxide to oxygen. Global warming will have a worldwide effect but the problem is expected to be most severe in Africa, where the people are poor, temperatures are high, precipitation is low, technological change is slow, and where agriculture drives the economy. Climate changes in Africa will ultimately affect their habitats, native and non-native species, agriculture, weather, health, and energy use.
Dry spell, precipitation and flooding are a portion of the greatest reasons for destitution by climate. At the point when regular fiascos don't pick up media consideration raising cash turns out to be more troublesome. This is aggravated when governments burn through cash in the capitals rather than the poorest zones which need it most.[8]The impacts of destitution are not kidding. Kids who experience childhood in neediness endure more persevering, incessant, and serious wellbeing issues than do youngsters who grow up under better budgetary
No matter how hard today’s politicians are trying to ignore this problem, the signs of global warming are obvious. Thus, Cape Town could soon become the first metropolis to have run out of fresh water because of persistent drought. At present, the water level in its reservoirs has dropped below 30% and when it reaches 13,5%, the government will disconnect the water supply to every building in the city except hospitals and the most important infrastructure. So, while the entire regions are suffering from drought and other natural disasters, glaciers are melting, the level of the World Ocean is increasing, and carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere, the USA keeps investing billions of dollars into advancing their nuclear weapons.