THE IMPACT OF DROUGHT IN

Geography

Madam Reyna

Sawan Naran
11A
Contents
Types of droughts..................................................................................................................................3
Meteorological..................................................................................................................................3
Agricultural........................................................................................................................................3
Hydrological.......................................................................................................................................4
Socio-economic drought....................................................................................................................4
How can droughts be triggered by Physical conditions.................................................................4
How can droughts be triggered by human activities.....................................................................5
Drought prevention...........................................................................................................................6
Drought prevention...........................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................8
Bibliography...........................................................................................................................................9

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Types of droughts

Meteorological
Meteorological drought is usually defined in terms of the degree of dryness (compared to a "normal"
or average amount) and the duration of the dry period. Definitions of meteorological drought must
be considered region-specific because the atmospheric conditions that lead to precipitation
deficiency vary widely from region to region.

For example, some definitions of meteorological drought identify dry periods based on the number
of days with less precipitation than a specified threshold. This measure is only appropriate for
regions characterized by year-round precipitation, such as tropical rainforests, humid subtropical
climates, or humid mid-latitude climates. Examples include Manaus, Brazil; New Orleans, Louisiana
(USA); and London, England. Other climatic regimes are characterized by a seasonal precipitation
pattern, such as the central United States, northeaster Brazil, West Africa, and northern Australia.
Extended periods without precipitation are common in Omaha, Nebraska (U.S.), Fortaleza, Cearra
(Brazil), and Darwin, Northwest Territory (Australia), and a definition based on the number of days
with less precipitation than a certain threshold is unrealistic in these cases. Other definitions may
relate actual rainfall variations to average amounts on monthly, seasonal, or annual time scales

Agricultural
Agricultural drought relates various features of meteorological (or hydrological) drought to impacts
on agriculture, focusing on precipitation deficits, differences between actual and potential
evapotranspiration, soil water deficits, reduced groundwater, or reservoir levels, and so on. The
water requirements of plants depend on the prevailing weather conditions, the biological
characteristics of the plant, its growth stage, and the physical and biological characteristics of the
soil. A good definition of drought in agriculture should be able to account for the varying
vulnerability of plants at different stages of development, from emergence to maturity. Insufficient
topsoil moisture at seeding can hinder germination, resulting in low plant population per acre and a
reduction in final yield. However, if topsoil moisture is sufficient for early growth requirements, a
lack of subsoil moisture at this early stage may not affect final yield if subsoil moisture is replenished
during the growing season or if rainfall meets plant water requirements.

Hydrological
Hydrological drought is related to the effects of periods when precipitation (including snowfall) is
absent on surface or subsurface water supplies (i.e., river discharge, reservoir and lake levels, and
groundwater). The frequency and severity of a hydrologic drought is often defined at the watershed
or river basin level. Although all droughts are due to a lack of precipitation, hydrologists are more

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concerned with how this lack affects the hydrologic system. Hydrologic droughts tend to be out of
phase or delay the onset of meteorological and agricultural droughts. It takes longer for precipitation
deficits to become apparent in hydrologic system components such as soil moisture, streamflow,
and groundwater and reservoir levels. As a result, these impacts are not aligned in time with impacts
in other sectors of the economy. For example, a precipitation deficit can result in a rapid decrease in
soil moisture that is felt almost immediately by farmers. However, the impact of this deficit on
reservoir water levels may not affect hydropower generation or recreational use for many months.
In addition, water in hydrologic storage systems (e.g., reservoirs, rivers) is often used for multiple
and competing purposes (e.g., flood control, irrigation, recreation, navigation, hydropower, wildlife
habitat), further complicating the sequencing and quantification of impacts. Competition for water in
these storage systems escalates during a drought, and conflicts among water users increase
significantly.

Socio-economic drought
Socioeconomic definitions of drought combine the supply of and demand for specific economic
goods with elements of meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural drought. It differs from the
types of droughts because its occurrence depends on the temporal and spatial processes of supply
and demand to identify or classify droughts. The supply of many economic commodities such as
water, feed, grain, fish, and hydropower depend on weather. Due to natural variations in climate,
water supply is abundant in some years but unable to meet human and environmental needs in
other years. A socioeconomic drought occurs when demand for an economic good exceeds supply
because water supplies are constrained by weather. In Uruguay, for example, the drought of 1988-
89 led to a significant decline in hydroelectric power generation because power plants relied on river
runoff, not storage, to generate electricity. The decline in hydroelectric generation forced the
government to switch to more expensive (imported) petroleum and adopt stringent energy
conservation measures to meet the country's electricity needs.

In most cases, demand for economic goods increases due to growing population and per capita
consumption. Supply may also increase due to improved production efficiency, technology, or the
construction of reservoirs that increase surface water storage capacity. When both supply and
demand increase, the critical factor is the relative speed of change. Is demand increasing faster than
supply? If so, the vulnerability and frequency of droughts could increase in the future as supply and
demand trends converge.

How can droughts be triggered by Physical conditions

Droughts can be triggered by these physical conditions

Climate Variability

One of the primary natural causes of drought in South Africa is climate variability. The region’s
climate is greatly influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), an irregular periodic
variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. ENSO
events have two phases: El Niño, which often leads to drought conditions in Southern Africa, and La
Niña, which can cause increased rainfall.

During El Niño years, the trade winds weaken or even reverse, preventing the upwelling of cool,
nutrient-rich water off the coast of Peru. This alters global atmospheric circulation, disrupting the

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rainfall patterns worldwide, including South Africa. These disruptions can lead to decreased rainfall
over many parts of South Africa, increasing the risk of drought.

Sea Surface Temperature Changes

Complex ocean-atmosphere interactions can sometimes result in changes in the location and
intensity of rainfall, potentially leading to drought conditions in certain areas.

Topography

South Africa’s diverse topography also contributes to its vulnerability to drought. The country is
characterized by a central plateau, ringed by the Great Escarpment, and coastal plains. This varied
topography influences the distribution of rainfall. Areas at higher altitudes, like the Drakensberg
range, tend to receive more rainfall due to orographic lift, whereas lower-lying areas, particularly in
the western and interior regions, are more susceptible to drought due to less rainfall.

How can droughts be triggered by human activities

Climate Change: The most significant human impact on drought patterns is through
global climate change. This is largely due to the burning of fossil fuels, which releases
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to a rise in global temperatures. In South
Africa, climate change can lead to changes in rainfall patterns, making wet seasons
shorter and dry seasons longer, thereby increasing the likelihood of drought.

Deforestation: When trees are cut down, they can no longer help to recycle
groundwater through the process of transpiration, which can lead to a
decrease in overall rainfall and increase the chance of drought. Forests also
act as a climate buffer, moderating temperatures and influencing weather
patterns. In South Africa, deforestation can exacerbate drought conditions,
especially in regions that were originally forested.

Water Mismanagement: Overuse and mismanagement of water resources,

especially in agriculture, can lead to water shortages and contribute to drought
conditions. South Africa is a water-stressed country, and the over-extraction of
groundwater, inefficient irrigation practices, and pollution of water bodies can all
deplete available water supplies.

Land Degradation: Overgrazing, monoculture planting, and improper farming

practices can degrade the land and reduce its ability to retain water, leading to
more runoff and less absorption of water into the groundwater system. This
can reduce the overall availability of water and contribute to drought
conditions.

Urbanization: Rapid urbanization can also contribute to drought. Natural

landscapes are replaced by concrete and asphalt, which do not absorb water,
reducing the amount of water that percolates down to replenish aquifers and
increasing runoff. In addition, the demand for water in urban areas can strain
water resources, contributing to drought.

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There are many negative impacts of droughts that affect some of the country’s resources like the
economy of South Africa and they are :

Companies that depend on agriculture, such as tractor and food manufacturers, may lose business if
drought damages crops or livestock. Companies that sell boats and fishing equipment may be unable
to sell some of their goods because the drought has dried up lakes and other water sources. Electric
utilities that normally rely on hydropower (electricity generated from the energy of flowing water)
may have to spend more money on other fuels if the drought dries up too much water. Water
utilities may have to spend money on new or additional water supplies, and barges and ships may
have difficulty navigating streams, rivers, and canals due to low water levels, which would also affect
businesses that rely on water transportation to receive or ship goods and materials. People may
have to pay more for food

The negative impact of droughts on farmers are:

Farmers may lose money if a drought destroys their crops. If a farmer's water supply is too low, the
farmer may have to spend more money on irrigation or to drill new wells. Ranchers may have to
spend more money on feed and water for their animals

Drought prevention
We could step up measures to prevent floods and changing the way you manage your water
sources. This can be done in several ways depending on the level of water hazard you are facing. In
areas with moderate to high water hazards, you can prevent future floods by doing the following. –
Limit Development on Floodplains – Floodplains are areas where water flows naturally, and they are
an essential part of a natural ecosystem. They serve many functions, such as providing water storage
and excess water for agriculture. But when areas are developed, they lose these functions,
increasing the risk of flooding. – Reduce Runoff from Agricultural Land – When water flows off
agricultural land into rivers or other water sources, it causes flooding. You can prevent this by
changing the way you manage your agricultural land. This could mean switching to winter-sown
crops, planting crops that have high water retention capacity, reducing crop acreages, or fencing off
farmlands.

Drought prevention
1. Observing early warnings by meteorologists

Farmers can approach meteorologists (scientists that deal with climate predictions) to understand
local and global weather patterns better to do weather forecasting. Farmers can also set up
instruments on the farm to monitor rainfall and temperature changes, this will assist in predicting
and avoiding the effects of drought

2. Reduce livestock

Farmers should reduce the number of livestock on their farm, this will assist in reducing grazing
pressure on the rangeland, this approach will also promote available and abundant feed supply,
giving farmers an opportunity to prepare other drought-management measures. During this process,
it is ideal to get rid of young stock, animals close to marketable condition, castrated animals, and old
aging animals (also known as fillers)

3. Accumulating financial reserves

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At this stage, income obtained from the emergency sale of “filler” animals. In anticipation of a
drought, this emergency money can be utilized for other drought management measures such as
buying feed for the drought

4. Building a fodder bank

A fodder bank is an accumulation of feed that will be used as emergency feed in times of natural
grazing is scarce. The idea is to preserve feed to utilize during harsh times.

5. Drought-resistant fodder crops

This approach looks at growing cheap and drought resistant fodder crops that can be harvested and
stored for later use.

6. Store water

Use water conservation practices that help you lose less water and encourage infiltration of water
into the soil.

7. Supplemental feedstocks

If the drought persists, consider the prices of supplemental feedstocks that could stretch the
available forage in the pasture.

8. Residues

In extreme drought conditions, by-products not usually fed to livestock and failed crops that were
intended to be harvested can be used as feed. It is crucial that farmers and producers understand
the use of the feed and whether it may have been exposed to chemicals

Relationship between climate change and drought

How climate change contributes to drought:

Warmer temperatures enhance evaporation, which reduces surface water and dries out soils and
vegetation. This makes periods with low precipitation drier than they would be in cooler conditions.

Climate change is also altering the timing of water availability.

Warmer winter temperatures are causing less precipitation to fall as snow in the Northern
Hemisphere, including in key regions like the Sierra Nevada of California.

Decreased snowpack can be a problem, even if the total annual precipitation remains the same. This
is because many water management systems rely on spring snowpack melt . Likewise, certain
ecosystems also depend on snowmelt, which supplies cold water for species like salmon. Because
snow acts as a reflective surface, decreasing snow area also increases surface temperatures, further
exacerbating drought.

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Some climate models find that warming increases precipitation variability, meaning there will be
more periods of both extreme precipitation and drought. This creates the need for expanded water
storage during drought years and increased risk of flooding and dam failure during periods of
extreme precipitation.

Climate change is making certain regions drier

Estimates of future changes in seasonal or annual precipitation in a particular location are less
certain than estimates of future warming and are active areas of research. However, at the global
scale, scientists are confident that relatively wet places, such as the tropics and higher latitudes, will
get wetter, while relatively dry places in the subtropics (where most of the world's deserts are
located) will become drier.

In some areas, droughts can persist through a vicious cycle, in which very dry soils and diminished
plant cover absorb more solar radiation and heat up, encouraging the formation of high systems
that further suppress rainfall, leading an already dry area to become even drier.

Conclusion
The government can implement drought risk reduction measures such as water conservation,
efficient water use, and better water management practices to reduce the vulnerability of
communities to droughts Increase investment in water infrastructure: The government can invest in
water infrastructure such as dams, water treatment plants, and pipelines to increase the availability
of water resources in areas affected by droughts. Promote water-efficient technologies: The
government can promote the use of water-efficient technologies such as drip irrigation, water-
efficient toilets, and greywater recycling systems to reduce water wastage and promote water
conservation. Raise awareness: The government can educate people about the causes and impacts
of drought and the importance of water conservation to increase public awareness and promote a
culture of water conservation Foster international cooperation: The government can foster
international cooperation to share knowledge and expertise on drought management and mitigation
strategies. Support affected communities: The government can provide relief and support to
communities affected by droughts, such as food aid, water trucking, and cash transfers, to help them
cope with the impacts of droughts. Develop a long-term strategy: The government can develop a
long-term strategy to manage droughts, including measures to improve water security, enhance
resilience to droughts, and reduce the impacts of droughts on vulnerable communities. Overall,
addressing droughts requires a concerted effort from the government, private sector, civil society,
and individuals to promote water conservation and resilience to droughts.

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Thato et al. (2023) Annual rainfall graphs of the past five years in South Africa " my courses,
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Uni24.co.za (2022) How to prevent drought in South Africa - A Step by step guide,
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