Theory question 306
Environmental Hazards and ConservationExplain the occurrence of drought under the following headings: (a) causes; (b) area affected; (c) effects; (d) control.
Show the model answer
(a) Long absence or failure of rainfall; late onset or early end of rains; high temperatures and evaporation; low humidity and little cloud; deforestation and desertification; climate change; shift in pressure belts (ITD not moving far north).
(b) Sahel and Sudan savanna of West Africa (northern Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso), Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia), Kalahari region, Australia interior, parts of India.
(c) Crop failure, famine and malnutrition; death of livestock; drying up of rivers, lakes and wells; migration of people and animals; desertification; conflict between farmers and herders; poverty and loss of income; diseases.
(d) Irrigation and dams to store water; afforestation and shelter belts; drought-resistant crops; water conservation; controlled grazing; cloud seeding; early warning and food storage; public education.
Write points under all four headings.