How do droughts affect humans?
Drought can also affect people’s health and safety. Examples of drought impacts on society include anxiety or depression about economic losses, conflicts when there is not enough water, reduced incomes, fewer recreational activities, higher incidents of heat stroke, and even loss of human life.
What are the problems with droughts?
Drought is heartbreaking to see with animal welfare, mental health, erosion and long-term environmental effects are all a concern when regions of Australia experience a drought. A drought may be the result of an El Niño weather event, where there is a shift in rainfall away from the Western Pacific.
What are the causes and effects of droughts?
The soil starts drying out and plants die. When this pattern continues for several weeks, months or years, the flow of streams and rivers decreases and water levels in lakes, reservoirs and wells fall. Eventually, the unusual dry weather causes water supply issues, and the dry period becomes a drought.
Why is desertification a global issue?
Desertification is a global issue, with serious implications worldwide for biodiversity, eco-safety, poverty eradication, socio-economic stability and sustainable development. Drylands are already fragile. As they become degraded, the impact on people, livestock and environment can be devastating.
How can population levels affect desertification?
Population increases in the remaining croplands are expected to produce further encroachment on rangelands and forests and increased ecologic degradation, in turn producing further population pressure, poverty, land degradation, and desertification. The basic need is for better resource utilization.
What are people doing to slow down desertification?
Preventive actions include: Integrating land and water management to protect soils from erosion, salinization, and other forms of degradation. Protecting the vegetative cover, which can be a major instrument for soil conservation against wind and water erosion.
What place is most affected by desertification?
Africa is the continent most affected by desertification, and one of the most obvious natural borders on the landmass is the southern edge of the Sahara desert. The countries that lie on the edge of the Sahara are among the poorest in the world, and they are subject to periodic droughts that devastate their peoples.
Does overgrazing cause desertification?
Overgrazing is one of the several causes for desertification, in arid areas the vegetation is necessary because the soil needs it to stay moist and fertile.