Droughts result
in dry conditions and a lack of precipitation
, which can damage or kill crops, leading to negative impacts on the livelihoods of farmers. According to Bahta and Van Niekerk (2018) , the 2015 drought that occurred in South Africa led to an 8.4% decline in agricultural productivity.
What is the impact of drought on farmers?
Drought can also contribute to insect outbreaks,
increases in wildfire and altered rates of carbon, nutrient, and water cycling
—all of which can impact agricultural production, critical ecosystem functions that underpin agricultural systems, and the livelihoods and health of farming communities.
What are the impacts of drought in South Africa?
The resulting low dam levels led to water restrictions being imposed on users across several countries in Southern Africa. Additional impacts of the drought are
death of livestock and poor crop yields due to poor or no rainfall making water unavailable for irrigation
.
What are the negative impacts of droughts on the economy of South Africa?
The drought has led to
job losses in the province’s agriculture sector
. The 2017 third quarterly labour force survey showed that approximately 25,000 jobs were lost from the agricultural sector nationally. More than 20 000 of these were lost in the Western Cape province. Many were associated with the drought.
What are the main causes of drought in South Africa?
One of the main causes of drought in South Africa is
the variability in rainfall
(Mason and Tyson, 2000; Tyson and Preston-Whyte, 2000 and Vogel et al., 2000). The El Niño phenomenon accounts for approximately thirty percent of rainfall variability (Tyson and Preston-Whyte, 2000).
Which areas are affected by drought in South Africa?
“
Large parts of the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape
continue to suffer from the effects of the longest drought in 100 years,” said Agri SA. The organisation added: “The drought conditions in many parts of South Africa is still having a severe impact on the sustainability of many farms.
What are the impacts of droughts?
Drought can also cause long-term public health problems, including:
Shortages of drinking water and poor quality drinking water
.
Impacts on air quality, sanitation and hygiene
, and food and nutrition. More disease, such as West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water.
What is the conclusion of drought?
Conclusion – droughts. Droughts are
a natural disaster that nobody can stop from coming
, but we can prepare for the effects of this natural disaster to make it less difficult. There are many human and natural system impacts that this force of nature costs that we should be aware of.
How can we prevent drought in South Africa?
Protection and
use of springs
; Cloud seeding; Evaporation suppression; Desalination of brackish groundwater or sea water; and Effluent treatment and re-use. Developing and integrating other sources like groundwater, desalination and re-use, etc., with surface systems also to enhance water security.
What are the causes and effects of droughts in South Africa?
Drought in South Africa caused
by El Niño, human action and climate change
. The present drought in Cape Town has been caused by extremely poor rainfall in recent months, with the result that the water supplies are under enormous pressure.
What is the main cause of a drought?
A drought is
caused by drier than normal conditions that can eventually lead to water supply problems
. Really hot temperatures can make a drought worse by evaporating moisture from the soil. … A drought is a prolonged period with less-than-average amounts of rain or snow in a particular region.
Which country is most affected by drought?
- Ethiopia. Poor harvests and recurrent insecurity in some regions of Ethiopia has led to food instability and falling food reserves across the country.
- Sudan. About 2.8 million people in Sudan are affected by drought every year. …
- Eritrea. …
- Afghanistan. …
- China. …
- Pakistan. …
- Iran. …
- Somalia. …
Is South Africa a dry country?
South Africa is a relatively dry country
, with an average annual rainfall of about 464 mm. While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally a summer-rainfall region. … South Africa’s coastal regions are therefore relatively warm in winter.
Which areas in South Africa are more likely to be affected by cut off low?
However, the
western and southern parts of
the country appear to bear most of the brunt of the torrential rains. While Cut-off Lows are a common occurrence in South Africa, and have been observed predominantly between March and May, and from September to November, once in a while an unseasonal event hits our shores.
How does droughts affect humans and animals?
In addition to the economy, drought also affects the environment and society. Plants and
animals depend on water
, just as people do. Drought can shrink their food supplies and damage their habitats. Sometimes this damage is only temporary, and other times it is irreversible.
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.
