Droughts occur when there is not enough rainfall to support people or crops and can have severe consequences. Drought is caused by both natural factors like changes in weather patterns as well as human factors such as deforestation, overpopulation, and overextraction of water. The vast majority of deaths from drought have occurred in three countries: Ethiopia, Sudan, and Mozambique. Case studies of drought in Ethiopia and Australia show how drought can impact populations through famine, disease, loss of livestock, and economic hardship. Responses to drought involve aid efforts, management of water resources, and strategies to prevent desertification.

1. Climatic hazards:
Drought & Desertification

2. Starter:
Watch the following video clip carefully
and identify the issues associated with a
lack of rainfall.
What is the pattern of freshwater across
the world? Why do some places enjoy a
surplus while others suffer deficit?

3. World without water
• YouTube clip

4. Describe the pattern of the distribution of
freshwater across the world.

5. What is a drought?
• A drought occurs when there is not enough
rainfall to support people or crops
• There are various causes, human and natural
• Drought is hard to prevent & can cause crop
failure, famine, death, fires & desertification
• It is a weather hazard that can develop slowly

6. Deaths as a consequence of drought
Of all drought-related disasters from 1975-2000, 98% of deaths occur
in just three countries:
Ethiopia, Sudan & Mozambique
1975-2000: +560’000 deaths worldwide from drought disasters

7. Causes of drought
Natural / Physical causes:
- Weather: increased amount of
anticyclone weather (hot + dry)
means air holds less moisture so
you get less rain
- Global warming: weather
patterns change (e.g. Sahel is
becoming hotter + drier)
- Hotter weather = more
evaporation than precipitation
- El Nino: random weather event
that reverses normal weather
patterns (e.g. Australia has years
of drought + then years of flood)
Human causes:
- Overpopulation: too many people
living in an area using too much
water
- Overcultivation: planting too
many crops which use up too
much water
- Overextraction: removing too
much water from wells so they
dry up
- Deforestation: cutting down trees
which otherwise store water +
hold soil together
- Politics: fighting over water, or
companies being greedy + taking
too much water to then sell on

8. Explore the news
• Barcelona drought news
• Australia drought
• Australia drought 2

9. Case Studies
• LEDC = Ethiopia (Sahel region) 1985-2006
• MEDC = Australia 2005-2008

10. Ethiopia drought

11. Ethiopia drought 2006
• Sahel region, drought conditions since 1985
• (Drought of 1984-1985 = 1million deaths)
• Causes = natural climatic causes (low
precipitation), human causes (deforestation,
desertification, overpopulation, overcultivation)
• GDP per capita $110, life expectancy 43yrs
• 2006 = affected 2.7million people
• UNICEF donated $50million to water aid projects
• Consequences = famine, migration, disease, 46%
of cattle died, debt

12. Australia drought

13. Australia drought
• 2006
• Extremely low rainfall season (lowest rain since
1900) across southern Australia
• River Murray dried up in places
• Triggered by ‘El Nino’ weather event – causes
excessively low rainfall
• Human causes = poor use of water resources
• Consequences: 6million sheep died in 2years,
temporary migrations, improvements to water
resource use, eventual floods!

14. Causes, effects, case studies,
management?
• Use the textbook and the photocopies to explore
the causes & consequences of drought
• Include human & physical causes, the effects &
how they are managed
• Consider patterns of rainfall & how the land is
managed
• CASE STUDIES: CAUSES, EFFECTS, RESPONSES

15. How can drought and
desertification be
managed?

16. Watch the slide show from
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/may/18/desertifica
tion-china?picture=347540416
Mindmap the ways that people are
affected by desertification

17. What is desertification?

22. How can it be managed?
• Afforestation?
• Terracing?
• Magic stones?

23. Exam Qs
• Describe & explain the causes of drought.
[4marks]
• What are the patterns associated with
droughts? [2marks]
• With reference to a case study, describe the
effects of and responses to drought. [6marks]