Drought and famine

A basic understanding of droughts and famines
(7th slide consisted of a video of bengal famine of 1943)

1. Natural Disasters Presented By:Khair Unnisa Naaz (CSE) Droughts and Famines

2. What is a Drought? Drought is defined as a period in which a region has a deficit in its water supply whether surface or underground water. It can last for months or years, or even days….. though droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage and harm to the local economy.

3. Types of Droughts

4. What causes 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 causing moisture to evaporate from the soil. Just because a region is hot and dry doesn't necessarily mean it is going through a drought. Droughts only occur when an area is abnormally dry. When a particular area gets less rain than usual, the soil gets much less moisture, too. 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. Even, deforestation for agriculture and/or building combined with the resultant erosion can also cause drought to begin because as soil is moved away from an area it is less able to absorb moisture when it falls.

5. Impacts of Drought Economic impact(agriculture and the income generated from crops in short term and unemployment of farmers and even retailers can occur at long term) Environmental impact(insect infestations and plant diseases, increased erosion, habitat and landscape degradation in short term and plant and animal species can suffer tremendously, and over time desertification can happen with an extreme lack of moisture at long term) Social impact(disputes between users of available water, inequalities in water distribution between wealthy and poor, disparities in areas in need of disaster relief, and a decline in health)

6. Protection and Relief Dams - many dams and their associated reservoirs supply additional water in times of drought. Cloud seeding - a form of intentional weather modification to induce rainfall. Desalination - of sea water for irrigation or consumption. Land use - Carefully planned crop rotation can help to minimize erosion and allow farmers to plant less water- dependent crops in drier years. Outdoor water-use restriction - Regulating the use of sprinklers, hoses or buckets on outdoor plants, filling pools, and other water-intensive home maintenance tasks. Rainwater harvesting - Collection and storage of rainwater from roofs or other suitable catchments. Recycled water - Former wastewater that has been treated and purified for reuse.

7. Famine Famine is a severe and prolonged hunger in a substantial proportion of the population of a region or country, resulting in widespread and acute malnutrition and death by starvation and disease. Usually caused by low food production resulting from drought, other factors, or it could be a result of the inability of a country or its population to afford to buy food. Famines usually last for a limited time, ranging from a few months to a few years.

8. The causes of Famine Scarcity- mainly farmers,no irrigation,crop failure Drought,flood Natural disasters Ban natural resources Population Imbalance Political Conspiracy & Government Policies

9. Diseases related to famine Cholera: Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water or food and can rapidly lead to severe dehydration and death if left untreated. Acute malnutrition: Acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies can be widespread among refugees and displaced people. Measles: Outbreaks can result in epidemics that cause many deaths, especially among malnourished children. Pneumonia: Children whose immune systems have been weakened by undernutrition are at higher risk of developing pneumonia. Malaria: Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Diarrhoeal disease: Diarrhoea can last several days, and can leave the body without the water and salts that are necessary for survival.

10. How can we prevent the next famine When it comes to natural disasters, and their very un-natural impact on poor people, prevention is better than cure. Water resource management. In Ethiopia, some communities that received emergency aid in previous droughts no longer require it thanks to DRR. A small-scale irrigation project in Liban district of Guji zone pumped water from a major river to enable pastoralist households to produce grain both for their own consumption and to sell on local markets. Women report that they no longer worry about milk and food shortages for their children and family. In contrast to last year and neighbours outside the scheme, the community no longer needs food aid and livestock have not migrated, because there is enough crop residue for them to eat. Work programmes. Where cash or food-for-work programmes are being implemented, the public works should boost DRR, by focussing on vital communal assets such as improving rangelands or water harvesting. Food availability. Where markets are working, providing support to traders to bring in essential food and strengthen delivery networks is an essential complementary activity to distributing cash in exchange for work. Part of Oxfam’s work in the current crisis has been to persuade traders to return to the worst hit areas to get markets functioning again. Herd mobility. Emergency responses should support mobility where possible, for example, by providing mobile services such as healthcare or drinking water provision, thereby promoting the sustainability of pastoralist livelihoods. A conflict-sensitive approach may also be required to ensure responses reach all vulnerable sections of the community and are negotiated with traditional leaders and across clans. Veterinary services. Vaccination and other animal health interventions are important to prevent death and disease in the herd and strengthen livestock resistance to drought. Humanitarian response should use and strengthen private sector actors in developing long-term, sustainable veterinary services. Supporting existing community structures. Emergency interventions should work with and strengthen local organisations and community leaders, who are best placed to identify the most vulnerable and deliver aid where it is needed. Preparation for predicted floods. Rains are expected from this month and with them come a significant risk of flash floods and disease. It is vital to undertake contingency planning for public health and veterinary services alongside the pre-positioning of essential supplies to prevent outbreaks of water- borne disease amongst people and vector-borne diseases in animals.

11. Bengal Famine of 1943

12. Thank You