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Page added on June 6, 2015
7 Epic Droughts Devastating the Planet
Every inhabited continent, to varying degrees, faces extremely high water stress. That means that in certain areas more than 80 percent of the local water supply is withdrawn by businesses, farmers, residents and other consumers every year. Not all of that water is consumed—it may flow back into a river after it’s used and be available again downstream—but the demand still creates competition where it is needed.
These “stressed” areas are also the ones most vulnerable to episodic droughts. With chronic over-use of water resources, it only takes a string of a few bad rainfall years or poor management decisions to plunge a region into crisis and chaos.
And indeed, that is what we appear to be seeing across the world over the past few years. Here’s a look at seven extreme droughts that have occurred in the past decade:
1. Australia’s one-in-a-thousand-year drought
Australia’s “Millennium” drought began in 1995 and continued country-wide until late 2009. Reservoir levels fell precipitously, as did crop production and industrial water use. A number of cities, including Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, built desalination plants in an effort to partially drought-proof themselves, while other areas pursued grey water recycling projects. Between 2001 and 2012, the federal government provided $4.5 billion in assistance to drought-affected farmers and small businesses.
In 2010-11, following quickly on the heels of the drought, Australia experienced its worst flooding in half a century, as an area of Queensland larger than the size of France and Germany combined flooded, affecting 200,000 people and costing at least $10 billion.
2. Spain imports water by ship
Drought in Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia grew so severe in 2008 that Barcelona began importing water by ship from France. About 70 percent of Spain’s water goes to agriculture, much of which is “wasted in antiquated irrigation systems and the cultivation of thirsty crops unsuitable for arid lands,” according to The Independent. Other critics pointed to low water prices as the culprit for the crisis. Low water prices, it is often argued, result in profligate water use and low investment in water-efficient infrastructure.
3. Northern India’s groundwater loss can be seen from space
Twin satellites from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) are able to detect changes in the Earth’s gravity field brought about by changes in mass distribution, including changes in groundwater storage. Nowhere on Earth are groundwater declines greater than in northern India; NASA found that large-scale irrigation caused 108 cubic kilometers of groundwater loss in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi between 2002 and 2008. The study’s lead, Matt Rodell, observed that “The region has become dependent on irrigation to maximize agricultural productivity. If measures are not taken to ensure sustainable groundwater usage, the consequences for the 114 million residents of the region may include a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortages of potable water.”
In July 2012, roughly half of India’s population—about 670 million people or 10 percent of the world’s population—temporarily lost power following a massive grid failure. Some experts laid the blame on the severe drought affecting northern India. Low rainfall restricted the amount of power delivered by hydroelectric dams, and farmers used more power than usual to run water pumps to irrigate their crops.
4. The dark side of China’s boom
Much of northern China is relatively dry, not unlike California and the rest of the U.S. West. Yet it’s also traditionally produced significant amounts of wheat and other grains, thanks to flood irrigation. Add to this inefficient system skyrocketing water use by industry, energy and municipalities, and China’s future might be drying up.
Government officials are starting to take action. Water is now one of China’s public policy priorities, and the central government recently launched a “Three Red Lines” policy to improve water use efficiency and place caps on water demand. Yet it remains unclear whether these policies are sufficient to overcome the country’s vast water challenges.
5. Mesopotamian nightmare
From 2006 through 2011, Syria suffered its worst drought and crop failure in recorded history. The GRACE satellite data revealed “an alarming rate of decrease in total water storage in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins, which [at the time had] the second fastest rate of groundwater storage loss on Earth, after India.” While many other factors—political, social and religious—have contributed to the Syrian military conflict, experts argue that “the decrease in water availability, water mismanagement, agricultural failures, and related economic deterioration contributed to population dislocations and the migration of rural communities to nearby cities. These factors further contributed to urban unemployment, economic dislocations, food insecurity for more than a million people, and subsequent social unrest.”
6. Southeastern Brazil on the brink
Parts of southeastern Brazil, including the cities of São Paolo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte, are struggling through the worst drought in 84 years, with 40 million people and the nation’s “economic heartbeat” at risk. Reservoirs that supply water to these cities are at dangerously low levels. They’re also highly polluted, complicating things even further.
Unfortunately, politicians have failed to act decisively to take steps to minimize the impact of the crisis, raising levels of public distrust and frustration. There has even been talk of exporting “water refugees” and bringing in the military to help out if matters grow worse.
7. Turning now to California
California is in the throes of an unprecedented drought, now in its fourth year. Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory restrictions on water use by state municipalities early last month, and a group of farmers with senior rights have since given up a quarter of their water this year in exchange for being spared deeper mandatory cuts. The situation is bad—even desperate for some farmers. As I argued in a recent blog, the state needs to improve its water governance in order to protect its economic interests and its citizens.
The situation is poised to worsen
World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct project’s forthcoming projections for global water stress in 2020, 2030 and 2040 indicate that the global water picture is likely going to get worse over the next few decades. Larger populations and growing economies demand more water, and in some places, climate change will likely reduce available water supply. While our vulnerability to drought grows, the incidence of extreme weather events, including drought, will grow as well, according to most climate change experts.
Yet in this knowledge lies power. We know that drought risk is high and growing worldwide. We’re already seeing the impact water scarcity has on citizens, on the environment and on economies. Sustainable water-management plans, clear government monitoring and management policies and wise natural and engineered infrastructure investments could have helped to shore up the dwindling water supply, alleviating impacts on people, planet and economy.
It’s time to put this information into action. Businesses, governments and all water managers must quickly and intelligently take measures to reduce vulnerability to drought events
16 Comments on "7 Epic Droughts Devastating the Planet"
Kenz300 on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 9:27 am
Too many people and too few resources……..
The world adds 80 million more people to the earth every year…….. they all need water to survive…
Rodster on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 10:09 am
Dane Wigington from http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org believes man has been manipulating the weather for decades and is now starting to pay the price.
Apneaman on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 12:30 pm
Rodster, Dane Wigington is right. We have changed the atmospheric chemistry of this planet to a state not seen for 15 million years and we ain’t finished yet. And since we have know for quite some time that it was happening as a by product of carbon burning you can even say it’s intentional. Dane is just wrong about the rest of it and none of his “evidence” stand up to even a modest bit of scrutiny, but I bet Dane feels better thinking he is not part of the problem. All these chem trail fucks are just another flavor of denier. Like the other Deniers you will find the vast majority of them are white, male, conservative and American with a sprinkling of cohorts from the other five eyes countries and a few northern European tards.
Apneaman on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 4:20 pm
Arab spring prompts biggest migrant wave since second world war
Migrants fleeing the Middle East and north Africa are already risking everything as they try to escape war at home
“Wars in Syria, Libya and Iraq, severe repression in Eritrea, and spiralling instability across much of the Arab world have all contributed to the displacement of around 16.7 million refugees worldwide.
A further 33.3 million people are “internally displaced” within their own war-torn countries, forcing many of those originally from the Middle East to cross the lesser evil of the Mediterranean in increasingly dangerous ways, all in the distant hope of a better life in Europe.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2015/jan/03/arab-spring-migrant-wave-instability-war
Apneaman on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 4:42 pm
A Hiatus on “Hiatus”
How global warming cranks influence legitimate science.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/06/global_warming_hiatus_new_data_show_there_s_no_pause_in_global_warming.html?wpsrc=sh_all_mob_tw_top
Apneaman on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 9:07 pm
What would you think if you were an average citizen of a southern European refugee destination country? Anyone paying attention knows this is just the beginning and this will soon be happening globally and on a much bigger scale……………………………………………….
Half a million refugees gather in Libya to attempt perilous crossing to Europe
Crew on board HMS Bulwark, one of 11 rescue vessels in the Mediterranean, brace themselves as thousands more migrants expected to make journey
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/06/cameron-merkel-at-odds-resettle-refugees-europe-migration
Makati1 on Sat, 6th Jun 2015 9:39 pm
Not sure why the Philippines is shown on the map to have a water problem. No mention of it here, ever. Even in the farm news or magazines. It seems to be raining as frequently as always. The two springs on the farm are running a fast as ever. At least in the 7+ years I have been here.
If there are spotty problems, they don’t make the news. How can a country that gets 7+ foot of rain annually, and fairly evenly distributed, be in drought conditions?
freak on Sun, 7th Jun 2015 5:58 am
Politicians in office these days are all psychopaths, it is a prerequisite. They are for sale in every way and will throw their mother under the bus for more power and control. They will only vote for things they can profit from and are not interested in do good. Any forth coming water management will have to include payoffs, bribes and outrageous costly construction contracts or nothing will get done.
Davy on Sun, 7th Jun 2015 8:35 am
Damn, Mak, we are on the same page with a topic. The map shows Missouri having a water issues. We have zero water shortage issues. In fact this spring we have too much water as the issue.
Makati1 on Sun, 7th Jun 2015 9:53 pm
Davy, do you ever get the feeling that it is a waste of time reading the ‘news’? Maybe we disagree on the East/West situation, but we seem to agree on most other topics.
BTW: I do like to pull your chain, and sometimes exaggerate my position to do so. I’ll try to back off. We have enough to deal with these days without added stress.
Just keep in mind that I have my reasons for choosing the Ps as my final home vs the US and it will be easier to discuss other topics. Have a great day. (And keep them chickens isolated from foreign visitors…lol)
Davy on Mon, 8th Jun 2015 8:25 am
Well, Mak, maybe someday we can both find point that is acceptable to the other on the geopolitical competition issues. We have so much in common I can’t believe we are not friends.
The reality is I am a doomer and prepper. That is where my interest are. I could give a rats ass at this point about geopolitical because it over and nothing can be done. It just a bullet speeding to its end at the mercy of gravity.
On a side note friends I am walking the walk on my doom and prep. I sold my house in Hermann, mo. I have two. One was my home before I built my small cabin at the farm. My boys live in the other with their mom. This home is for my kids.
I can not justify two house in a town I don’t live in just for the luxury of the occasional stay. I am practicing relative sacrifice. Downsizing now with dignity. I am collapsing my world even more local. I am preparing for when travel is difficult and maintenance is problematic. My farm is 1 & 1/2 hours away which in a collapsed world is too far.
I am moving now so posts will be light. No have to get rid of years of possessions. This is another issues of doom and prep and the downsizing with dignity and order. If you wait and shtf you may have to quickly unload allot of possessions. An important part of prep is planning and time frames. Prep takes allot of time and effort to do these thing correctly.
GregT on Mon, 8th Jun 2015 10:36 am
All the best Davy!
Keep us all updated.
Makati1 on Mon, 8th Jun 2015 8:33 pm
Davy, after my divorce (that was the biggest load left behind) I moved several times. Each time shedding stuff. When I moved to the Ps, it was in 3 suitcases. Since then, I have been mindful of the stuff I buy. It needs to have at least two uses and not take too much space or maintenance. It sounds like you are also well on the way to minimal living. Good luck!
Davy on Mon, 8th Jun 2015 10:26 pm
Yea, Mak, I hear you. The hardest thing is getting rid of my Native American art work and antique maps. I have no room in my 12×40 cabin. I am going to sell them on Ebay and turn proceeds into gold. I sold or gave away all the furniture and accessories. I will miss the place but it feels good to be downsized. My funds are focused on the cattle and goats now IOW my living food atm.
GregT on Mon, 8th Jun 2015 10:51 pm
I could never get rid of my native artwork Davy. I feel a responsibility to take care of it, and I have collected a lot over the years.
What happens to Bolt? With you, or with the family? Thanks by the way, you helped us to finally make a decision. An Aussie is exactly what we are looking for. No litters available here at the moment, unfortunately. One breeder tells us maybe in the fall.
Davy on Tue, 9th Jun 2015 6:59 am
Greg, I saved the most valuable of the art. Most is from the Osage tribe. I have so much and nowhere to put it so I have no choice but to sell some off. The antique maps are cool but don’t have the spiritual significance of the Osage tribe art.
That is my way of collapsing now as JMG talks about. I am living my belief in relative sacrifice and adapting to less with anticipation of a future of less. I am practicing the real efficiency we should be following. I am speaking in regards to our modern life where we have been given the ability to amass so many things our ancestors never could. I am weeding through my 50 plus years of stuff keeping what has a use in a collapsed world. Discarding and selling what has little future.
Greg just remember with all pedigree dogs they often have psychological issues. The overbreeding gives you an appearance or psychological traits but bad traits pass on to. I am sure you know that. I had a blue healer that healed people bad and had separation anxiety. I have a Main coon cat now that has a goofy hissing issue if you get close to her and she does not want to be bothered.