Drought in Australia - Jacaranda - · PDF fileThis produces rain in South America and drought...
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Drought in Australia © John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2005 2004-11-drought.pdf (Page 1 of 3) As the world’s driest inhabited continent, Australia often has droughts. In fact, there have been twelve major droughts recorded in Australia since the 1860s, the most severe being between 1895–1903, 1963–1968, 1982–1983 and 2002–2003. The most recent drought of 2002–03 took its toll on both livestock and the lives and livelihoods of Australian farmers. For example, the 2002 winter was the fourth driest in Western Australia for over a century, and the third driest in New South Wales. Regions of Queensland were drier than they had been for over a decade, with severe water restrictions in place in regions such as the Gold Coast. Many farm dams dried up and major water supply reservoirs were very low. What is drought? Drought occurs in a region when the normal water needs of its people cannot be met due to an unusually long period without rain. Rainfall deficiency in a particular region can be serious or severe. It is serious if, over a period of three months of more, rainfall is somewhere between the lowest five and ten per cent of recorded rainfalls for that time of year. It is severe if it is among the lowest five per cent of recorded rainfalls. Droughts can devastate the landscape, the economy and the personal lives of rural people. Below are some of the impacts of drought. • Crops can fail, meaning loss of income for producers and higher prices for consumers. • Stock can die of starvation or thirst, with many having to be shot. Major Australian droughts Adapted from Living with Drought BOM, Commonwealth of Australia copyright 2004 • Farmers may have to borrow huge amounts of money to hand feed surviving stock, and import water to keep themselves in business. • Faced with such hardship, many farmers may sell up and move to cities. This, in turn, affects the profitability of many small businesses in rural communities, which lose much of their customer base. • Droughts also cause severe loss of vegetation, promoting erosion. • As dams and watercourses dry up, water quality can decline, often leading to outbreaks of toxic algae. • Severe bushfires and dust storms are more likely during droughts. Image Disk Photography
Transcript of Drought in Australia - Jacaranda - · PDF fileThis produces rain in South America and drought...
Drought in Australia
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 20052004-11-drought.pdf (Page 1 of 3)
As the world’s driest inhabited continent, Australia often has droughts. In fact, therehave been twelve major droughts recorded in Australia since the 1860s, the mostsevere being between 1895–1903, 1963–1968, 1982–1983 and 2002–2003.
The most recent drought of 2002–03 took its toll on both livestock and the lives andlivelihoods of Australian farmers. For example, the 2002 winter was the fourth driest inWestern Australia for over a century, and the third driest in New South Wales. Regionsof Queensland were drier than they had been for over a decade, with severe waterrestrictions in place in regions such as the Gold Coast. Many farm dams dried up andmajor water supply reservoirs were very low.
What is drought?Drought occurs in a region when the normal water needs of its people cannot be metdue to an unusually long period without rain. Rainfall deficiency in a particular regioncan be serious or severe. It is serious if, over a period of three months of more, rainfallis somewhere between the lowest five and ten per cent of recorded rainfalls for thattime of year. It is severe if it is among the lowest five per cent of recorded rainfalls.
Droughts can devastate the landscape, the economy and the personal lives of ruralpeople. Below are some of the impacts of drought.
• Crops can fail, meaning loss of income for producers and higher prices forconsumers.
• Stock can die of starvation or thirst, with many having to be shot.
Major Australian droughts
Adapted from Living with DroughtBOM, Commonwealth of Australia
copyright 2004
• Farmers may have to borrow hugeamounts of money to hand feedsurviving stock, and import water tokeep themselves in business.
• Faced with such hardship, manyfarmers may sell up and move tocities. This, in turn, affects theprofitability of many smallbusinesses in rural communities,which lose much of their customerbase.
• Droughts also cause severe loss ofvegetation, promoting erosion.
• As dams and watercourses dry up,water quality can decline, oftenleading to outbreaks of toxic algae.
• Severe bushfires and dust stormsare more likely during droughts.
Image Disk Photography
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 20052004-11-drought.pdf (Page 2 of 3)
What causes drought?Some droughts are localised, due to particular climatic variations that may occur. Many of Australia’s widespreaddroughts, however, are related to what meteorologists call an El Niño event.
In a normal year, warm surface water is blown west across the Pacific towards Australia. This brings heavy rain tonorthern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. On the other side of the Pacific, South America experiencesdrought. When there is an El Niño event, these winds and surface ocean currents reverse their direction. The warm, moistair is pushed towards South America. This produces rain in South America and drought in Australia.
Use the information in this worksheet and in relevant sources listed in the Referencesto complete the activities below.1. The ready availability of supplies of fresh water is primarily influenced by a region’s rainfall. What other factors can
impact this?.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
2. Refer to the diagram on page 1 of this worksheet listing major droughts in Australia since 1860. What patterns, ifany, can you detect in Australia’s drought history over the last 150 or so years?..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 20052004-11-drought.pdf (Page 3 of 3)
3. Using hypothetical examples, and your own words, describe the difference between serious rainfall deficiency in acertain region and severe rainfall deficiency..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
4. Use your own words to describe an El Niño event? Why is it typically so often associated with drought in Australia?........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5. Imagine that you are a teenager who lives on the land with your family during a particularly severe drought inAustralia. You observe first hand some of the things that happen. Choose one of the following to demonstrate yourunderstanding of the impact of drought on an Australian landscape and its people.
• Write a letter to the editor of a city newspaper, drawing attention to the need for support.
• In groups, role play for the class a meeting of interested community members about what action can be taken tooffset the impact of the drought.
• Write a poem, or a song lyric, that expresses empathy with Australians who live with the effects of severedrought. You might like to read or perform your piece for the class.
• Construct a collage entitled ‘Drought in Australia’. This might consist of images, newspaper headlines, and arange of data.
6. Research the information contained in the web link listed below. Write a short written response to the question: ‘Howcan Australians best protect themselves against the effects of drought?’..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
References: SOSE Alive 3, pp. 178–9 ▪ SOSE Alive Geography 2, pp. 136–7 ▪ www.jaconline.com.au/sosealive/sosealive3 orwww.jaconline.com.au/sosealive/sageography2 and click on the Drought in Australia web link for this chapter
