Droughts 101

Droughts are a complex and far-reaching environmental phenomenon that can have devastating consequences for communities, ecosystems, and economies around the world. As climate change continues to exacerbate the frequency and severity of droughts, it's more important than ever to understand the science behind this natural disaster and how we can prepare for and respond to it.

In this post, we'll dive deep into the world of drought, exploring the causes, impacts, and strategies for coping with this environmental challenge.

What is a Drought?

At its core, droughts are a prolonged period of abnormally low precipitation (rain), resulting in a shortage of water available for various human and environmental needs. Unlike a temporary dry spell, which may last for a few days or weeks, droughts are referred to as a persistent and widespread occurrence that can last for months or even years. Deficiencies in water supply can have devastating consequences for agriculture, ecosystems, and human well-being.

A Drought is often classified into several different types, each with its own unique characteristics and impacts:

~Meteorological Drought

~The first and most basic type of drought is called meteorological drought. This kind of drought happens when an area doesn't get as much rain as it usually does for a long time. Meteorological droughts are usually measured by comparing how much rain falls during a certain period, like a month, season, or year, to what's normal for that area. These droughts can be grouped into different categories depending on how serious and how long the lack of rain lasts. For instance, a mild drought might mean there's 20-30% less rain than usual, while a severe drought could mean a 50% or more decrease in rainfall. Changes in global climate patterns, like the ones linked to climate change, can also make meteorological droughts happen more often and become more serious.

~Agricultural Drought

~An agricultural drought happens when there isn't enough water in the soil for crops and animals. This can occur even if there has been a normal or above-average amount of rain. When the soil doesn't have enough water, plants and animals can't grow well. This kind of drought can really affect food production because the crops and animals might not do well in the dry weather. Farmers might have to plant fewer crops or even give up on them completely, which means less food being grown and stored.

~Animals can also have a hard time finding enough water and food, leading to less milk and meat being produced, and more animals dying. One big reason for agricultural droughts is how and when it rains. Even if an area gets enough rain throughout the year, if it's not spread out evenly or doesn't come at the right times, it might not be enough for the plants and animals. The type and quality of soil also matter because some soils can't hold onto water well during dry times.

~Hydrological Drought

~A hydrological drought happens when there is not enough water in rivers, lakes, and underground sources like aquifers. Even if an area gets normal or more rain, it can still suffer from this kind of drought if the water does not fill up these sources fast enough. This lack of water can cause big problems for different industries and activities that need water. For instance, lower water levels in rivers and lakes can affect making electricity from water, fun activities like fishing, and shipping goods on boats. When underground water is used up faster than it can be replaced, it can create issues for towns that need ground water, as well as for farms and businesses that use wells. One thing that can make a hydrological drought worse is when rain falls at the wrong time or too much at once. Even if a place gets enough rain in a year, if it all comes down in just a short time or during the wrong season, it might not be able to fill up the water sources or overflow these basins. Other things like changes to the land, such as cutting down trees or damaging the soil, can also stop the land from soaking up and holding onto water, which can lead to hydrological droughts.

~Socioeconomic Drought

~Socioeconomic drought is the last type of drought. It happens when a drought affects human activities and the economy. This kind of drought can happen when there is not enough resources due to a meteorological, agricultural, or hydrological drought. This shortage affects the supply and demand for certain goods and services. Socioeconomic droughts can have big impacts because they can affect many industries like agriculture, energy, transportation, and even tourism.

~For instance, if there is a long-lasting agricultural drought, it can cause less crops to grow and make food prices go up. This change can have a ripple effect across the whole economy. On the other hand, a hydrological drought can lead to water shortages. This can affect industries that need water like manufacturing and power generation. This may also force localized water restrictions or the need for the community to rely on bottled water.

~Some things that can make a socioeconomic drought worse are how vulnerable a region or community is to the effects of a drought. Factors like how diverse the local economy is, if there are other resources available, and how strong the infrastructure is can all affect how a drought will impact an area.

5 Causes of Droughts

Droughts are a complicated thing with many different reasons, from natural changes in the weather to things people do that make them happen:

1. Natural Climate Variability: One of the main reasons for droughts is the Earth’s changing climate. Global weather patterns, like ocean temperatures and rainfall, can cause long periods of dry weather in certain places. For instance, ENSO is a natural climate event that affects worldwide rainfall. When ENSO happens, warmer ocean temperatures in the Pacific can disrupt weather patterns globally, causing droughts in some areas and heavy rain in others.
2. Climate Change: At the root of many droughts is climate change caused by humans. When the Earth gets hotter from more greenhouse gases in the air, the whole climate gets messed up. This leads to different patterns of rain and more extreme weather like droughts. Climate change messes with how water moves around the world, changing when and where it rains and making droughts worse. Hotter weather also makes water evaporate faster, making dry places even drier.
3. Land Use and Deforestation: Deforestation and changing how we use land can make droughts more likely. Forests are really important for the water cycle because they help control when and where it rains by releasing water into the air. But if we cut down forests or mess them up, this natural water control gets messed up too. This can mean less rain and more droughts. Also, changing land for farming, cities, or industries can change the local weather, making droughts worse. When we lose plants and have more hard surfaces like roads and buildings, water can't soak into the ground as easily. Instead, it runs off the surface, leaving less water for underground reserves and plants to use.
4. Overexploitation of Water Resources: The using up of too much water from rivers and underground sources can make droughts more likely. Taking out lots of water for farming, factories, and homes can use up a locations water reserves. This can cause the community to not have enough water and increase the chance of droughts. For instance, using too much groundwater for watering crops in many areas has emptied the underground water sources. This makes these places more at risk of droughts. This can then really hurt how much food can be grown and how much water there is for other important needs.‍
5. Feedback Loops and Anthropogenic Activities: Human actions like burning fossil fuels and releasing greenhouse gases can make droughts start and get worse. Climate change caused by the world's population can change how rain falls and make droughts worse. Also, the connections between droughts, how we use land, and climate change can make the issue even larger. For instance, droughts can cause more wildfires, which then release more carbon into the air. This adds to climate change and could lead to even worse droughts later on.

By understanding the underlying causes of droughts, we can better prepare for and mitigate their impacts, ensuring the long-term sustainability of our natural resources and the well-being of our communities. An interdisciplinary approach that combines scientific research, policy development, and community engagement can lead to more effective and sustainable solutions.

5 Impacts of Drought

Drought can have far-reaching and severe impacts on various aspects of our lives, from the environment to the economy and human well-being:

1. Environmental Impacts:
   • Depletion of water resources: One of the most immediate consequences of drought is the depletion of surface water and groundwater supplies. As precipitation declines, water levels in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs drop dramatically. This can lead to water shortages for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Groundwater aquifers, which many communities rely on for their water needs, also become depleted as drought persists.
   • Vegetation and wildlife stress: Drought stresses ecosystems in numerous ways. Reduced water availability leads to the die-off of vegetation, from grasses and shrubs to mature trees. This habitat loss can force wildlife to relocate or perish, disrupting the delicate balance of natural food webs.
   • Increased Wildfire Risk: When a drought dries out vegetation, it heightens the risk of destructive wildfires. These fires can destroy homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure, resulting in billions of dollars in damage. The costs of firefighting efforts and recovery from wildfires further strain state and local budgets.
2. Agricultural Impacts:
   • Crop failures and reduced yields: Drought has a major impact on agriculture, leading to widespread crop failures and livestock losses. Farmers and ranchers struggle to maintain their fields as soil moisture dries up and water for irrigation becomes scarce. This can drive up food prices and contribute to global food insecurity, especially in regions that rely on subsistence farming.
   • Livestock Losses: Lack of water affects livestock herds in various ways like: the dying of grass, lack of hay availability, lack of drinking water and cooling rains, leading to death or malnourishment of the herds. This will in-turn result in major losses for farmers and ranchers, which will then trickle down to the people that rely on commercial meat sources.
3. Economic Impacts:
   • Disruption of industries: Most industries use a substantial amount of water for cleaning machinery, rinsing goods, and more. Low water levels can force the closure of certain industries like meat packing, cheese production and goods production. These shutdowns impact jobs, tax revenue, and may even force inhabitants to move to a different city for a new job.
   • Increased costs for water and energy: One of the most direct impacts of drought is on the availability and cost of water. When rainfall levels drop, water supplies become strained, leading to rising prices for both residential and commercial users. Drought's impact on the energy sector is another major cost that drives up consumer costs. As water supplies dwindle, the generation of hydroelectric power-a key renewable energy source-is significantly reduced, forcing utilities to turn to more expensive and air-polluting fossil fuels.
   • Reduced tax revenues: The economic impacts of drought can lead to decreased tax revenues for governments, restaurants, and retail shops; to manufacturing and service providers. As water becomes scarce, businesses may be forced to cut back on operations or even close down temporarily. This can lead to a decline in sales, profits, and ultimately, the taxes they pay to local governments. Additionally, businesses may be required to invest in expensive water conservation measures or pay higher prices for water, further eroding their bottom line.
   • Tourism and Recreational Profits: Droughts can take a toll on tourism and recreation-based economies. Declining water levels in lakes and rivers can force the closure of marinas, boat ramps, and on-water dependent attractions. Ski resorts suffer when drought leads higher temperatures and lower snowpack. These losses impact local jobs, community profits, and overall economic health of high traffic regions.
4. Social and Health Impacts:
   • Water scarcity and sanitation issues: A drought can lead to water scarcity by reducing the availability of water sources such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater. This scarcity can impact communities' access to clean water for drinking, cooking, and sanitation purposes. Additionally, the lack of water can hinder proper hygiene practices, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases and sanitation issues in affected areas.
   • Displacement and migration: In the most severe cases, drought-induced scarcity of food and water resources can heighten tensions and lead to conflict between communities or even nations. This in turn can drive mass migration and displacement, creating a humanitarian crisis.
   • Mental health challenges: The psychological toll of drought can be significant, especially for farmers, ranchers, and others whose livelihoods are directly threatened. Prolonged stress, financial hardship, and the loss of one’s way of life can contribute to depression, anxiety and even lead them to suicide. It is important to make sure those affected so harshly have access to mental health services to help cope with any distressing behavior or feelings.

Strategies for Coping with Drought

Faced with the growing threat of drought; communities, governments, and organizations around the world are developing a range of strategies to cope with this environmental challenge.

~Water Conservation and Efficiency

~One of the most critical aspects of coping with drought is implementing water conservation measures. By reducing water consumption and increasing efficiency, individuals, business, and communities can help stretch limited water resources and mitigate the effect of drought.

~For example, for residential water conservation, you may want to make sure you fix any leaks you have and upgrade your appliances to use water saving technology. Some more things you can do is implement water-saving fixtures, adjusting irrigation practices and educating household members by taking shorter showers, or even simply turning the water off while brushing their teeth.

~Diversifying Water Sources

~Depending on only one water source can make communities more at risk of drought. Having different water sources can help lower the dangers and make sure there's a more dependable supply when there's not enough water. Ways to get different water sources include taking out groundwater, making and looking after groundwater wells instead of just using surface water. Putting money into desalination plants to turn salty or brackish water into freshwater for homes, farming, and industry. Also, setting up ways to treat and reuse wastewater for things like watering plants, industry, and flushing toilets.

~While the above can be implemented by your local community. However there area few things you, as a prepper, can do to help your household. Collecting, saving and treating rainwater to be used for anything from drinking water, showering, doing laundry or watering a garden. Setting up a well system will also provide your household with freshwater to use for various activities.

~Drought-Resilient Agriculture

~Agriculture is greatly affected by drought because it needs a lot of water for growing crops, plants, and raising animals. Using practices that can withstand drought can help lessen the impact of not having enough water and make sure we have enough food. Some ways to do this include picking crops that can survive with little water and heat, using modern ways to water plants like drip systems and sensors to use water wisely, taking care of the soil by covering it, using mulch, and not plowing to keep more water and stop it from evaporating. Also, changing how many animals are kept on the land, using rotational grazing, and finding other water sources for animals to deal with droughts are ways to help fortify your community during droughts.

~Community Engagement and Collaboration

~Drought is a tough problem that needs everyone in the community to work together to solve. By talking with local people and working together, we can make plans to deal with drought. We can also teach everyone about saving water, getting ready for emergencies during a drought, and finding ways to cope better. Sharing ideas and helping each other out can make a big difference for communities going through the same drought issues. Setting up plans to respond quickly in emergencies and offering help to people and businesses hit hard by drought are important steps to take.