Drought - the creeping disaster

Abstract

When we think of drought, most of us immediately think of ‘no rainfall’. But drought is much more complicated than that. Basically, drought occurs when there is less rainfall than expected over an extended period of time, usually several months or longer. How bad a drought is usually depends on how little precipitation falls, how long the drought lasts, and the size of the area that is affected. Unlike other natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, fires and floods, droughts do not appear suddenly and, while they might not appear as frightening, droughts can have far-reaching effects. Drought doesn’t have a clear beginning or end. It starts slowly, and for that reason it is often called a ‘creeping phenomenon’. The damage caused by drought is not always seen right away. Farmers, who need adequate water to grow crops and raise livestock, usually feel the effects of drought first. In poor, rural areas, people are dependent on rain to grow their own food, so a drought can mean hunger and starvation.

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