Causes of drought in ethiopia pdf

Ethiopias somali region the epicentre of the countrys worst drought in 50 years. Many of us remember the 1984 famine in ethiopia, which was the result of a deadly combination of a severe drought and a dangerously ineffective government. We are responding to this disaster as we do with all other disasters but most importantly, we are working hard to ensure that our partners and registered children have the ways and means to. Droughts are caused by changes in land and sea surface temperatures, atmospheric circulation patterns and soil moisture content. Spatiotemporal assessment of drought in ethiopia and the. Ethiopia drought causes and solutions ethiopia reliefweb. The recent drought conditions have affected some parts of ethiopia particularly hard because there are very few irrigation systems in. The uks international development secretary, priti patel, urges the. Economics of resilience to drought in ethiopia, kenya, and. Among the first step to be, taken in the implementation of jhe programme is the compilation of background information on drought smd desertificori in. When a region goes for long periods without any rain, especially for more than a season, then the situation leads. As humancaused climate change is increasingly pushed, many scientists are studying its supposed effects on drought. Drought and climate change union of concerned scientists. In south africa some of these studies have examined, inter alia, response scenarios of households in droughtstricken areas, governments response to drought and drought assessment techniques see akpalu 2005.

This causes drought conditions later on when people or natural systems are accustomed to having water available from snowmelt. Hadra was shocked at how quickly she lost over 75 percent of her livelihood. Drought conditions and management strategies in zimbabwe. Global warming and alterations in rainfall patterns are believed to be the underlying cause of the trend towards more frequent and more severe droughts in ethiopia mowrnma, 2007.

Aid organizations, including world vision, engaged in valiant efforts to bring relief to starving children and families, but much more help was needed. Within the last decade, drought conditions have hit the southeastern us, the midwest. Beyond direct economic impacts, drought can threaten drinking water supplies and ecosystems, and can even contribute to increased food prices. The projected increase of weather events such as droughts due to climate. The involvement of citizens and stakeholders in drought monitoring. The cause of ethiopias recurrent famine is not drought. The air then rises, loses its moisture during rainfall, and then flows westward and descends over africa, causing drought conditions in ethiopia and kenya. The drought in southern ethiopia comes as the countrys north and central highland communities continue to. Drought is a natural disaster that can have far reaching impacts. For instance, as temperatures have warmed over the past century, the prevalence and duration of drought has increased in the american west 2. Types, causes and effects of droughts earth eclipse. The causes of drought are either natural or manmade or both. The great famine in 188892 was caused by an epidemic of rinderpest that virtually wiped out livestock in ethiopia, including plow oxen needed for cultivation. Unicef estimates that todays drought in ethiopia puts 8 million of its 60 million citizens at immediate risk.

When the drought is severe and continues over a long period, famine may occur. More rain, sleet, hail, and snow can occur where there are moist, lowpressure air systems. The worst effects of drought and deprivation were in northern ethiopia, where there was also a border conflict. Apr 10, 2014 individual drought periods can be understood as discrete weather events.

This is why people must learn to insulate themselves from it implications by ensuring prudent use of water when its bountiful in supply. Meteorologists generally define drought as a prolonged period of dry weather caused by a lack of precipitation that results in a serious water. Mar 17, 2019 when drought undermines or destroys food sources, people go hungry. Ethiopia is experiencing its second severe drought in less than two years. It describes the issues of drought identification, causes, prediction. A lack of precipitation is the most common definition of drought and is usually the type of drought referred to in news reports and the media. They are reported from time to time over different parts of the world. In summary, climate change leading to global warming and reduced rainfall, coupled with population pressure, deforestation and change in land use are all major. Apr 26, 2016 up to 18 million people in drought stricken ethiopia will be dependent on emergency food aid until november at the earliest but the funds needed have fallen well short.

Drought conditions and management strategies in ethiopia. Drought in east africa the result of climate change and. For the first time since 1989, failed seasonal rains have led to. What are the main natural and human causes of drought. Climate changes occur over longer periods and can be observed as changes in the patterns of weather events. Jan 23, 2020 regardless of a drought s stage, there are short and long term consequences with any drought because of nature and societys dependence on water. Up to 18 million people in droughtstricken ethiopia will be dependent on emergency food aid until november at the earliest but the funds needed have fallen well short. Extreme drought in ethiopia stretches drought management. Drought is increasingly on the minds of americans and concerned citizens everywhere. The irc delivers clean water and sanitation, essential supplies, and other emergency assistance to vulnerable ethiopians while supporting governmentprovided health services. Most locations around the world have their own meteorological definition of drought based on the climate normals in the area. Scientific investigations have revealed that the primary cause is the fluctuation of the general. Prolonged drought in the horn of africa is the immediate cause of the severe food crisis already affecting around 10 million people in parts of.

The historical reports of these events are mostly qualitative in nature. Drought returned in 1993 and 1994 2002, 2004 and 2012 seasons which also affected livelihoods. Many experts relate ethiopias cyclical famine with the countrys dependence on rainfed smallholder agriculture, drought, rapid population growth or agricultural market dysfunctions. Jul 04, 2011 prolonged drought in the horn of africa is the immediate cause of the severe food crisis already affecting around 10 million people in parts of kenya, ethiopia, djibouti and somalia. As the meteorological mechanisms that cause drought make clear.

Executive summary this executive summary was prepared by courtenay cabot venton for the usaid center for resilience. The western united states has experienced periods of horrible droughts throughout history, and climate change is blamed for producing more extreme weather variations in many other regions. Ethiopia, located in the horn of africa, is experiencing its worst drought in decades, leaving more than 10 million people in need of food and aid. According to the national climate data centre, droughts comes in second to hurricanes in regards to causing severe economic impacts. Drought is a temporary feature of climate, an aberration. A change in any one of these factors sets up a cyclical chain of events that can result in extreme climate conditions such as drought. Droughts are primarily caused by atmospheric moisture deficits meteorological.

Although these factors do have significant role in the matter, they tend to hide the critical cause of hunger in the country lack of rights and accountable. Mar 17, 2016 while the current drought situation in ethiopia is a deja vu moment at least to me it is not a moment that will repeat the same dire outcomes. Droughts take place whenever there is prolonged periods of rainfall deficiency for a season or more and usually when there is a lack of anticipated rainfall or precipitation. When bbc reporter michael buerk, traveling with world vision, brought stories and. Sustained dry periods can create droughts that cause economic distress across an area. Drought can impact crops, the water supply, stream water quality, recreation, hydropower generation, navigation and forest resources. Over 10 million women, men and children in ethiopia currently face a hunger crisis due to food shortages caused by severe drought. D4 exceptional drought exceptional and widespread croppasture losses. When drought causes famine, and a reliable drought early warning was available, it. More typically, famines have been caused by drought, but. The crippling effects of drought and the light at the end of the tunnel. Improving drought response in pastoral areas of ethiopia. These scientists concluded, after examining the regions weather and climate data, that most of that warming is the result of greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions from human activities. According to human rights watch, more than half its mortality could be attributed to human rights abuses causing the famine to.

Accordingly, drought is a natural event arising due to less precipitation than expected thus defining the intricacies witnessed when the demands for water supply are higher than the available water for some activity, humans, or the environment. The 2012 drought saw a deficit of approximately 45 per cent in the nations staple food source, maize, fdi global food and water security research programme, 2012. The causes of ethiopian famines are rarely singular. Drought also affected parts of arizona, kansas, arkansas, georgia, florida, mississippi, alabama, south and north carolina. Texas, oklahoma and new mexico were most adversely affected. The most important one though relates to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere as this is what creates precipitation. Jul 26, 2011 the drought in east africa is reportedly the regions worst in six decades, and it threatens the lives of millions of people with food shortages. The recent drought conditions have affected some parts of ethiopia particularly hard because there are very few irrigation systems in a country where 85 percent still live in rural areas and. Farmers in ethiopia usually keep a small reserve from their harvest to see them through droughts. A high level of reflected sunlight, high albedo an unusual above average and strength of high pressure systems winds carrying continental, rather than oceanic air masses i. Scientific investigations have revealed that the primary cause is the fluctuation of the general atmospheric circulation.

Ethiopia suffers from recurrent drought and famine. Ethiopia, long associated with a devastating famine in the 1980s, returned to the headlines last year when it was hit by severe drought in. The worst famine to hit the country in a century, it left 1. Considerable work is ongoing in terms of integrating livelihoods knowledge into drought management. The environment in ethiopia is going through really rough times with uncontrolled deforestation, intensive agriculture that causes soil erosion i. Extreme drought in ethiopia stretches drought management systems ci m at e cera funded by background ethiopia is one of the most populous countries in subsaharan africa and one of the fastestgrowing economies.

Millions of people urgently in need of food aid after string of natural disasters. But in june 2015 the drought hit ethiopia again, experts believe it will be the most severe drought in 50 years, worse than that of 1984. Since the 1990s, ethiopia has halved absolute poverty 48 percent to 25 percent and has more than halved the proportion of undernourished people 75 percent to 32 percent. All droughts originate from a deficiency of precipitation or meteorological drought but other types of drought and impacts cascade from this deficiency. Wilhite, director school of natural resources the challenge for early warning systems. Ndmc meteorological drought is defined usually on the basis of the degree of dryness in comparison to some normal or average amount and the duration of the dry period. When drought causes famine, and a reliable drought early warning was available, it becomes a. With two failed rains, farmers dont have a reserve to fall back on. It can be caused by not receiving rain or snow over a period of time. Thousands are fleeing somalia to seek food in kenya and ethiopia, according to catholic relief services, which is responding to the disaster. Little rain fell during the october and november rainy season, and rainfall was predicted to be below normal in the marchtomay rainy season as well, said the famine early warning system network.

Jan 24, 20 the environment in ethiopia is going through really rough times with uncontrolled deforestation, intensive agriculture that causes soil erosion i. We learned in the discussions about the water cycle and weather that changes in the wind patterns that move clouds and moisture through the atmosphere can cause a place to not receive its normal amount of rain or snow over a long period of time if you live in a place where most. Problems associated with drought can have economic, environmental, and social impacts on both the areas where they occur and areas that have relations with those where the drought happens. Aug 04, 2011 the recent drought conditions have affected some parts of ethiopia particularly hard because there are very few irrigation systems in a country where 85 percent still live in rural areas and. Understanding what causes a lack of precipitation helps shape policies and choices that have. M in line with the obligations of the convention, ethiopia is currently preparing a national action frograinme to combat desertification. A widespread famine affected ethiopia from 1983 to 1985. Drought monitor weekly and produce maps that illustrate current. After a record harvest in october 2007, ethiopia settled into a drought. Climate and evelopment knoledge network and world weather. As a consequence of such fluctuations the rainproducing components for ethiopia have been weakened or dislocated during drought years. Because drought is defined as a deficit in water supply, it can be caused by a number of factors. Zolotokrylin encyclopedia of life support systems eolss van nostrand reinhold company, new york. May 01, 2017 ethiopia, long associated with a devastating famine in the 1980s, returned to the headlines last year when it was hit by severe drought in the highland region, affecting 10.

Climate change is cause of ethiopian drought telegraph. Jun, 2016 over 10 million women, men and children in ethiopia currently face a hunger crisis due to food shortages caused by severe drought. Unfortunately, the drought was as swift as it was vicious. Drought in ethiopia has shown a spatial and temporal distribution.