Abstract
Drought is ubiquitous, but most prevalent in semi-arid lands. Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to drought because of their geography and strong dependence on subsistence agriculture. The highly diversified economies of developed countries mitigate its effects, but do not eliminate human stress and major economic loss. Drought results from an abnormal water deficiency. Its onset and intensity are usually measured in terms of a water deficiency, but its manifestations are often poor plant-growth, dust storms, deficient and polluted water supplies, and distressed economies and ecosystems. The water deficiencies are generally due to natural causes, but they are exacerbated by the steadily growing demand for and dependence on this limited resource. The effects of drought differ with each drought and among crops, water resources, forests, different economies and other entities.
Drought is usually considered in the context of agriculture, but it seriously affects many sectors of activity. Forest fires are largely the product of drought. Decreased water levels in lakes and streams can greatly penalize inland navigation, fish production, recreation and hydropower generation. Urbanization has led to greatly increased demands for water that, in many instances, cannot readily be met by storage systems. Strict regulation of use and the imposition of major penalties for misuse is now frequently imposed in cities to protect supplies in times of drought.
Since each drought is different and there may be long time-spans between droughts, there is a need for systems to make known and available the many available technologies. Above all there is a continuing need, in all vulnerable countries and internationally, for short- and long-term planning based on the pooled wisdom of many disciplines. That planning must consider more than simple projections of the water-demand. It must examine possible increases in vulnerability posed by industrial development, urbanization, water transfers, land-use change and other major water-related activities. The planning process should be supported by a monitoring system, a technology referral system, — and research to enhance technologies and to overcome our inability to predict droughts and their effects on a community and a country.
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© 1988 D. Reidel Publishing Company
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McKAY, G.A. (1988). Drought: A Global Perspective. In: El-Sabh, M.I., Murty, T.S. (eds) Natural and Man-Made Hazards. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1433-9_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1433-9_23
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