Drought & Desertification
Drought = long period of time with little or no rain
Desertification = where by once fertile areas become increasingly more arid
Areas of risk in Africa
Areas at the edge of existing deserts = The Sahel, The horn of Africa, Edges of Kalahari
Drought caused by long periods of below average rainfall is received
Desertification caused by human activities & climate change
Causes of drought
● Changing rainfall patterns
● Higher temperatures
● Low relative humidity
● Greater amounts of sunshine
● Less cloud cover
● Increased evaporation
● The occurrence of El Niño
Types of Drought
● Meteorological
Rainfall total below average; for a few days, weeks or a season
● Agricultural
Lower than adequate rain results fewer crops
● Hydrological
Lower than adequate rain causes groundwater supplies decrease
● Ecological
Natural vegetation suffers from too little rain
● Socioeconomic
People are affected by below-normal rainfall
Type of drought determined by length of time / levels of precipitation
Drought = long period of time with little or no rain
Desertification = where by once fertile areas become increasingly more arid
Areas of risk in Africa
Areas at the edge of existing deserts = The Sahel, The horn of Africa, Edges of Kalahari
Drought caused by long periods of below average rainfall is received
Desertification caused by human activities & climate change
Causes of drought
● Changing rainfall patterns
● Higher temperatures
● Low relative humidity
● Greater amounts of sunshine
● Less cloud cover
● Increased evaporation
● The occurrence of El Niño
Types of Drought
● Meteorological
Rainfall total below average; for a few days, weeks or a season
● Agricultural
Lower than adequate rain results fewer crops
● Hydrological
Lower than adequate rain causes groundwater supplies decrease
● Ecological
Natural vegetation suffers from too little rain
● Socioeconomic
People are affected by below-normal rainfall
Type of drought determined by length of time / levels of precipitation
