We speak of drought when climate change occurs, therefore it is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs due to an intense shortage of rainfall within a period or cycle, in a specific place or space, that lack of rainfall creates a significant hydrological imbalance and ecological, bringing with this serious consequences, since the needs of human beings, animals and plants could not be satisfied; It is of great importance to highlight that drought can occur in any climate, place and time. Many dictionaries state the definition of drought as "Long-term dry weather."
What is drought
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They are long seasons, whether they are months or years, in which there is a shortage of water, this can occur due to lack of rain, poor resource management or excess demand for the precious liquid. This irregularly dry situation causes a very serious hydrological imbalance.
Another concept indicates that this is an environmental phenomenon that affects human development and any possible form of life, due to the absence of water and irrigation on the earth's surfaces for a long period of time.
Types of droughts
Their periods can be temporary or periodic and cause a natural, economic, social and cultural impact on the regions. In some cases they are considered natural disasters. The types of drought are:
Meteorological drought
It is produced by a continuous shortage of rainfall. This gives rise to the rest of the types of drought and generally affects large areas of land. Commonly when rainfall is 75% or less than normal, in a period of one year or more it is considered meteorological.
This type of event occurs in specific regions, since the atmospheric conditions that cause low rainfall are different from one area to another. It can cause high temperatures, strong winds, increased evaporation, relatively low humidity, more insolation and less cloud cover, as well as recharge in groundwater.
Hydrological drought
It refers to the impact that the lack of rain in prolonged periods of time on reservoirs or water supply, and water resources under ground. The water in hydrological-type stores such as rivers and dams are used by man in flood control, navigation, recreation, hydroelectric energy, as well as for the habitat of local fauna and flora. During the dry season, there is competition among consumers for the use of water from these systems. Recovery in these months of drought can be very slow, since it must wait until the arrival of the rainy season.
Agricultural drought
The definition of agricultural drought indicates the lack of moisture and water necessary to meet the needs of agricultural areas, this situation aggravates the development of industrial and hydroponic cultivation, who have great water needs.
This is usually noticed after the meteorological, when rainfall drops and before the hydrological, when the levels of reservoirs, rivers and lakes fall.
Socio-economic drought
This type of phenomenon occurs when the decrease in water causes both personal and economic damage in an area, it generally appears after agriculture in regions where agriculture and grazing are of utmost importance for the subsistence of the region.
Droughts can also be classified according to their location and temporality:
- Invisible drought: it is the strangest, since despite the fact that the rainfall is regular, the water evaporates in a very short time.
- Unpredictable drought: as its name implies, it cannot be predicted and when it occurs it does so for very short and irregular periods.
- Temporary drought: it is characteristic in desert areas, where the lack of water is very common and the duration of its period is considered normal.
- Seasonal drought: it is present in a certain seasonal period.
Main causes of drought
One of the main causes of this event are the long periods without rainfall and the scarcity of water reserves in some regions of the planet, however there are other causes of equal importance, these are:
- Scarcity or absence of rains, especially in the seasons in which they correspond, which leads to a lack of water.
- Both atmospheric and oceanic climatic cycles, an example of this is the El Niño phenomenon, characteristic of South America, which causes periods of drought every year.
- The intervention of man in the overexploitation of agricultural territories, with deforestation and excessive irrigation, promoting erosion and thus negatively affecting the capacity of the soil to store water.
- Using toxic products in agriculture such as ammonia increases the chances of desertification.
- Global overheating and climate change, caused by both natural and human activities, can lead to droughts and also increased rainfall causing floods.
- According to researchers and experts, drought usually occurs in cyclical periods of 11 and 18 years.
Characteristics of drought
Drought is a regional phenomenon whose characteristics vary according to climatic conditions and whose severity varies, according to an annual or seasonal scale.
Its main characteristics are:
- They occur in both wet and dry regions.
- It is a transitory or temporary abnormality, this makes it different from aridity, which is permanent in the climate.
- Its effects manifest slowly, for this reason its evolution is progressive, but sometimes it takes months to be noticed, it is not easy to determine when it starts and when it ends.
- The lack of rainfall is manifested in the decrease of water in the soils, due to this the first affected are the farmers.
Most common consequences of drought
The main consequences of drought in the world are:
- It causes a great impact on agriculture, affecting crops and vegetation in the regions.
- The food industry is affected and involved in a direct way, since a large part of the raw material used comes from agriculture.
- Ecosystems and habitats of the environment are affected in their species of animals and plants.
- It is necessary to cut off the water system to save water, which affects people's daily activities.
- During the duration of this event, cattle are directly affected, as many animals die from severe dehydration.
- In terms of the economy, the regions are severely affected due to low agricultural and livestock production, and costs rise as a result of imports.
The drought also brings with it a series of economic consequences, this is due to the lack of rain in a certain time and place; As a consequence, it makes agricultural production impossible, causing the soils to lose their nutrients, their humidity and these become less fertile for production, therefore they leave countless millionaire losses, since there is not enough water either for the crops, or for satiate the animals. This phenomenon also causes the devastation of the forests, and affects the consumption of electricity, fishing, human settlements, among others, until it causes diseases such as dengue, cholera and respiratory diseases.
What to do in the event of a drought
To prevent water shortages, it is important to take into account certain recommendations to optimize the use of the vital liquid. Some of them are:
- Half-close the taps of the houses so that the water consumption is lower.
- Store water and collect in pots for replaceable liquids.
- Save consumption when doing household chores, such as cleaning and washing utensils.
- Check the pipes and taps of the home, to avoid leaks and breakdowns.
- Install systems for the collection of water in the rainy season, this can be used to water the plants and do the cleaning, in the duration of drought.
- Hold talks on the importance of water conservation and organize citizens to carry out campaigns with this objective.
The drought in Mexico
According to the National Water Commission, the drought in Mexico is increasingly affecting more regions, their reports indicate that approximately 20% of this country has a high level of drought, being one of the highest figures since 2013.
The most affected regions are the center and northwest of the country, as well as Mexico City and Hermosillo, who in a short time could face a crisis similar to those suffered by Cape Town and Africa, who are at risk of running out of water.
In the case of Azcapotzalco, Milpa ALta, Tlalpan, Miguel Hidalgo, Xochimilco, Gustavo A. Madero and Venustiano Carranza, they have a moderate drought.
In 2018, according to the UNAM Institute of Ecology, it states that the entire country suffered from the drought in Mexico, because measures were not taken to prevent its scarcity and the water was not administered in a correct way.
The international community has long recognized that desertification is a major economic, social and environmental problem that affects many countries in all regions of the world. The first international effort to combat this phenomenon in the world began at the end of the great drought and famine, which devastated the Sahel in 1968-1974 and caused the death of 200,000 people and millions of animals.
The term drought is also used in other Latin American countries to refer to a somewhat different situation or issue; For example, in Costa Rica it is used as a consequence of the diversion of a riverbed, for the purpose of shrimp fishing. And in Colombia to indicate that a person is thirsty or dehydrated.
