Water Questions 2

1. List the main reasons for water scarity.

2. What is a drought? What type of hardships do you think that a drought could cause if you were living in a village in a poor country such as Ethiopia?

3. How does land degration affect the supply of fresh water?

4.
(a) What is El Nino?
(b)Why does El Nino often cause drought in Australia?

5. Observe the map showing the global effects of El Nino in 1982-1983.
(a) What effects does El Nino have on availability of fresh water.
(b) Name the countries and describe the problems that arose from decreased rainfall caused by El Nino.

Answers

1. Variations in climate, land degration, population growth and water pollution.

2. A drought is a time where the precipitation is below average. I think it could cause the amount of food and water that is available.

3. Land degration affects the supply of fresh water by making fresh water spread into the earth and make the fresh water dirty and not safe to drink.

4.

(a) El Nino is a warming that happens every 3-5 years in the Pacific Ocean.

(b) Because El Nino makes the rainfall move to America and out of Australia.

5.

(a) Serious droughts in Australia, heavy rain along the coast of South America and bad flooding.

(b) Africa reduced corn in sub-Saharan region.

China's algiculture land under threat from drought in northern regions and flooding in southern regions.

Indonesia's high air pollution levels, following forests fires.

Philippines lower rice harvest following drought.

Papua New Guinea drought related failure of food crops leading to famine conditions requiring food aid.

Australia wheat exports threatened by drought conditions across grain growing areas, particularly New South Whales. US

rainfall above normal in north western states.

Colombia fishing operators affected by lower catch ( down 20%)

Peru flooding and fishing opperators also affected. Fishes went to find warmer climates.