What are the effects of droughts?

Answer 1

Rise in Temperature

Droughts may be linked to a rise in temperature which may bring insects like locusts and mosquitoes.

Hunger and famine

In a drought there may be not enough water to grow crops, or enough grass and grain to feed animals. Food prices will go up and only the rich can buy. If there is no food people go hungry, and if the drought goes for a long time there may be famine, when people die.

Thirst

Humans, animals and plants and trees all need water to survive. Humans can only live a few days without water.

Disease

If there is no water for drinking, bathing or even flushing toilets, there can be a wide range of dangerous diseases.

Land Degradation

If there is no water the plants holding down the soil will die, and winds can quickly strip the land of topsoil. The natural habitat of native animals is damaged and some may not survive. Wetlands and lakes may dry up.

Bushfires

When there is no water everything dries up, including the forests and bush. Lightning strikes or carelessness often starts huge bushfires that burn animals, houses and property. Humans are also killed in bushfires.

Economy

The country's economy may suffer as it may have to import food and support farmers and unemployed and starving people.

Social conflict and war

It there is no water people will fight to get what little there is. There may be wars in the future over water, when countries hold back river water from flowing on to a neighbouring country.

Migration or relocation

In times of drought, people may leave their homes and search for somewhere better. These refugees may not easily find another home.
crops will die and there will be not enough for everyone
The after effects of drought are shortage of water and famine.
it makes everything dry

Answer 2

A prolonged drought can cause human and animal food crops to wither and die. Animals will die of thirst. The soil could turn to dust that the wind can blow away (creating dust-bowl conditions).

Answer 3

The term "drought" generally has different degrees of meaning, depending upon the normal climate of the country where drought is occurring. For example, in a tropical country, where heavy rainfall is the norm, drought may refer to a period of a matter of mere weeks without rain.

In its truest sense, though, drought is an extended period of lack of rain, which has economic repercussions on the country. In some countries where droughts continue for years, this may have the following effects:

• hinders a farmer's income by limiting his ability to produce crops and/or healthy livestock
• drives up prices of goods due to limited supply
• increases inflation as a result of price increases
• contributes to unemployment as businesses, suffering loss of profits, are forced to close down and farms are forced to sell up
• increases the danger of bushfires, duststorms and other drought-related natural disasters
• land degradation - as plants die off, winds can quickly strip the land of topsoil; the natural habitat of native animals is damaged and some may not survive; wetlands and lakes may dry up
• increased desertification, i.e. once fertile land becomes desert, a situation from which the land rarely recovers
• causes people to relocate, thus contributing to the death of towns
• causes death to native animals, not only from lack of food and water, but also because drought can drive introduced species such as foxes and feral cats, which tend to be hardier than the native animals, to kill more native animals in the quest to survive.
• droughts may be linked to a rise in temperature which may bring insects like locusts in plague proportions

In less developed countries, drought leads to famine. It also causes diseases as there is less water available for basic hygiene and sanitation. Wars have even been fought over access to available water.

Answer 4

The effect of drought is people going hungry and thirsty.