Impacts of Drought on the Environment, Economy and People

Drought is emphatically a phenomenon with a great impact on Australia’s water, economy, and environment; furthermore drought can have a tremendous effect on today’s society.

With any type of drought, the farmers of Australia unwaveringly are the first to concede. Drought effects crop augmentation and the prosperity of livestock. Consequently, farmers lose profit, which makes it hard to continue cultivating crops and taking care of livestock. Nationally, these seemingly minute changes could mean declining quantities of fresh food and meats and rising prices. Many could end up having no money for fresh foods and meat.

The most cogent aftermath of drought is the abatement in water availability. The Murray Darling basin, one of New South Wales’ key sources of water, will encounter severe ecological damage which is irreversible. Rivers and creeks will experience stream flow diminution and this will increase the prospect of toxic algae getting into the waterways.

From an economic perspective drought will consequently slow down economic expansion, damage crops ensuing less food production, increasing food prices and increased importation of food. More imported food means additional chance of an insect infestation and plant disease. Due to drought dairy and livestock production will impede, decreasing these products accessibility, the deceasing water supply will result in higher livestock and animal mortality rates, these animals will also be disrupted of their reproduction cycles increasing the chance of extinction; especially native animals. Plants will die out due to lack of water; there will be more range and wild land fires as well as an increase of dust storms. The fish and marine animals will lose their habitats resulting in loss of fishery production. These industries will suffer great financial loss and some will need to close down resulting in unemployment. The recreational and tourism industry will also suffer as no one would want to come to Australia for holidays. Hydroelectric plants will be a thing of the past and rivers and canals along with their multitudinous uses will be non-existent.

Environmentally both native and non-native species of animals and plants will be damaged; fish and wildlife habitats will be corrupted. Food and water will slowly diminish for these animals and plants moreover more and more species will die out. As food starts to decline predation will augment, also disease will spread throughout the country. Already endangered species will be in profuse jeopardy of dying out and fires will increase in quantity and relentlessness. In addition wind and water erosion will occur, lessening soil productivity.

Finally, the societal denouements of drought include: food and water curtailments, loss of human life from scarcity of food and water, heat, suicides and violence, mental and physical stress, political divergence, social turbulence, disparity in the distribution of drought relief, loss of cultural sites, abridged quality of life, population migrations and amplified poverty.