Tags:
Journalism of Courage
United Sates
About 43 per cent of California has been declared as being in severe drought. Three dry years and restrictions on water pumped to farms have cut irrigation supplies to farmers,resulting in rising unemployment. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has urged that California be declared a major federal disaster area and wants President Obama to reconsider sending aid. In Texas,a vast region reels under the impact of a scorching drought,two million cattle are stricken while one county has lost its entire cotton crop,resulting in losses of millions of dollars. Abnormally dry conditions also prevail in north Virginia and parts of north Iowa.
China
The worst drought to hit northern China in six decades has left more than 4.5 million people short of water,and with its spread,more than four million heads of livestock are at risk and 8.67 million hectares of crops seriously affected. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan in central China,hit by low rainfall and high temperatures,face the risk of another drought. The Ministry of Agriculture has raised a third-level emergency response to the drought and dispatched teams to organise and guide anti-drought efforts in the worst affected regions.
Australia
An eight-year-long big dry,the worst drought in a century,has hit the Murray-Darling river system,which irrigates Australias food bowl,severely. As the drought rages on,parts of the mighty river that writer Mark Twain likened to the Mississippi,have become mere stagnant pools,with their banks eroding. Climate change,fertiliser run-off and decades of wasteful irrigation practices have been cited as causes for the decline of the river. Overall,there has been a 10 per cent decrease in people engaged in farming in the country.
Argentina
Reeling under its most severe drought in more than 50 years,the country is staring at a farming crisis. Grasslands and lakes have dried up,and pastures have turned barren,leaving the cattle little to graze on. Added to this is the drop in soybean prices and unpopular tax policies on grains,beef and milk.
Kenya
We see carcasses of animals everywhere8230; You could easily see carcasses of people everywhere, Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Three consecutive failed rainy seasons across the country have affected about 3.8 million Kenyans. With conditions expected to deteriorate further,millions of people are shifting from rural areas to towns and villages. Crops have shrivelled,hundreds of cattle are dead,rivers have thinned to a trickle,and the drought has caused electrical blackouts for there isnt enough water for hydroelectric plants. The rising food prices,and subsequent hardships have also fuelled crimes like robbery.
Cambodia
In the village of Damnak Sangke,the birth of a calf with reptilian skin gave rise to much excitement recently. The villagers believed the animal to have divine powers for it rained the day it was born. The reason for the excitement was understandable. The Centre for Study and Development of Cambodian Agriculture has declared at least eight of the countrys 24 provinces as facing a drought,with more than 79,000 hectares of farmland affected. The centre has also warned that should there be no rainfall for another two weeks,Cambodias farming would be in critical condition.
Somalia
Nearly 3.67 million,or half the countrys population,have been hit by drought,resulting in an exodus from rural to urban areas. Almost every part of Somaliland is reeling under drought,food prices remain high,and more than 700,000 farmers whose income and food sources are linked to livestock trade have been affected.
