Atmospheric Systems: Mali Drought, 2010/11 Flashcards
1
Q
What happened?(4)
A
- Drought in Mali across 2010-11 - landlocked Saharan African country.
- Due to climate change, lack of rainfall - decreased by 20%, rivers dried up.
- Over utilising natural resources - overgrazing and deforestation.
- Global dimming - blocking of sunlight by man-made particulates.
2
Q
What were the SOCIAL impacts? (7)
A
- Crops unable to grow, so communities could not easily feed themselves.
- 3.5 million people affected by food shortages.
- Malnutrition rate was over 10% with the most affected being babies and children whose mothers did not know how to treat malnutrition.
- Health centres saw an increase from 5 to 25 children emitted to one local health centre a year.
- Many people had to leave their homes to heat towards places like the Niger River, leaving their cattle and livelihoods behind.
- Cereal prices doubled.
- Not enough food for country’s population, so very little food exported, affecting financial input to the country.
3
Q
What were the ECONOMIC impacts? (6)
A
- People’s food reserves ran out so they had to go to food markets, where food prices were very high due to scarcity of food.
- Majority of the 15 million popn. are farmers and herders - agriculture is the most prominent part of the economy.
- Economy suffered greatly as agricultural processes could not occur as normal.
- Major rivers shrunk, leaving rice paddies dry, so cereal prices have doubled.
- Many Malian workers have fled the country due to drought. In all 172,000 Malians have left their homes since 1st January 2010, reducing active workforce and weakened the economy.
4
Q
What were the ENVIRONMENTAL impacts? (6)
A
- Rate of rainfall decreased by 20%
- Rivers dried up.
- Dried up rivers affected aquatic life - deaths of many fish.
- Lack of water devastated over 400 desert elephants.
- Plants could no longer grow.
- Wildlife threatened.
- Soils too dry to grow certain crops.
5
Q
What were the SHORT TERM responses? (4)
A
- The Red Cross distributed food aid since beginning of 2011.
- Mali Red Cross is trying to reintroduce some of the indigenous plants that are rich in vitamins back into local people’s diets.
- Red Cross provided free food and medication for malnourished children and their parents during their stay at centres.
- The UN central Emergency Response Fund allocated more than $14 million for aid to affected communities in Mali. Also given $1 million to the World Food Programme to secure air transportation to deliver aid within Mali.
6
Q
What were the LONG TERM responses? (7)
A
- Raising awareness about malnutrition in 245 villages in the region, teaching people how to prevent severe hunger among their families and friends.
- Malian govt. are assessing farmers by providing meterological info. via local radio stations, and giving them guidance on which seeds to plant and when, to adapt to shifting patterns.
- World Bank’s pledges for the next two years will support major regional development priorities such as social safety nets to help families through worst effects of economic and natural disasters, improve infrastructure and create opportunities in rural areas.
- World Bank also wants to create more hydropower and other sources of clean energy to greatly expand irrigation and transform agriculture to help more than 80 million people who rely on it for food and their livelihoods.
- Also want to expand health services for women and girls.
- Improve communications and connectivity between countries.
- The Mali Livestock Ministry wants to set up ‘animal feed stores’ with vitamin A and animal fodder distributed through a system as drought warnings emerge.
7
Q
When was it?
A
2010-2011
8
Q
How much did rainfall decrease by?
A
20%
9
Q
How many people were affected by food shortages?
A
3.5 million
10
Q
How big is the population?
A
15 million
11
Q
How many Malians have left their homes?
A
172,000
12
Q
How many elephants have died?
A
400
