Big Dry

Question 1

How did El Nino cause it?

Answer 1

1. Australia becomes drier than usual and chances of rain decrease
2. The trade winds over the Pacific that normally bring warm water weaken
3. Causing the water to cool and rainfall to diminish
4. Eastern Australia thus heats up and gets drier.

Question 2

Overpopulation:

Answer 2

1. 23 million people live in a land area similar to the USA
2. Cannot maintain its current population growth in relation to access to water.

Question 3

How did the Murray-Darling river cause the Big Dry?

Answer 3

1. The basin is home to 2 million people
2. Under a lot of pressure to provide the water needed to support agricultural production in the region
3. 40% of Australia’s agricultural produce comes from this region.

Question 4

Social Consequences:

Answer 4

1. People in rural areas left due to a lack of water
2. Put greater pressure on the cities
3. Rural suicide rates soared

Question 5

Economic Consequences:

Answer 5

1. Farmers had to sell cattle, couldn’t afford them
2. Food prices rose, relied on imports
3. Water bills rose by 20% in 2008
4. 10,000 people directly employed by the cotton-growing industry were affected

Question 6

Environmental Consequences:

Answer 6

1. Loss of vegetation
2. As the soil dries out, looser, easier to blow away
3. Energy from hydroelectric power was reduced, leading to more pollution, resorted to fossil fuels.

Question 7

Responses:

Answer 7

1. Government paid $1.7million a day in drought relief to farmers
2. Ban car washing and limit showers to 4 minutes
3. Farmers claimed $400-$600 in assistance per fortnight.