Ethiopia, 2.8c. Flashcards
What has happened in Ethiopia since the 1980’s and why?
it has suffered multiple droughts, because of the short rainy season getting shorter, and the long rainy season getting unpredictable.
Why has the drought been so devastating?
85 percent of the people there live in rural areas and rely on agriculture.
What were the main hazards to this drought?
reduction in crop yields, - malnutrition and death, for people and livestock. Longer journeys to find water, forcing children out of school and farmers out of fields, and migration in search for a better standard of living which broke up communities.
What were the individual, organisation, and government responses to this drought?
Individuals - large charity events created to help raise awareness and money.
Organisations - agencies such as Oxfam and UNICEF help people to get water, and education charities are trying to help people get jobs.
Government - overseas governments have given aid, eg. the USA gave $128 bn for food aid in 2015.
What are the impacts on the people in Ethiopia from the drought?
death of livestock - food crisis, less crops = maize price rocketing, people eat less, get malnutrition and become weak becoming more prone to disease, girls cannot go to school as they have to walk more to get water, and homes are unprotected as the long grass used for roofing cannot grow.
What are the impacts on the ecosystem in Ethiopia from the drought?
wind and water erosion of soil, extinction of some species, loss of forest due to wildfires, wildlife migration, increase in disease in wild animals, because of reduced food and water supplies, and loss of habitat for fish and wildlife due to low water levels in reservoirs, lakes and ponds.
