Human activity//Sahel drought casestudy

Question 1

Environmental impacts

Sahel

Answer 1

• Seasonal rivers dry up, so organisms die who rely.
• Vegetation dies causing animals to perish.
• Increased soil erosion
• Less rain means less vegetation, once green plants that absorb sunlight, turned barren beige, which reflects more sunlight.

Question 2

Responses

Sahel

Answer 2

• Encouraging farmers to grow drought-resistant crops.

- Use of drip irrigation systems to reduce water usage.

Question 3

Where is the Sahel

Answer 3

• Between the vast Sahara Desert and the African Rainforest where there’s a band of semi-arid grassland, - Receiving between 250 and 450 mm of rainfall in total in an average year.

Question 4

Human activity impact drought

Agriculture

Answer 4

Using large amounts of water to irrigate crops removes water from lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Question 5

Human activity impact drought

Dam building

Answer 5

Large dams can be built across a river to produce electricity and store water in a reservoir. This can reduce river water flowing downstream and cause drought below the dam.

Question 6

Human activity impact drought

Deforestation

Answer 6

Removing trees can reduce the amount of water stored in the soil as rain tends to fall and wash off the land as surface run-off. This leaves the ground vulnerable to erosion and desertification which can lead to drought.

Question 7

Causes of Sahel drought

Human

Answer 7

Population growth: rapid population growth puts pressure on the land to grow more food. Migrants fleeing from one disaster area help to make another.

Overgrazing: too many goats, sheep and cattle destroy the vegetation cover

Deforestation: trees are cut down for fuel, fencing and housing. The roots no longer bind the soil, and erosion ensues.