1 ਆ
ਗਰਮੀ ਦਾ ਦਿਨ
ਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਸ ਲੱਗਣੀ
ਪਾਣੀ ਨਾ ਮਿਲਣਾ
ਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਬਾਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੁੱਜਣਾ
ਘੜੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਹੁਤ ਥੋੜ੍ਹਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਹੋਣਾ
ਇੱਕ-ਇੱਕ ਕਰਕੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁੱਟਣੇ
ਨੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਪੀਣਾ ਤੇ ਉੱਡ ਜਾਣਾ
ਲੋੜ ਕਾਢ ਦੀ ਮਾਂ ਹੈ।
ਕਾਂ ਦਾ ਪੈਣਾ
ਇੱਕ ਘੜਾ ਦੇਖਣਾ
ਕੰਕਰ-ਪੱਥਰ ਨੜ ਪਦ ਦੇਖਣਾ
ਪਾਣੀ ਉੱਪਰ ਆ ਜਾਣਾ
Answers
Explanation:
Droughts continue to affect the U.S. Texas has been suffering from drought since 2010, with 2011 ranking as the driest year in the state’s history. A September 2012 National Geographic magazine article called Texas “The New Dust Bowl.” By 2013, 99 percent of the state was dealing with drought.
Australia is also a frequent victim of drought. The last decade has been especially severe, earning it the name The Big Dry or The Millennium Drought. Much of the country was placed under water restrictions, wildfires spread in the dry weather, and the water level in some dams fell to 25 percent. In 2007, 65 percent of viable land in Australia was declared to be in a drought. The drought was officially declared over in April 2012.
Droughts that occur in the developing world can cause even greater devastation. The Sahel region in Africa, which includes eight countries, endured a series of droughts in the 1970s and 1980s where annual rainfall dropped by about 40 percent. In the early 1970s, more than 100,000 people died and millions of people were forced to migrate. Conditions continue to be critical in the area due to drought, overpopulation, failing crops, and high food prices. Drought emergencies for the region have been declared four times since 2000.
The Horn of Africa, which includes the countries of Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti, is particularly vulnerable to droughts. Because almost 80 percent of the population is rural and depends on agriculture for food and income, famine often accompanies drought.
Struggles for the region’s limited, remaining resources can lead to conflict and war. In 1984 and 1985, the Horn of Africa suffered one of the worst droughts of the 20th century. The U.N. estimates that in Ethiopia alone, 1 million people died, 1.5 million livestock died, and 8.7 million people were affected by the drought—including being hospitalized, forced to migrate, or forced to change professions. In Sudan, 1 million people died, at least 7 million livestock died, and 7.8 million people were affected.
The cycle of drought-famine-conflict has persisted in the region, with drought conditions returning every few years since 2000. In 2006, drought affected 11 million people across the Horn of Africa, and the resulting crisis killed between 50,000 and 100,000 people and affected more than 13 million.
Forecasting and Measuring Drought
Even though scientists are unable to predict how long a drought will last or how severe it will be, early warning systems and monitoring tools can minimize some of drought’s damaging impacts. There are a number of tools used to monitor drought across the U.S. Due to the limitations of each system, data from different sources are often compiled to create a more comprehensive forecast.
The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), developed in 1965 by the National Weather Service, is the most commonly used drought monitor. It is a complex measurement system and an effective way to forecast long-term drought. Its limitations are that it does not provide early warnings for drought and is not as accurate for use in mountainous areas because it does not account for snow (only rain) as precipitation. The PDSI is often used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine when to begin providing drought relief.