Question

compare the environmental conditions between ladakh and sahara regions

Answer 1

Sahara:

Sahara is the world’s largest desert and also one of the hottest places on Earth. It is a hot desert occupying the northern part of Africa.Most people think of it to be one vast stretch of sand. But the truth is that the sandy desert is confined to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya. Here too there are variations like the fertile Nile valley running through the centre of Egypt.

Temperatures here may rise to 57 degree celsius. The whole region receives less than 7.6 cm of rainfall per year. There are many areas that do not receive rainfall for years.

In the midst of the desert are places where water is found. It may be a small well that has been dug out or it may be in the form of a lake. A township grows up around it. The oasis is an important meeting and resting place for people travelling across the desert.

Ladakh:

If Sahara is a hot desert, Ladakh is a cold desert. This Himalayan area is one of the most remote regions of India and has the Karakoram Range in the north-west and the Himalayas to the south-west. The river Indus which rises in Tibet flows through the center of Ladakh. Situated at a high altitude, temperature may reach –45 degree celsius in winter.

In summer, the temperature rarely exceeds 27 degree celsius. Rainfall is very low. Because of scanty rainfall, this region faces acute shortage of water. The harsh climatic conditions do not support the growth of vegetation.

Just as the Sahara has oases in the middle of the vast stretch of sand, so also Ladakh has its oases. Since Ladakh lies in a rain shadow area, the only sources of water are the glaciers. Heavy snowfall in winter-feeds these glaciers and in summer when they melt, small streams carry down the waters to irrigate the fields and fill up the lakes.

Answer 2

sahara desert is known as hot desert whereas ladakh is known as cold desert .
in sahara the temperature rises upto 57 degrees and the rainfall is less than 7.6cm whereas in ladakh the temperature is less than -20 degrees and the rainfall during winters and maximum upto 27 degrees during summer time when the ice melts.