Droughts

What is it?

Drought- a long period of time without any rain, which leads to an insufficient amount of water in the ground and water resources, which makes it difficult for plants to grow.

Different types of droughts:

Atmospheric drought

Atmospheric drought - rainfall deficit, the first stage of drought, humidity deficiency strengthens intensive evaporation and evapotranspiration, especially in the warm season.

Agricultural drought

Agricultural drought - a lack of moisture in the soil, which leads to water stress of plants and reduced yields. Not every rainfall-free period is a drought, changes in the state of vegetation are required. Drought leads to losses in agricultural and forestry production.

Hydrological drought

Hydrological drought - a long-term decrease in the amount of water in rivers and lakes, also called "hydrological low water". This decrease is significantly higher compared to the few previous years and causes a reduction in surface water resources compared to the average value. This is part of the atmospheric and agricultural drought.

Hydrogeological drought

Hydrogeological drought - long-term decrease in underground water resources. This type of drought is usually preceded by the other above-mentioned droughts. First phase usually appears by drying of the wells.

Factors affecting droughts

Increase of the average temperature
temperatures in Poland are getting higher and higher.

lower frequency of snowfall
falls are more intense and rapid, but less frequent.

Low water resources
in Poland there is almost three times less water per citizen than the average in Europe. This is due to the drainage of swamps and wetlands after the war, which stored water in the soil.

Human interference in the regulation of rivers, straightening riverbeds or narrowing river valleys
as a result of such action, water does not remain in the landscape, but flows into the main rivers and then into the sea.

Droughts are also affecting key areas of economy such as :

water management (problem with supplying the population with drinking water)
energy (no water for cooling)
industry (water absorption technologies)
water transport (shipping)
forestry (desiccation of stands, susceptibility to disease, fires)
biodiversity (habitat degradation, risk to species, including protected ones)
tourism (deterioration of bathing water quality, lack of water for municipal purposes, lack of water for snowmaking).

Ecological effects

Drought has negative social, economic and ecological effects, such as limited access to drinking water, increased tensions between nations, decreased agricultural production, increased water prices, disruption of the natural water cycle, loss of biodiversity and increased forest fire risk . Therefore, drought is a serious security threat, but we can approach it as a challenge and try to counteract and protect ourselves against it.

Social Impacts

Drought reduces access to water and harms human health, which can lead to international tensions and a war over access to water. According to the UN, 770 million people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water, and water is becoming a more valuable resource than oil.

Economic effects

Drought negatively impacts agricultural production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and industrial and energy sectors where water is essential. The decrease in the amount of water contributes to the increase in the prices of raw water and manufactured goods.

Drought is our turn to stop

Drought is our turn to stop - to counteract the negative effects of drought, you need to act on many levels. Proper management of water resources, changing our daily habits, implementing corrective measures and restoring natural water retention in the catchment, as well as afforestation and restoring the retention capacity of forests and green areas are key activities. Unconcreting cities, greening areas and retaining rainwater are also of great importance. Each of us can also contribute to reducing water consumption in everyday life by changing our habits. It is our common responsibility for the future and a good life on earth.

Interesting fact

As noted by PGW, the matter is serious, because Poland is one of the countries with the poorest water resources in the entire European Union (EU). During a drought, there is only 1000 m3 of water per inhabitant of our country per year. It is even four times less than in other EU countries! The situation is further exacerbated by the climate changes we have observed in recent years.

Our health

Drought has many negative effects that can affect our health, quality of life and security. Limited access to water increases the risk of malnutrition and can also lead to higher food prices. The lack of rainfall favors the invasion of pests and diseases that can threaten crops and human health. Reducing water bodies leads to water stagnation, which in turn increases the risk of developing dangerous diseases transmitted by insects. In addition, drought can lead to wild animals migrating in search of water, increasing the risk of human contact with wildlife and diseases transmitted by some species. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce measures aimed at reducing the negative effects of drought, such as changing the approach to water resources management, restoring mid-field plantations and forests, creating rain gardens and unconcreting cities.

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