SUBJECT AND GRADE GEOGRAPHY GRADE 11

TERM 1 Week 5: Lesson 5

SUBJECT Droughts and desertification

PURPOSE OF THE

LESSON

• To strengthen your knowledge, understanding and interpretation of droughts and desertification

• To understand the causes and effects of droughts and desertification

SOURCES Paper based sources Digital sources

• Lesson on pages 2 to 4

• Learner task on page 4

• Refer to your textbook. Read the topic:

Droughts and Desertification

Video: Worst drought in 30 years hits South Africa

[Link]

Video: Fighting desertification in Spain

[Link]

Video: Combating Desertification and Drought

[Link]

INTRODUCTION As background you should remember the following from Grade 10 and 8

• Factors influencing climate.

• Climate of South Africa

• Climate over the world.

• Moisture in the atmosphere.

CONCEPTS AND

SKILLS

You must know:

• What is drought and what causes it.

• What is the effects of droughts

• What is desertification and what causes it.

• What is the effects of desertification?

• Management strategies for desertification

You must be able to:

• apply knowledge and concepts on

various geographic sources.

• read and interpret sources such as

graphs, maps, world maps, infographics,

diagrams to answer data response

questions & write a paragraph.

ACTIVITIES/

ASSESSMENT
Complete the attached activities as well as those in your textbook

CONSOLIDATION You must study this topic by asking key Geographic questions such as: What is it? Why
is it there? What does

it look like? What is the effect?

VALUES It is important to understand the effect of drought and desertification on man an the
environment as well as

the manangement strategies ensure sustainable life circumstances.

Acknowledgement: Via Afrika Gr11 Geography

DROUGHTS AND DESERTIFICATION

The World’s dry

areas

The world’s dryland ecosystems are

characterised by a lack of water.

Drylands are classified into four subtypes

based on decreasing levels of dryness.

These are hyperarid, arid, semiarid and

dry sub-humid.

Areas at risk Drought and desertification are two

challenges for populations in these

dryland areas. Degraded land due to

desertification increases the effects of

drought. This reduces the chances of

people and the environment coping with

difficult periods.

As land dries up, it becomes unsuitable

for farming. This increases poverty, food

insecurity, water scarcity and creates

environmental refugees.

What is

drought?

• Drought is defined as an extended period of below average rainfall.

• Reservoirs are unable to supply water and wells dry up

• It leads to crop damage, or complete crop failure.

• The normal reliance of industry, business and households on adequate water supply may be affected.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DROUGHTS

What are the

causes of

droughts?

•excessive build up of heat on the Earth’s surface

•meteorological changes, like a reduction in the

amount of water vapour available

•reduced cloud cover leading to great

evaporation rates

•oceanic and atmospheric weather cycles such

as the El Niño.

The resultant effects of drought are increased by

human activities such as deforestation,

overgrazing and poor cropping methods.

What are the

effects of

droughts?

Short term

The short-term effects are stock losses, failed

harvests, falling production and food shortages

causing higher food prices. Bushfires increase

during dry times. Tourism is affected. Wells dry up.

Hydro-electric plants may stop operating. Water

restrictions are imposed and there are increased

health risks.

Long term

In the long term, ecosystems are thrown out of

balance. There is a decrease in the effectiveness

of water sources as irrigation dams silt up and

more water evaporates.

DESERTIFICATION

There is an expansion for the Earth’s drylands. This is called desertification and involves turning formerly
productive land into desert.

Desertification occurs mainly in semi-arid lands which border the world’s major deserts.

What is

desertification?

Desertification is defined as a process of land degradation in mainly arid, semi-arid and sub-humid dry
areas. Land

degradation involves soil erosion, water scarcity, reduced agricultural productivity, loss of vegetation and
biodiversity,

drought and poverty.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DESEERTIFICATION

Causes of

desertification
The causes of desertification are complex and

a combination of social, political, economic,

and natural factors. There are direct and

indirect factors.

Direct factors

• Climate related processes, like global climate

change, cause changing temperature and

rainfall patterns.

• More people means more food and

resources, so farming is done on unsuitable

land.

• Poor agricultural practices such as

overgrazing

• Deforestation

• Soil erosion

Indirect factors

• Lack of knowledge encourages people to

degrade the land.

• Policies leading to unsustainable use of

resources encourage degradation.

CONSEQUENSES OF DESERTIFICATION
At local and

national level

Agricultural yields are reduced and become unpredictable.

•Food security in affected areas is threatened.

•Survival strategies of people result in increased over-use of natural resources.

•People start to migrate, which causes suffering and death.

•The economies of the affected countries are weakened.

Desertification also brings certain positive changes:

•Women who manage land in the absence of men who are seeking work elsewhere, now demand
greater access

to land.

•Governments became more aware of their role in legislating for improved practices.

At the global

level

Carbon stored in the vegetation in the drylands declines when vegetation disappears.

The destruction of carbon-rich soils releases carbon and consequently boosts the

greenhouse effect.

• Biodiversity is reduced when the habitats of animals, plants, and micro-organisms disappears.

• Desertification directly reduces the world's fresh water reserves.

• Desertification leads to an exploitation of underground reserves, and eventually

their depletion.

MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR DESERTIFICATION

Strategies Effective prevention of desertification requires management and policy approaches that
promote sustainable

resource use. Prevention is better than rehabilitation, which is difficult and costly. The main weaknesses
in

management processes are:

•lack of awareness and access to information

•shortage of funds and support

•lack of integration and coordination of efforts

•lack of capacity in government agencies.

Consult your textbook and study the case studies for droughts as well as for desertification. After
studying them carefully

answer the questions asked on each one

LEARNER ACTIVITY: DROUGHTS AND DESERTIFICATION

1. Describe the following concepts

1.1 Drought

1.2 Desertification

1.3 Arid

1.4 Semi-arid

2. Name the causes of droughts.

3. Distinguish between short term and long-term effects of droughts.

4. Which factors are direct causes of desertification?

5. Which factors are indirect factors of desertification?

6. Write short notes on the effects of desertification on local/national level.

7. Which positive changes results from desertification?

8. Name TWO effects of desertification at global level.

9. Write a paragraph of EIGHT LINES AND DISCUSS the management strategies for desertification.

10. Consult your textbook and study the case studies for droughts as well as for desertification. After

studying them carefully answer the questions asked on each one.