DROUGHT AND REFUGEE in somalia

•Subject: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

•TOPIC  DROUGHT AND REFUGEE

•INTRODACTION

•What is a drought?

The word ‘Drought’ is always a difficult one to define, because it is often used in more than one context. In simple terms, it is the absence of water for a long period of time, at a place where it is considered ‘not normal’ compared to its usual conditions.

The distribution of all the water on the earth’s surface is not even. Some places have lots of fresh water (rivers, lakes, lagoons, ponds etc.) and are continuously replenished by rainfall, runoffs and water from underground. Others places too are known to have very little water.

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•A drought is a period of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortages in its water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. A drought can last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days.  It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected regionl and harm to the local economy. Annual dry seasons in the tropics significantly increase the chances of a drought developing and subsequent bush fires. Periods of heat can significantly worsen drought conditions by hastening evaporation of water vapor.

•Types of drought?

•Besides those, here are some common scenarios of droughts:

Meteorological drought:
This kind is usually determined by the general lack of moisture in the weather such as lack of precipitation, and the play of other weather conditions such as dry winds, high temperatures and so on. It is expressed in relation to the average conditions of the region over a long period of time. It is usually an indicator of potential water crisis if the condition is prolonged. Meteorological drought can begin and end immediately.
Agricultural drought: 
This is when atmospheric moisture is reduced to the extent that soil moisture is affected. Here, crops and animals are affected and evapotranspiration is also affected. It is often the signs one sees when a meteorological drought is at play, but not before a hydrological drought.

•What causes drought?

•Lack of rainfall (or precipitation)
Droughts can occur when there is the lack of ‘expected’ precipitation (rain and snow). Note that we say ‘expected’ because the lack of rain alone does not mean a drought. Some regions can go for months without any rain, and that would be ‘normal’ for them. Farmers plant in anticipation of rains and so when the rains do not come, and irrigation infrastructure is absent, agricultural drought occur.
Surface water flow 
Some regions are also well distributed with surface water (streams and rivers) that have their sources from far away mountains and watersheds. These surface waters may dry out if the flow from their sources upstream is affected. Hydro-electric dams and irrigation systems are some of the economic activities that can reduce the amount of water flowing to other areas downstream.

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•Human factors 
Forests (trees) play a key role in the water cycle, as they help reduce evaporation, store water and also contribute to atmospheric moisture in the form of transpiration. This means, cutting down trees (deforestation)in the name of economics, will expose surface water to more evaporation. It will also reduce the ability of the ground to hold water and make it easier for desertification to occur. It can set off drying conditions, especially for smaller water bodies. Cutting down trees is known to reduce a forest’s watershed potential.

•Effects of droughts

•Lessened amounts of precipitation over an area for an extended period of time has many effects on farmland and crops. Drought conditions result from a lack of precipitation and this has many effects on the surrounding land and weather conditions. Drought conditions can worsen after prolonged periods of no rainfall, especially in areas where the water supply is short.

•Drought can have serious health, social, economic and political impacts with far-reaching consequences.

•Water is one of the most essential commodities for human survival, second only to breathable air. So when there is a drought, which by definition means having too little water to meet current demands, conditions can become difficult or dangerous very quickly.

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•Environmental impact
of droughts

Plants, animals, climate, soils, rocks and many others are all affected by drought conditions. Some biotic and a biotic factors recover when the droughts are over. Others never recover again. Here are a few examples:

Soil moisture is key for the breakdown of organic matter. Droughts lower the quality of soils, because there is less organic activity, more wind erosion, and soil insects or organisms perish.

Water bodies (lakes, creeks, ponds, lagoon and lakes) dry out, and water animals die. This is called habitat destruction. When aquatic animals (and other wild life) die, entire food chains and ecosystems are also affected.

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•Desertification is when fertile lands (vegetation lands) become bare and infertile, often as a result of overgrazing, deforestation and other economic activity. Droughts make this process even worse and eliminate any chances of the land recovering.
… The health and quality of Freshwater Biomes such as lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, wetlands are affected and living organism in there are also endangered.

•solution,drought

•Desalination

•Large-scale desalination is a process through which ocean water is pumped to a treatment facility where the salt is extracted through a process of reverse osmosis to make the water fit for domestic use. San Diego County is currently constructing the largest desalination plant in the western hemisphere, at a cost of $1 billion. That plant, located in Carlsbad, will provide enough safe water for approximately 300,000 people, and will serve as a major test of the feasibility and expense of utility-scale desalination technology when it begins operation in November.

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•Atmospheric Water .

•In addition to the Chilean-style systems, there are techniques that have been developed for atmospheric water generation which work in areas where the climate is less conducive to fog. Many of these systems rely on harvesting water from dew or humidity, but one of the largest players in the field, Aqua Sciences, have a proven ability to harvest rain in almost any climate.

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•REFUGEE

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•The UN has officially declared famine in parts of southern Somalia—regions of Lower Shabelle and southern Bakool. It is predicted that the entire south of Somalia will face famine within the next two months. Operation USA is working to assess unmet needs on the ground, with its initial response focusing on water resource needs in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camps. The Dadaab camps–the largest in the world–are reported to receive as many as 1,300 refugees a day, the majority fleeing war-torn Somalia. These camps house almost 400,000 displaced people in three camps originally designated for 90,000.

•Other countries in the Horn of Africa are being severely affected by drought. Successive seasons of failed rains—combined with increasing food prices, conflict and limited humanitarian access—have resulted in food and water shortages, acute malnutrition and mass displacement throughout the region. The lack of rain has also contributed to massive livestock deaths undermining the livelihoods of those who depend on them for economic and food security. Estimates are that there are at least 1.5 million displaced people—and 10 million people in need of immediate food assistance as a result of this crisis.

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•Between July 2011 and mid-2012, a severe drought affected the entire East Africa region.[7] Said to be "the worst in 60 years",[8] the drought caused a severe food crisis across Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya that threatened the livelihood of 9.5 million people.[6] Many refugees from southern Somalia fled to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, where crowded, unsanitary conditions together with severe malnutrition led to a large number of deaths.[9] Other countries in East Africa, including Sudan, South Sudan and parts of Uganda, were also affected by a food crisis.

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•By 15 September, more than 920,000 refugees from Somalia had reportedly fled to neighboring countries, particularly Kenya and Ethiopia.[53] At the height of the crisis in June 2011, the UNHCR base in Dadaab, Kenya hosted at least 440,000 people in three refugee camps, though the maximum capacity was 90,000.[54] More than 1,500 refugees continued to arrive every day from southern Somalia, 80 per cent of whom were women and children.[55][56] UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman

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•In July 2011, Dolo Odo, Ethiopia also hosted at least 110,000 refugees from Somalia, most of whom had arrived recently. The three camps at Bokolomanyo, Melkadida, and Kobe all exceeded their maximum capacity; one more camp was reportedly being built while another was planned in the future. Water shortage reportedly affected all the facilities.

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•Roobka,ka,da’ay,mogdishu

•Mahadcelin

•Prof; Omer Abdi Mohamed and all students 

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