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Drought Monitoring And Information Centre Established For Arid Zone Of South Africa, Louis G. Du Pisani, Reep Verloren Van Themaat, Francis Roux
Drought Monitoring And Information Centre Established For Arid Zone Of South Africa, Louis G. Du Pisani, Reep Verloren Van Themaat, Francis Roux
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Drought policy in the Republic of South Africa has been extensively reviewed in Drought Network News (Bruwer, 1989; Bruwer, 1990a; Bruwer, 1990b). The protection of natural resources against deterioration (natural vegetation = veld) and the protection of rural communities and infrastructure against disruption of agricultural and socioeconomic development have always been major thrusts behind drought relief subsidies.
Since 1980, two important provisos for drought relief payments to stock farmers have been implemented: (1) a drought must assume disaster proportions (Bruwer, 1990b) and (2) stock numbers must not exceed the official carrying capacity (Department of Agricultural Development, 1992).
The pressure on …
Drought Returns To The United Kingdom, Terry Marsh
Drought Returns To The United Kingdom, Terry Marsh
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
The privatization of the water industry in 1989 heralded a new era in water management in England and Wales, but it also coincided with the beginning of a period of volatile climatic patterns that have served to strongly underline a continuing vulnerability to unusual weather patterns. Following the very protracted drought that lasted until late 1992 in parts of eastern England, the resilience of water supply arrangements in the United Kingdom was again severely tested during a remarkably dry five-month spell beginning in the early spring of 1995. The water resources outlook at the beginning of this period was exceptionally …
Assessment Of Recent Droughts In Tamil Nadu, K. K. Nathan
Assessment Of Recent Droughts In Tamil Nadu, K. K. Nathan
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Tamil Nadu, a coastal state in south India, is prone to droughts. The climate of the state ranges from dry subhumid to semiarid. The state has three distinct rainfall climates: (1) advancing monsoon period (from June to September), with strong southwest winds; (2) northeast monsoon (from October to December), with dominant northeast winds; and (3) dry season (from January to May). The normal annual rainfall of the state is about 945 mm.
Tamil Nadu is classified into seven agroclimatic zones: northeast, northwest, west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly, and Cauvery Delta (the most fertile agricultural zone). The Cauvery Delta …
Severe Drought In Italy: Characteristics, Impacts, And Mitigation Strategies, Giuseppe Rossi, Francesca Somma
Severe Drought In Italy: Characteristics, Impacts, And Mitigation Strategies, Giuseppe Rossi, Francesca Somma
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Following the severe drought event that occurred in Italy in 1988–90, the Italian Department of Civil Protection published a report, Drought in Italy 1988–90 (in Italian; edited by G. Rossi and G. Margaritora), containing a comprehensive description of the drought event, its impacts, and the mitigation measures adopted in the most affected regions.
Since the beginning of the drought, the Department promoted and coordinated a number of initiatives, aiming mainly to mitigate domestic and agricultural water shortages. The Department also formed a drought committee, which included representatives of various government agencies (in charge of hydrometeorological data collection and water supply …
Long-Range Forecasts Of Southwest Monsoon Rainfall Explored For India, J. B. Singh, R. P. Singh
Long-Range Forecasts Of Southwest Monsoon Rainfall Explored For India, J. B. Singh, R. P. Singh
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Southwest monsoon rainfall (received during June–September) determines the fate of millions of dryland farmers as well as the status of national food security in India almost every year. The need for information about southwest monsoon rainfall is great in these areas. An accurate long-range forecast can help farmers increase agricultural productivity in good rainfall years and negate the sudden downturns in agricultural production during anticipated drought years by giving farmers sufficient time to adopt drought-resistant crop varieties and appropriate crop, soil, and water management practices. The India Meteorological Department is now able to make all-India long-range forecasts of southwest monsoon …
The Role Of Drought In Determining The Reserve Water Sector In Israel, J. A. Allan
The Role Of Drought In Determining The Reserve Water Sector In Israel, J. A. Allan
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Drought is a compelling environmental phenomenon. Drought is also an extremely important feature of the political economies of dry regions. This study will emphasize the political significance of drought. Droughts, and especially protracted drought, send much stronger signals about water availability to a much more comprehensively diverse range of water interests than any other single political factor or any combination of factors operating in a political economy. Drought affects water users as well as those involved at all levels in water allocation, water legislation, and water policy development and implementation. Natural systems decree that water shortages have to be endured. …
Five-Year Drought Continues In Spain, Antonio Mestre Barcelo
Five-Year Drought Continues In Spain, Antonio Mestre Barcelo
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Spain is now facing its fifth consecutive year of severe drought. This event, which began in 1990, affects most of the country, with the exception of the north coast regions. The most affected regions are Andalucía, Extremadura, and Castilla–la Mancha, all of them located in the southern half of Spain. In some climatological stations of these areas, the five-year agricultural period from 1 September 1990 to 31 August 1995 is the driest quinquennium of this century. Mean percentage departures from normal rainfall exceed -20% in the southern half of the country and in some isolated areas of the Duero and …
Queensland Drought Enters Its Fifth Year, Gary Bacon
Queensland Drought Enters Its Fifth Year, Gary Bacon
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
The worst ENSO drought event to affect the state of Queensland this century has entered its fifth year. The drought, which commenced in March 1991, reached its maximum coverage in December 1993, when 51% of the state’s 1.7 million square kilometers were officially drought-declared. Currently, 41 full shires (local authority areas) and five part shires comprising more than 20,000 individual rural properties and covering 37% of the state are drought-declared.
Worsening Drought Conditions Affect Relay Cropping In Central India, J. L. Chaudhary, A. S. R. A. S. Sastri, D. Naidu, S. K. Srivastava
Worsening Drought Conditions Affect Relay Cropping In Central India, J. L. Chaudhary, A. S. R. A. S. Sastri, D. Naidu, S. K. Srivastava
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
In the Chhattisgarh region of central India (Figure 1), rice is grown on about 3.7 million ha, of which 80% is under rainfed conditions. The rice crop is grown mostly under the broadcast biasi system of cultivation (see Drought Network News, Vol. 5, No. 3 [October 1993], pp. 6–7). The rainy season is the southwest monsoon (June–September) season. Farmers grow traditional local tall varieties of rice, which flower in mid-October and mature by mid- November.
Coping With Exceptional Droughts In Australia, David H. White, Bruce O'Meagher
Coping With Exceptional Droughts In Australia, David H. White, Bruce O'Meagher
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
The objectives of Australia’s National Drought Policy (NDP), agreed to by Commonwealth (national), state, and territory ministers in 1992, are to:
• encourage primary producers and other sections of rural Australia to adopt self-reliant approaches to managing the risks stemming from climatic variability;
• maintain and protect Australia’s agricultural and environmental resource base during periods of extreme climate stress; and
• ensure early recovery of agricultural and rural industries consistent with long-term sustainable levels.
Under the NDP, Australian farmers are expected to assume greater responsibility for managing the risks arising from climatic variability. This requires integrating financial and business management …
El Niño’S Effect On Southwest Monsoon Rainfall In Andhra Pradesh, India, U. S. Victor, N. N. Srivastava, A. V. M. Subba Rao, B. V. Ramana Rao
El Niño’S Effect On Southwest Monsoon Rainfall In Andhra Pradesh, India, U. S. Victor, N. N. Srivastava, A. V. M. Subba Rao, B. V. Ramana Rao
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
India is primarily an agricultural country, despite making rapid strides in industrialization in recent decades. The Indian economy is therefore highly dependent on the behavior of the summer monsoon, also known as the southwest monsoon, which occurs during four months (June–September). This accounts for 75% of the annual rainfall over most parts of the country and also generates great demand for rainfall forecasts in different time scales. For nearly a century, Indian meteorologists have been attempting to develop suitable techniques that could be used for preparing long-range forecasts of monsoon rains over India. Walker (1923) has done pioneering work in …
Drought In The Lower Danube, Ekaterina Koleva
Drought In The Lower Danube, Ekaterina Koleva
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Bulgaria is situated on the Balkan Peninsula. Its northern frontier is the lower part of the Danube. The Balkan range, with its zonal situation, is part of a natural climatic frontier, dividing Bulgaria into two parts—north and south.
One of the main features of the climate in the Danube Plain (northern Bulgaria) is insufficient precipitation—a tendency toward dryness and frequent droughts. The annual amount of precipitation is 500–600 mm. The highest monthly values are measured in June (in some places in May), with 55–75 mm. February (in some places, March) is the driest month. Absence of precipitation can occur in …
Summer Drought Ravages Crops In Middle China, Huajie Tai
Summer Drought Ravages Crops In Middle China, Huajie Tai
Drought Network News (1994-2001)
Drought affected China’s agricultural production in spring, summer, and fall 1994. The summer drought was very severe in the middle part of China, especially in Anhui and Jiansu provinces.