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Venezuela turns to cloud-seeding to battle drought

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Venezuelans struggling with water shortages

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Chavez's new appeal to Venezuelans: Save energy

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Long-awaited rains finally come to parched Kenya, but millions still need food aid

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NOAA Scientists Study Historic ‘Dust Bowl’ and Plains Droughts for Triggers: Knowing Different Global Causes Could Aid Future Drought Warnings

The remains of a cornfield after grasshoppers had completed the destruction begun by the Drought of 1931-1932 in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington.

High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)

After analyzing historical records and climate model data for two major U.S. droughts in the 1930s and 1950s, NOAA scientists found two very different causes, shedding new light on our understanding of what triggers drought. Studies such as this one that expand our insights into drought are essential for improving forecasts and can aid in the creation of an early warning system to help communities take precautions and prepare.

“In the case of the severe 1950s drought of the Southern Plains states, it appears global sea surface temperatures were the principal cause. However, the 1930s ‘Dust Bowl’ drought over the central and northern Plains states was not caused by ocean conditions, but rather the evidence points to random changes in the atmosphere as the instigator in that event,” said Martin Hoerling, lead author and a meteorologist at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.

The work, “Distinct Causes for Two Principal U.S. Droughts of the 20th Century (abstract only if not subscriber),” is currently available online and will be published in the October 16 edition of Geophysical Research Letters.

Scientists studied two national events – one over the Southern Plains during 1946-1956 and the other in the central and northern Plains during 1932-1939, commonly known as the Dust Bowl period. The authors note that the two events are considered the most severe and prolonged droughts over the Great Plains since 1895. In the United States, the Plains encompass roughly the area west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains.

SUDAN: Clashes, drought worsen food insecurity

Photo: Peter Martell/IRIN

A Southern Sudanese woman (file photo): Poor rains and conflict have increased the number of people who do not have enough to eat in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states

NAIROBI, 15 September 2009 (IRIN) - The number of people who do not have enough to eat in Southern Sudan has increased significantly from initial projections, due to poor rains and escalating conflict between communities, a food early warning agency has said.

Recent assessments found that up to 1.3 million people were food insecure - an increase of 20 percent on earlier projections. Most of these were in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states where needs have tripled and doubled respectively, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) said in a September update.

Current food insecurity, it added, would persist until late October, when harvests were expected. Despite predictions of a high probability of normal to above normal rainfall between September and December, delayed crops were at risk of flooding - something which is common in Southern Sudan.

"Persistent inter-clan and inter-tribal cattle raiding conflicts since last year, and last year’s crop shortfalls caused by June-August dryness followed by floods, have been the main causes of food insecurity," it noted.

"Below average rains from May through August have now dampened the prospects for recovery that were expected with the onset of the September-October harvest, which has now been delayed."

In August, Lise Grande, the UN deputy resident and humanitarian coordinator in Southern Sudan, warned that the region faced a massive food deficit caused by a combination of late rains, high levels of insecurity and displacement, disruptions to trade and high food prices.

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SOMALIA: Puntland warns of looming crisis as drought bites

Photo: Abdi Hassan/IRIN

Abandoned houses due to drought in Hamure village, Qandala District, of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia (file photo): Thousands of people are in desperate need of assistance in Puntland

The following report is provided courtesy of IRIN:

NAIROBI, 10 September 2009 (IRIN) - Thousands of people affected by a severe drought in the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, are in desperate need of assistance, with officials describing the situation as “very critical”.

"We are at a critical stage and if help does not come within weeks the situation could develop into a catastrophe,” Abdullahi Abdirahman Ahmed, head of the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency of Puntland (HADMA), told IRIN.

He said a recent assessment by his agency showed that almost all of Puntland was affected by the drought.

“We saw livestock, including camels, dying by the roadside. Others were being abandoned by their owners because they were too weak,” he said.

He said the authorities had started water trucking to the worst-affected parts of the region.

“The government effort can only cover about 30 percent of those who need help,” he said, adding that Puntland did not have the capacity to mount the kind of operation needed. “The resources are simply not there.”

Ahmed said HADMA had informed the agencies of the severity of the situation. "This is not a situation like any we have seen and so I hope that agencies don’t treat it as business as usual."

YEMEN: Worsening drought threatens herders

Photo: Adel Yahya/IRIN

Children driving with their goats through a parched area in search of pasture

The following reports is provided courtesy of IRIN:

SANAA, 30 August 2009 (IRIN) - Severe drought in Khawlan District, 70km east of the capital Sanaa, since mid-2007 has forced local herders to sell some of their sheep to buy fodder for the rest.

“Now we use grain as animal fodder to complement grazing but fodder prices have increased threefold over the past two years,” said Ali al-Qanis, aged 74, a local herder with 50 sheep. “These steep price hikes mean a sheep or goat is becoming a financial liability.”

To make matters worse, the selling price for a breeding ewe had dropped from around YR18,000 (US$89) in early 2008 to YR11,000 ($54) in 2009, he said.

While livestock farming constituted only 2.5 percent of Yemen’s GDP in 2008, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Mohammed Al-Ghashm, it is an important source of revenue in several parts of southeastern Yemen, which has been hit by frequent droughts.

China drought leaves 5 million short of water

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Mexico drought killing cattle, forcing water cuts

The following is a brief excerpt from a Reuters news article posted on MSNBC.com.  To read the full article, click here.

"MEXICO CITY - Mexico is suffering from its driest year in seven decades, with the lack of moisture killing crops and cattle and forcing the government to slow the flow of water to the crowded capital."

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AP/L.A. Times: Scant rainfall in east China tied to pollution

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the L.A. Times on Sunday, written by the Associated Press.  Click here to read the full article.

"A study of rainfall records in China's industrial east shows that air pollution reduced light rainfall, crucial to agricultural. Cutting pollution could help ease a drought."

Nature: Satellite data show Indian water stocks shrinking

The following is a brief excerpt from an article that appears in Nature by Quirin Schiermeier.  Click here to view the article.

Excerpt:

"Unsustainable water use in India is threatening agricultural production and raising the spectre of a major water crisis.

Matthew Rodell of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and colleagues used data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites — operated by NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) — to determine how groundwater levels are changing in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, which includes the national capital of New Delhi."

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Driest Summer in Years Scorching Texas

Texas is in the grip of a drought that is hurting cattlmen, recreational services and everyone in between. The AP's Rich Matthews reports.

KENYA: Pigeon peas, the new maize?

Photo: C.L. Ramjohn/Wikimedia

Pigeon peas are a high protein dietary staple

The following report is courtesy of IRIN:

MBEERE SOUTH, 5 August 2009 (IRIN) - Faced with increasingly unreliable rains, farmers in Kenya's eastern district of Mbeere South have started growing drought-tolerant crops to meet their food and subsistence needs instead of the staple maize.

"The rains have become [scarce]... This is the fourth year we have had insufficient rain," Harrieta Nyaga, a farmer from the Rwika area, told IRIN. "We expected rains in March, but they came in January. People got confused, some planted, some did not... the crop was affected."

Nyaga, a mother of four, said she had planted 0.8ha of maize but was unsure whether she would harvest more than two 90kg bags. "Normally, I get up to 20 bags," she added.

Declining maize yields, due to climate variability and high fertilizer costs, have caused maize prices to soar. The cost of a bag has doubled to about 2,000 shillings (US$25) in the area.

In Texas, drought means conserving every last drop

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Naked girls plough fields in India for rain

The following is an excerpt from an article from Reuters News Agency.  Click here to view the full article.

"PATNA, India (Reuters) - Farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plough parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said on Thursday."

Iraq lashed by sandstorms and battling drought

Sandstorms have become an increasing problem in Iraq, owing largely to an expanding and intensifying drought.

The following is an excerpt from a Reuters News Article on the effects of the most recent sandstorm - click here to view the full article.

"BAGHDAD, July 13 (Reuters) - A sandstorm grounded Admiral Mike Mullen, the U.S. military's senior commander, in the restive city of Kirkuk on Monday during a visit to Iraq."

This is part of the larger context of a lack of rain resulting in a higher frequency and intensity of sandstorms, as featured in this article from the Associated Press: (don't see the article?  After 30 days from posting, click here to access it)

Drought conditions turn dire in parts of Texas

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Dry Louisiana: Farmers struggle, fish die in dry ditches, some areas consider fireworks ban

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Texas cotton growers wait for needed rain to plant

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Farmers hardest-hit by drought in Somaliland

Photo: IRIN

Villages abandoned following severe drought: Many pastoralists in Somaliland's Sanag region have moved to urban centres after their animals died - file photo

The following report is courtesy of IRIN.

ERIGAVO, 13 May 2009 (IRIN) - A severe drought that has gripped Somaliland's Sanag region in the past months has hit pastoralists hardest, with hundreds of families moving to urban centres after their animals died, officials said.

"We estimate that up to 400 families [2,400 people] have been displaced to Erigavo [the region's capital], after they lost their animals in the recent drought,” Yasin H Nour, the mayor of Erigavo, told IRIN.

"Hundreds of families are now in a serious situation due to the drought that has hit the region. Their cattle and donkeys have already died; now their camels and sheep are dying daily," he added.

The drought has also affected regions surrounding Sanag in both Somaliland and the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland.

NOAA: Drought to persist in western U.S., Improve in some of the South

(Click on image to enlarge)

PDF Version of Seasonal Drought Outlook Graphic

Latest Seasonal Assessment - Over the last month, widespread moderate to heavy precipitation has eliminated or reduced drought severity in the middle Atlantic States, the Great Lakes region, parts of the south-central Plains, portions of the Intermountain West and adjacent Rockies, and the central Sierra Nevada. Most notably, intense rainfall was observed in parts of the southern Plains along the central Red River Valley and the eastern tier of the drought region in Texas, where 10 to 20 inches were reported in a few areas. In addition, unusual (though not unprecedented) late-season precipitation brought at least short-term improvement to parts of central and northern California during the first few days of May, though no significant, widespread headway was made against the moisture shortages that have accumulated over the course of the last 3 years in the region. In contrast, drought persisted or intensified in other parts of the West, across the southern Rockies, in southern Texas, and through southern Florida since mid-April. From now through the end of July, continued improvement is expected in the drought areas covering the western Great Lakes region, the southern Appalachians and adjacent areas, and the Florida Peninsula, though in the latter region conditions may get worse over the next several weeks before the seasonal rainfall increase gets underway sometime in June. Similarly, a hot and dry pattern in the short-term could exacerbate drought in the southern Plains and Rockies before conditions become more favorable for significant rainfall around mid-May in the south-central Plains and southern High Plains, and during June or July when monsoonal rainfall typically picks up in the southern Rockies. Farther west, some improvement is forecast for portions of the interior West, but the low precipitation totals typical of this time of year should keep drought entrenched in the Far West and in existing areas of drought across Hawaii. Forecaster: R. Tinker Next Outlook issued: May 21, 2009 at 8:30 AM EDT Seasonal Drought Outlook Discussion

Somalia's Puntland drought getting worse

Photo: SCDO

A drought-stricken Somali family: Authorities in Puntland say the region is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis following poor rains that have created severe water and food shortages - file photo

The following report is courtesy of IRIN.

NAIROBI, 6 May 2009 (IRIN) - Somalia's self-declared autonomous region of Puntland is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis following poor rains that have created severe water and food shortages, officials said.

"We had very little Deyr [October-December 2008] rain and we have had even less rain in the Gu [April-June 2009] season so far, which has exacerbated an already bad situation," Mohamed Said Kashawiito, the director-general of Puntland's Ministry of Interior, told IRIN on 6 May.

Most of the population relies on livestock, but poor rainfall has left them struggling to make ends meet.

Get used to curbing water use, Californians told

The following is a brief excerpt from an MSNBC article.  To view the article in full, click here.

"GUSTINE, Calif. - When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined thousands of farmers and farm workers at the end of a four-day march to protest water shortages, he said he'd do all he could to bring more water to the San Joaquin Valley."

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NOAA: U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, April 16, 2009 update

The following is today's updated Season Drought Assessment from NOAA:

Latest Seasonal Assessment - Moderate to heavy rains eased drought impacts across the central Gulf Coast, the Southeast outside the Florida Peninsula, the middle Atlantic region, and parts of the southern Plains over the last few weeks, helping to bring numerous wildfires under control across western Oklahoma and northern Texas. Other drought-affected parts of the country saw conditions persist during this period, with some expansion and deterioration noted in a few areas. The Drought Outlook through the end of July 2009 is generally pessimistic in western sections of the country, with the likelihood of improvement increasing farther east. Mid-April precipitation should reduce impacts of the moderate drought in the mid-Atlantic region and the interior Southeast, and typical seasonal increases in precipitation should bring improvement to the Florida Peninsula and the Great Lakes region later in the forecast period. Across the southern Plains, where the most serious drought conditions are currently entrenched, heavy rainfall in some areas during the last half of April and typically wetter May-July conditions should bring improvement to most areas, though recovery in far southern and southwestern Texas may be less robust. Farther west, odds favor drier than normal May-July conditions and therefore persisting drought across the interior West, and the low precipitation amounts typical of this time of year along the Pacific Coast and in Hawaii should keep drought intact across those areas as well.

Forecaster: R. Tinker

Recent Texas rains help crops but more needed

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Recent Texas rains help crops but more needed from Associated Press

East Texas dousings move the region out of drought, conditions deteriorate elsewhere

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Parts of Texas slip from drought, others stay dry from Associated Press

Drought worsens in Texas, farmers and ranchers feeling pain

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Farmers worry as parts of Texas are driest in US from Associated Press

California Governor Schwarzenegger declares drought emergency

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Schwarzenegger declares Calif. drought emergency from Associated Press

Federal water may be cut to California farms for first time in 15 years

SACRAMENTO - Federal water managers said Friday that they plan to cut off water, at least temporarily, to thousands of California farms as a result of the deepening drought gripping the state.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation officials said parched reservoirs and patchy rainfall this year were forcing them to completely stop surface water deliveries for at least a two-week period beginning March 1. Authorities said they haven’t had to take such a drastic move for more than 15 years...

Read the full article from MSNBC by clicking here.

Beijingers on cloud nine after cloud-seeding produces rare snowfall in Chinese capital

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Snow business: China enjoys induced snowfall from Associated Press

Drought in Los Angeles brings possible water rationing for first time in nearly two decades

LOS ANGELES - With a recent flurry of winter storms doing little to dampen California's latest drought, the nation's biggest public utility voted on Tuesday to impose water rationing in Los Angeles for the first time in nearly two decades...

Click here to read the full article from Reuters via MSNBC.

China fights drought with chemical cloud-seeding

BEIJING (AP) -- Parts of China's parched north got light rain after authorities fired shells loaded with cloud-seeding chemicals into the sky, but there was no end in sight for its worst drought in five decades, the government said Sunday.

Beijing has declared an emergency across China's north, where 4.4 million people lack adequate drinking water and winter wheat crops are withering.

"The drought situation will not be eased in the near future," said a national weather bureau statement.

Read the complete article from the Associated Press by clicking here.

Cowskulls and dust: Drought grips Argentina

Cowskulls and dust: Drought grips Argentina from Associated Press

NOAA: Scientific Assessment Finds Expanding Use of Climate Forecasts Could Mean Better Water Management

Expanding the use of seasonal to interannual climate forecasts, especially in drought-prone and semi-arid parts of the United States, can assist decision makers in the management of water resources, according to a new NOAA-led scientific assessment. The assessment is one in a series of synthesis and assessment reports coordinated by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

Reuters: Rains bring some relief to drought-stricken Argentina

"BUENOS AIRES, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Heavy rains over the weekend brought some relief to farmers in Argentina, but the showers arrived too late to reverse the damage to wheat crops and grazing cattle from months of severe drought..."  Click here for the full report from Reuters.

NOAA: U.S. DROUGHT SHOWS SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows improvement in drought conditions over the Plains and the Midwest, in part due to landfalling tropical systems, and also shows lingering drought for the interior Southeast, south-central Texas, and California. And as of September 16, the contiguous U.S. has the lowest coverage of all levels of drought (21.9 percent), including severe drought (7.5 percent), since January 2006.

         

         

 

High resolution (Credit:   NOAA)

   

RAINS CHEER SOUTHEAST FARMERS, BUT DELUGE LATE FOR SOME

Rains cheer SE farmers, but deluge late for some from Associated Press

CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER ISSUES MARCH 6 UPDATE OF SPRING SEASONAL DROUGHT FORECAST

The Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service and a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued their latest seasonal drought forecast, valid through May.  The experts on climate (long term weather) in the nation, the CPC is forecasting improvement for much of the nation, but expanding drought in the South-Central United States.  Continue reading this post to read the forecast.