Analyyzing Drought in California Causes and Impacts Term Paper

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California --Causes and Impacts

What is drought and why does it occur

The phenomenon of drought is regarded as an inescapable, cyclic hazard, and its build-up is gradual. The quantity of stream flow and precipitation, or degree of deficiency in groundwater that may cause drought in any given area might not have the same consequences in another area. This is because it is dependent of the quantity and type of water required, as well as alternative water supplies found within a region in any given time period. While the development of drought has already had significant impacts in the 21st century, it might now also be turning increasingly frequent. Drought cases across the world have increased, caused possibly by technological advancements in food production and shelter techniques, and in basic service provision, leading to massive food production and human settlement concentrations that are almost reaching or surpassing natural resource sources' capacities (Woo 129). Prior to mitigation of its impacts, one has to identify its onset. Longer-term weather forecasts are yet to succeed, and have suffered obstructions by the recent increased weather variability. Thus, focus has moved to establishing drought indexes, since drought thresholds help identify its onset.

Causes of droughts in California

The phenomenon of drought is a common occurrence in the state of California, resulting in damages of up to several billion dollars in one single year of drought, and affecting different stakeholders across the state. Changes in climate are associated with the state's drought crisis, through the following mechanisms: i) increasing temperatures and ii) alterations to atmospheric patterns that contribute to diminishing rainfall. Global warming, towards which human emissions contribute significantly, is said to intensify California droughts by 15-20%. Since the year 2011, four continuous failed rainy seasons have contributed to acute moisture deficits in the state, depleting groundwater and decreasing agricultural productivity (Seager 7015). California's present drought situation has heavily burdened statewide water resources and agriculture, aggravated further by simultaneous extremely-high temperatures (Lingyin 111).

Impact of drought in California

Normally, the state of California acquires a majority of its supply of freshwater from a few big autumn and winter storms, which effectively fill its lowland water reservoirs and unload large quantities of snow onto the Sierra Nevada mountain range, where frozen water is released slowly in the melting period.

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This small, yet valuable, number of storms provides sufficient water to the state's several million inhabitants with drinking water, as well as water for bathing, flushing toilets, filling swimming pools, washing their cars, and watering lawns. Further, these storms aid oil companies in hydraulic fracturing, farmers in growing crops, and golf courses in remaining green. To put it briefly, they facilitate the miraculous existence of the hydrologic civilization of California, perched between ocean and desert.

Californians typically utilize 150 to 200 gallons (about 568 to 757 liters) of water on a daily basis. This is approximately five times the amount utilized by residents of sun-parched regions. However, the last 4 years have proven hard on Californians, with the "malfunctioning" of its large rain-and-snowfall dumps, on which it so heavily relies. Water utilities all over the U.S., and especially in the State of California, have been facing pressure to increase their revenue by selling more water. More than 71% of California has been encountering extreme conditions of drought, while 46% is suffering from exceptional drought, which constitutes the severest category of drought. This intense drought has strained fresh water supplies and contributed to wildfires across many areas of California. In spite of the wider economic recovery from its collapse in the year 2008, UC Davis research scholars estimated, in a report published in July 2014, that drought would lead to a loss of 17,000 part-time and seasonal jobs in California. This year will probably be equally bad for the state (Seager 7010).

Impact of wildfires in California

Unusual dryness has made many areas across water-depleted California susceptible to wildfire. The state witnessed over 40 fires in the previous year, charring over 500,000 acres of land. The most devastating fire in California's history was the one that sparked in California Valley that, according to insurance claims, claimed four lives, burned down no less than 75,000 acres of land, and wrecked over 1,900 structures, which included 1,200 houses. The adverse impacts of drought, flooding, and wildfires can be felt all over the U.S., since the state produces 50% of the vegetables and fruits consumed within….....

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