Top > World > 2007 > August > 2007-08-16

Drought plaguing Australia

Australia has always been victim to harsh weather conditions and what is casually known as ?fire season?. Yet in the recent years it has suffered dramatic climate change, which has caused serious draught to take control over a developed country for the first time in world history. South east Australia has already reached a 20 percent decrease in annual rainfall, and Melbourne water storages currently sit at 664,258 mega liters, only 37.5% of what they should be and a decrease of over 70% since 1994.

In fact, Australia?s rainfall is the lowest of all continents, including Antarctica. Metropolitan residents have been subject to water restrictions since 1939, and they have strengthened severely in the last few years. Home-owners are now forbidden from watering their garden and washing their cars, and farmers hold the highest suicide rate as result of lost crop, cattle, and bankruptcy. By the end of 2006, 96% of New South Wales was in drought, and the effects are being harshly felt by urban and rural communities alike.

Where to point the finger
It has been known that the El Nino effect has affected Australia since 5000BC. Statistics show that about 75% of documented droughts in Australia have occurred during El Nino years, making its affects undisputable. However, others believe that droughts in Australia and the rest of the world may be cause of global warming. Dr. Flannery, the author of ?Weather Makers?, said that it is ?not just an Australian phenomenon, it`s part of a global problem caused by the warming of our planet?.

Global warming has affected rainfall by directly increasing the evaporation rate of water and the precipitation of rain. Scientists say that if the use of fossil fuels does not increase by 2010, drought related issues will only intensify. Why then, does our consumption only increase?