Right now, there is an intense heat wave in the entire Southeast Asian region and in California from south to north. A major bridge in Pakistan was destroyed by raging glacial-melt waters due to intense heat. We are at stage 3 of an ongoing global drought which started in 2021 and which refuses to dissipate. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA declared on July 16, 2021 that there were ongoing droughts in all continents except Antartica. If this persists into 2023, we reach stage 4 of the global drought.
eastwind journals, June 15, 2022 (archives tr250)
By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com
Share blog link – https://eastwindjournals.com/2022/06/15/worldwide-drought-is-here/
(Note – The Philippines is on the verge of an agricultural crisis, partly due to this looming worldwide drought. Read more = Agricultural Crisis Philippines Looms – https://eastwindjournals.com/2022/06/15/worldwide-drought-is-here/).
Drought refers to a slow prolonged weather situation with little or no rain. The Palmer Drought Index suggests that our planet had an index of 82% of ‘moderate to extreme drought’ beginning 2021. This dipped a bit to 79% in February 2021. Then it soared alarmingly to 99% in June 2021. The global drought situation that started in 2021 is here with us in 2022, and if it extends into 2023, which is a great possibility, we will feel the massive effect of a deadly planet-wide drought. This is not to scare readers but to persuade them to be informed, prepare, and cooperate in community, nationwide, and international campaigns.
Common drought-prone areas include Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, and Uganda. The worst ever drought in human history was in China in 1876 to 1879 where about 9 to 13 million people died, by broad estimates. With a denser population everywhere today, a repeat of the China mega-drought is possible with possible casualties of five-fold. The length of time of the drought determines the intensity of the impact. For China then, it was a devastating four-year period.
Extended periods of little or no rains is mainly caused ultimately by climate change, aberration in ocean water temperature, changes in the local landscape, and erratic changes in the jet stream. Indirect long-term causes include rampant unchecked deforestation causing flood-prone soil erosions, and excessive burning of fossil fuels.
“Jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere. The winds blow from west to east in jet streams but the flow often shifts to the north and south. Jet streams follow the boundaries between hot and cold air.” (www.weather.gov).
In the US, there is an unprecedented drought level in half of the mountain regions. In the West Coast, particularly California, the worsening drought extends from the Southwest to Pacific Northwest, increasing to a Palmer Drought Index of 85% by July 2021. Drought emergencies have been declared by many States, and water conservation campaigns are now being conducted.
In Brazil, the largest contiguous rainforest is slowly shrinking due to Man in his effort to survive. Brazil’s coffee production is down and 23% of hydroelectric dams are not operating, inducing higher electricity prices.
In the last two decades, the United Nations reported that 1.5 billion people are affected by drought with economic losses estimated at $124 billion. (LA Times).
Water Conservation Campaigns
Water conservation and optimum usage are crucial to responding to drought. If a town theoretically consumes 100,000 cubic meters a day, reducing it by half translates to a staggering 1.5 million cubic meters of water saved every month.
It is at the household level where dramatic effective conservation is critical, because it is cumulatively population-related. Simple things matter, like watering the lawn in the early morning instead of at noon, showering habits, refraining use of bath tub and jacuzzi, modern devices to reduce water pressure from the kitchen, the shower room and the garden.
The problem is how to convince indifferent people at the home level that their small contributions to water conservation, if put together, are crucial. The water conservation campaign for homes has to be planned very well, with communications consultants designing persuasive articles and spreading them around through the Internet.
There are other preparations that governments need to design and implement towards responding to the ongoing global drought.
Share blog link – https://eastwindjournals.com/2022/06/15/worldwide-drought-is-here/
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FOR THOSE WHO NEED HEALING, spiritual or physical (depression, anxiety, loneliness, terminal cancer, covid, diabetes, etc.) – say an online healing prayer with one or both healers below. Terminal patients have been healed in cyberspace –
1) Father Fernando Suarez – www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UP3LHBgtIc.
2) Sr. Raquel Reodica, RVM – www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZcwNimBSg
Download free e-book ‘Healing Stories of Sr. Raquel’ at eastwindjournals.com/2021/08/13/healing-stories-of-sr-raquel-e-book-free-download/).
AUTHOR’S BOOK – Wings and Wanderlust – Discovering Your Inner Self. At age 26, the author hitchhiked 25,000 kilometers in Europe and North Africa for three straight years. In this book of his wild adventures, he learned deep insights that changed him totally, which he wants to share with readers. It also a guidebook on how to plan your own adventure.
Order a paperback or an e-book. For paperbacks, if you are a Philippine resident, save on shipping cost by ordering by email at eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com. For e-books, if you have an IPAD, download the app ‘kindle’. For non-IPADS, buy a kindle device (check guidelines.) – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09KS7QYWL.
Author’s Credentials. Blogger – ex-Columnist (Inquirer) – Healing Ministry – ex-Professor (Ateneo University) – Documentary Producer-Director (freelance, ex-ABS-CBN, ex-TVS Tokyo) – ex-Broadcaster (Radio Veritas) – Facebook “Bernie V. Lopez Eastwind” / Pages “Eastwind Journeys and Journals” and “Mary Queen of Peace”.
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