LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS CHINA: PART III E DROUGHT EPISODES

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LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST NOTABLE DISASTERS
CHINA PART III EDROUGHT EPISODES
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster
Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA 

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NATURAL HAZARDS THAT PLACE CHINAS COMMUNITIES AT
RISK
FLOODS
GOAL DISASTER RESILIENCE
TYPHOONS
EARTHQUAKES
ENACT AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES HAVING HIGH
BENEFIT/COST FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
LANDSLIDESS
DROUGHT EPISODES
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
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DROUGHT IN CHINA 2010-2011
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DROUGHT is an environmental extreme that is
characterized by an absence of precipitation in
the local and regional water cycle as a
consequence of interactions of elements of the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
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CAUSES CONSE-QUENCES
PROLONGED LACK OF PRECIPITATION
LOSS OF SOIL MOSTURE
LOSS OF CROPS
DEPLETION/POLLUTION OF GROUND WATER
DROUGHTS
LOSS OF VEGETATION
DISASTER LABORATORIES
INSECT INFESTATION
LOSS OF USE OF AG. LAND
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THE 2010-2011 DROUGHT EPISODE IN CHINA

• The 20102011 drought episode, which began in
  late 2010 after a severe lack of rain and snow,
  was Chinas worst drought episode in 60 years.

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THE 2010-2011 DROUGHT EPISODE IN CHINA

• Eight of Chinas provinces (Anhui, Gansu,
  Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, and
  Shanxi), all wheat -producing regions, were
  impacted by the drought.

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MAP OF CHINAS PROVINCES
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IMPACTS

• The drought caused water shortages for an
  estimated 2.31 million people and 2.57 million
  livestock.

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IMPACTS

• Within the eight provinces, 20 of the farmland
  and 35 of the wheat crop was impacted.

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IMPACTS

• The Hubei lake shrank to one-eighth of its normal
  surface area and one-fifth its usual depth,
  forcing 3,234 local residents to relocate.

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IMPACTS

• By June, 2011, the drought had affected 35
  million people, including 4.2 million facing a
  drinking water shortage.

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IMPACTS

• By June, direct economic losses had reached 15
  billion yuan (about 2.3 billion USD).

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THE PARADOX While these 8 provinces were
experiencing drought, other provinces were
experiencing flooding.
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UNDERSTANDING DROUGHTA Slow-Onset, Natural
Phenomenon That Can Happen Anywhere

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Drought A Natural Phenomenon That Can Cause
Disasters

• Planet Earths atmospheric-oceanic-lithospheric
  interactions cause
• Droughts

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CHARACTERISTICS OF DROUGHT

• SLOW ONSET
• DIVERSE IN LOCATION AND DURATION
• DIFFICULT TO MEASURE THE DURATION AND THE EXTENT
  OF THE SOCIETAL IMPACTS

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DROUGHT HAZARDS
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DROUGHT HAZARDS (AKA Potential disaster Agents)

• HIGH TEMPERATURES
• VERY LOW HUMIDITY
• LOSS OF SOIL MOISTURE
• VANISHING STREAMS, LAKES, AND WATER TABLES

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DROUGHT LINKAGES AND RISKS

• Drought is linked to loss of water quantity and
  quality, which can lead to major loss of life
  (people and livestock), loss of livelihoods, loss
  of habitats, and sometimes famine.

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NOTEBetween 108 BC and 1911 AD, 1,828 famines
of varying severity occurred in China (i.e., one
nearly every year in at least one province)
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NOTEMillions in China have died from lack of
food.
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DROUGHT RISKS
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CHINAS COMMUNITIES
DATA BASES AND INFORMATION
HAZARDS GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE
SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN
UP AFTERSHOCKS
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ELEMENTS OF RISK
RISK
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UNACCEPTABLE RISK
RISK
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DROUGHT RISKS (FOR A SLOW ONSET NATURAL HAZARD)

• Loss of life (People and animals)
• Loss of livelihoods and habitats
• Loss of crops and agricultural land (e.g., from
  desertification)
• Reductions in water quantity and quality

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DROUGHT RISKS (FOR A SLOW ONSET NATURAL HAZARD)

• Large-scale migrations of people from areas
  experiencing droughts and famines.

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FACILITATING ACHIEVEMENT OF DROUGHT DISASTER
RESILIENCE

• EMERGING TECNOLOGIES

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR DROUGHT RESILIENCE

• DATABASES FOR PAST DROUGHTS
• COMPUTER MODELS OF DROUGHT
• MAPS
• DISASTER SCENARIOS
• HAZARD ASSESSMENT
• RISK ASSESSMENT

• WEATHER FORECASTS
• MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES (E.G., REMOTE SENSING)
• WARNING SYSTEMS

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DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE

• PURPOSE
• IDENTIFICATION OF DROUGHT PRECURSORS
• ALERT AND WARNING

• TECHNIQUE
• REMOTE SENSING SITE-SPECIFIC MONITORING
  MODELING
• PUBLIC AWARENESS EDUCATION

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DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE

• PURPOSE
• PROTECT WATER QUANTITY
• PROTECT WATER QUALITY

• TECHNIQUE
• RESERVOIRS CONSERVATION
• ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING WATER TREATMENT

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DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE

• PURPOSE
• LAND-USE CONTROL
• ADAPTATION TO THE SITUATION

• TECHNIQUE
• DROUGHT-RESISTANT CROPS AND VEGETATION
• COMMUNITY DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN

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TOWARDS DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE