The Dhaka Times Desk All of Europe and parts of China are recording record temperatures this summer. Millions of people in Africa are at risk of food due to drought. So is 2022 going to be the driest year in history?
It goes without saying that it is raining in the western part of America. Scientists say this year could be a record warm and dry season. But what was the record amount of dry weather in the last few months? Or how dry the world actually is? There is a kind of anxiety about these things. Scientists base a measure of drought conditions on soil moisture levels. Again, the image of drought is revealed through satellite.
These dry conditions over the past 3 months are also compared to average conditions since the turn of the century to create a picture of how extreme weather patterns have become recently. Where soil moisture anomaly information is presented based on both soil condition and temperature data. It shows that much of Europe was much drier this summer than the average for this period from 2001 to 2016. On the other hand, the weather in western China has been very dry, with many areas experiencing extreme drought. Such dry conditions also prevailed in sub-Saharan Africa and several parts of the United States. According to the data of the European Union's environmental program, Europe has experienced the worst drought in 500 years this year. Almost half of Europe experienced extreme dryness in late August.
Climate change means Europe will suffer more frequent and persistent droughts, scientists say. This year's dry conditions are already disrupting agriculture, transportation and energy production. The Rhine, a major river and cargo route. This summer, the water level of the river has dropped to a very low level, due to which shipping operations are also disrupted. The period between last June and August was the hottest on record.
Drought and flood also created two types of situations in China this time. This summer, China had a record high temperature. Such a situation lasted for more than two months. Since records began in the 1960s, it has been more persistent, the China Meteorological Administration said. China's largest river, the Yangtze, has shrunk due to extreme temperatures and lack of rainfall. According to Chinese government data, August has 60 percent less rainfall in riverine areas. While large areas of southern China struggle with drought, heavy rains in the north have caused flooding. The Liao River in northern China has recorded the second highest level of water receding since 1961.
Peter Glick, a water expert at the US National Academy of Sciences, said, 'When drought zones increase, such as in Siberia and the western United States, that water falls elsewhere in a smaller area, creating flood-like conditions'. So there is fear of famine in Africa. Drought conditions in eastern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia could put up to 22 million people at risk of food shortages, the UN has warned.
A World Bank report in 2021 noted that, overall, the number of droughts and floods increased by 3 times and 10 times between 2010 and 19, respectively, compared to 1970–79. Drought conditions are also prominent in the United States. Drought conditions have become commonplace in the western United States. The region experiences a dry and hot climate year after year.
According to a report published last February, scientists say the last two decades in the American West have seen the most extreme drought conditions in 1200 years. This summer, hot and dry weather has led to forest fires in several states and reduced water storage levels. According to NASA data, Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir in the United States, bordering Arizona and Utah. It has fallen to its lowest level since the 60s. Climate models predict that the region may experience much lower than average rainfall in the coming decades.
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