2017-2019 Australian Drought

Flashcards covering the Australian Drought of 2017-2019, including background, causes, impacts, and management strategies.

Location of the 2017-2019 drought:

All of Australia, but particularly the Murray-Darling Basin.

Australia's GDP:

$55,060/capita.

States in Eastern Australia particularly affected by the drought:

Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.

Murray-Darling Basin population and spatial size:

2 million people; equivalent to the spatial size of France and Spain.

Date of the drought:

Worst drought on record for a 3-year period (since 1911) for the Murray-Darling Basin.

Rainfall during the drought:

Well under average, particularly in E and SE. Received 100mm less than the 2nd worst drought on record.

Temperature during the drought:

Above average temperature records for 36 months. 2018 warmest on record.

El Nino effect during the drought:

2018-19 was an El Nino year.

Social impact: Migration:

People left rural areas to go to cities, resulting in unbalanced population pyramids.

Social impact: Reaction of those left behind:

They felt isolated and vulnerable.

Social impact: Mental health:

Rise in mental health issues; one suicide every ten days; rate is 60% higher for farmers.

Social impact: Poverty:

Farmers stopped paying for prescriptions to afford animal feed.

Economic impact on cattle:

Farmers in NSW had to travel 1000km to get feed for cattle; farmers had to shoot or sell their cattle.

Economic impact: Food prices:

Grain and hay doubled in price; cotton seed went up from $200/tonne to $700/tonne.

Economic impact: Crop yield:

Lowest grain crop yield for 10 years in 2018; reduced crop yield by 1/4.

Economic impact: Farm profits:

Dropped by $64,000 per farm.

Economic impact: Jobs:

50,000 jobs lost in NSW between 2017-19.

Economic impact: Wages:

National wages dropped by 1%.

Economic impact: GDP loss:

Drought caused an estimated 1% GDP loss in 2018-19.

Economic impact: Decline of towns:

Farmers not spending money in towns led to their decline.

Environmental impact: Biodiversity:

Drop of 14% in threatened species; 17% drop in plant growth; 26% decline in wetland areas.

Environmental impact: Species Example:

The number of spectacles flying foxes dropped to 47,000 from an average of 100,000.

Environmental impact: Soil Erosion:

Loss of valuable topsoil through wind erosion.

Environmental impact: Water supply:

Urban water supplies dropped in cities (e.g., Sydney) by 28%. Some small towns in Darling basin ran out of water completely.

Environmental impact: Murray Darling River flows:

Dropped by 43%.

Environmental impact: Wildfires:

7 million hectares burnt in 2019; 0.5 billion animals affected in NSW + 1/3 of koalas killed; 28 people died in 2019 from forest fires.

Farmers' Actions:

Shot + sold cattle, sold farm machinery, fired workers, sold farms, reduced spending in local shops.

Farmers' Actions: Animal Feed

Travelled 1000km to buy animal feed (48 hours driving per week)

Farmers' Actions: Breeding

Selective breeding for heat + drought tolerant plants

Farmers' Actions: Ploughing

Transitioning from traditional ploughing techniques

Farmers' Actions: Yield mapping

Using soil moisture probes to map soil water content

Farmers' Actions: GPS

GPS to keep vehicle tracks in same place - less soil compacted

Farmers' Actions: Sprinklers

30% water saving by using overhead sprinklers

Farmers' Actions: Data

Sharing data amongst farmers more to improve crop rotation

Aussie Helpers (AH) Actions:

Deliver hampers (30-40 per day), gift cards, provide counseling and support to farming families.

Sydney Desalination Plant:

Switched on in Jan 2019 - supplied 15% of water to Sydney.