Bara is a village in the drought-prone state of Jharkhand in eastern India. Farmers only produce one crop per year due to difficult climate conditions and complete reliance on rain. Agriculture produced very little. Because there were few other options for employment in the area, the villagers migrated to cities in search of work.
The state of this village is an experience that a substantial part of India has to experience. In 2022, according to the UNCCD assessment, more than 2.3 billion people face water stress. With its increasing commonality, let’s explore some ways to combat drought
1) Water desalination
Even though water covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface, only 0.003% of it is fresh water. Annual rainfall is the only way to replenish freshwater sources in many parts of the world.
But what if we were able to desalinate water? Then there are oceans to assist us in obtaining fresh water. However, it is easier said than done. Water desalination requires a lot of resources. The water must first be boiled, converted to steam, and then condensed. To generate heat, a significant amount of fossil fuels are required. But there is still hope because advances in the field have resulted in graphene filters that can desalinate water using only hydrostatic pressure.
2) Water recycling
One of the most pressing challenges for those interested in developing a safer, more circular, and sustainable industrial economy is finding new, commercially efficient ways to handle potentially hazardous waste and water recycling helps with that. Water recycling (also known as water reclamation) is the process of treating wastewater with machinery and chemicals so that it can be reused in your or another company’s industrial cycles.
3) Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting has grown in popularity in recent years, and it is something that everyone should do. Rainwater harvesting allows homes to store rainwater and use it when it is needed in dry conditions.
Only 15% of rainwater falls on the ground in cities, while 50% falls on the ground in rural areas. Rainwater harvesting provides an efficient way for both urban and rural areas to store rainwater and reuse it during times of drought.
If a home has a primary water source, rainwater harvesting provides an additional option for when water is not available. Rainwater harvesting is an excellent way to combat drought, and it is now encouraged among farmers and herders to provide water to their crops during dry spells.
4) Solar pumps
Pumping water out of the ground is the most common method for watering crops or providing water to livestock. Pumps, on the other hand, consume electricity, which consumes more fossil fuels.
Solar pumps are gaining popularity because they do not require mains electricity to pump water for irrigation. Governments all over the world are recognising the potential of solar pumps, and some have even begun to provide subsidies to farmers in order for them to be installed cost-effectively.
5) Plant more trees
Planting trees is the best way to reduce the damage caused by drought, improve the quality of the environment, and increase the success of precipitation. This piece of advice may sound like it’s been around forever, but it’s true all the same.
Planting trees and saplings on arid lands is the first step that a number of nations have taken to begin mitigating the effects of climate change.
One of the natural disasters that has caused the most damage to our country in recent years has been the drought. We will be able to lessen the effects of droughts and put measures in place to avert the occurrence of this natural disaster entirely if we are able to bring forward creative ideas and approaches to the problem.
