Australia's drought seen from the air

[Eldorado]

Parts of eastern Australia are suffering their worst drought in living memory as a lack of rainfall in winter hits farms badly.

Reuters photographer David Gray captured the view of the dried earth from the air, finding an often surprising collage of colours.

View the pics here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-45043299

[ChrLzs]

Some very cool, but depressing (and pretty familiar, to me) images...

[Kismit]

Heartbreaking is what this is. It breaks my heart to fly home over this sort of view. Knowing that the cattle have very little to eat and the farmers are suffering despite thier hard work.

 

[Miss Meeseeks]

What sort of drought? The one where the government fails to deliver they promises to the Australian Citizens? Or the lack of job opportunities where making money becomes more of a burden then a required task?

 

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

Kudos to the Australian government for the aid that includes funding towards better mental health services for struggling farmers.

[Kismit]

4 minutes ago, Daughter of the Nine Moons said:

Kudos to the Australian government for the aid that includes funding towards better mental health services for struggling farmers.

They need it, the suicide rate for farmers is horrible during droughts like these. I remember we where in Australia just after the black Saturday fires and my husband and I were listening to the radio when a farmer called the station, by the end of the phone call the farmer was confessing to thoughts of suicide. 

It really is heartbreaking. 

[NightScreams]

Sounds like Australia may eventually turn into a large desert one day.

[+susieice]

This is so sad. There seems to be extreme weather everywhere. 

[Grandpa Greenman]

My heart goes out to those farmers. I hope your rains come soon. Farmers farm because they love it, it is more than just a job, it is a way of life. 

[Astra.]

50 minutes ago, NightScreams said:

Sounds like Australia may eventually turn into a large desert one day.

The farmers do it tough here. It can be the land of extremes, whether it be drought or flood. These people are the backbone of this country and are also often forgotten, especially by those who live on or near the coast lines in the larger cities. Unfortunately, it's not the first time and it wont be the last time for drought that impacts on these folk and their land. Hopefully, we'll see some steady rain soon that will help give relief.

A poem..by Dorothea Mackellar - My Country - 1908

I love a sunburnt country, 
A land of sweeping plains
Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons 
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!
 

 

 

[openozy]

I'm luckily on a small self sufficient property with a lot of ground water,springs.I've been letting the neighbours put their stock on here as I have got a bit of feed still.There's no useful rain forecast for Spring an Summer here.There saying its the worst drought on record and the worst in 400 years.

[openozy]

1 hour ago, NightScreams said:

Sounds like Australia may eventually turn into a large desert one day.

Except for the coast,most of it  already is.

[+Noteverythingisaconspiracy]

We are experiencing the worst drought on record.

This map shows how bad the drought was on july 18th and it have not gotten better since:

0 means that the ground have 100 liters of water per m² avaiable for plants to use, while 10 means 0 liters. 

Here is a link to a short video from ESA showing just how bad it is in Europe:  https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/vejret/det-er-ikke-kun-danmark-der-er-brunt-se-hvor-toert-europa-er-blevet

(I know its in Danish, but I think you will agree that in this case a picture tells more than words)

3 hours ago, Browng0at said:

What sort of drought? The one where the government fails to deliver they promises to the Australian Citizens? Or the lack of job opportunities where making money becomes more of a burden then a required task?

I think this belongs in the politics section.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Noteverythingisaconspiracy

[Astra.]

11 minutes ago, openozy said:

Except for the coast,most of it  already is.

I remember the drought of 2006. Even the coast lines were suffering. The dams dropped to near nothing. Home owners were encouraged to purchase water tanks. Harsh water restrictions back then were one of the worst times that I recall. Finally the rains returned though. 

Edited August 3, 2018 by Astra.

[Astra.]

18 minutes ago, Noteverythingisaconspiracy said:

We are experiencing the worst drought on record.

This map shows how bad the drought was on july 18th and it have not gotten better since:

0 means that the ground have 100 liters of water per m² avaiable for plants to use, while 10 means 0 liters. 

That doesn't sound good. Have they encouraged people to limit their time in the shower yet ?....I remember that we were also encouraged to use grey water from our washing machine rinses and kitchen sinks (after washing the dishes etc) to water the plants. I use to worry about the detergents in the grey water killing the plants though.  

Edited August 3, 2018 by Astra.

[Black Red Devil]

There are solutions you know.  I remember reading years ago about how the Israeli Govt was turning parts of the Negev into arable land.  Methods such as wastewater management, afforestation and drip irrigation were quite innovative at the time and highly successful.  I wonder if our State or Federal Govts have ever considered adopting some of their methods?

https://www.israel21c.org/top-10-ways-israel-fights-desertification/

Edited August 3, 2018 by Black Red Devil

[Astra.]

13 minutes ago, Black Red Devil said:

There are solutions you know.  I remember reading years ago about how the Israeli Govt was turning parts of the Negev into arable land.  Methods such as wastewater management, afforestation and drip irrigation were quite innovative at the time and highly successful.  I wonder if our State or Federal Govts have ever considered adopting some of their methods?

https://www.israel21c.org/top-10-ways-israel-fights-desertification/

I don't understand why our government doesn't adopt a similar method. To think of all the rain that goes to waste in the top end of the country in it's wet season is rather astounding. Why can't they pipe it and build dams to catch the water whereby using drip irrigation for the drier parts in the southern end that so desperately need it when drought strikes. It would cost them too much money I suppose.

[Black Red Devil]

3 minutes ago, Astra. said:

I don't understand why our government doesn't adopt a similar method. To think of all the rain that goes to waste in the top end of the country in it's wet season is rather astounding. Why can't they pipe it and build dams to catch the water whereby using drip irrigation for the drier parts in the southern end that so desperately need it when drought strikes. It would cost them too much money I suppose.

I'd happily drift some of our clouds inland.  It could be costly considering the size of Australia with Israel. 

It all depends of the pros and cons.  For example, currently aid towards the farmers has toppled a billion $ according to the article.  If adopting similar methods to Israel cost the Govt $3 billion and were able to squeeze three times the amount of produce then it would be a worthwhile investment with the added bonus of keeping farmers in the job and the land less arid.  Not an expert by any stretch but I'm sure exploring technology is the best solution.

[Michelle]

I wonder the same thing about California. Either they are having tremendous floods or extreme droughts. Las Vegas was built in the middle of a desert and they don't seem to have much difficulty. I see some of the same problems in Atlanta. They are building more houses and apartment complexes than what the water table can supply. Because of that, they have been in conflict with Tennessee about the state line so they can have access to the Tennessee River.

Some places are more progressive about the future than others. You have to anticipate these issues before they become a problem...not just the immediate benefits of expansion.

[Astra.]

1 minute ago, Michelle said:

I wonder the same thing about California. Either they are having tremendous floods or extreme droughts. Las Vegas was built in the middle of a desert and they don't seem to have much difficulty. I see some of the same problems in Atlanta. They are building more houses and apartment complexes than what the water table can supply. Because of that, they have been in conflict with Tennessee about the state line so they can have access to the Tennessee River.

Some places are more progressive about the future than others. You have to anticipate these issues before they become a problem...not just the immediate benefits of expansion.

Iv'e been to California, and I know how dry it can be. Being in the desert Las Vegas is an excellent example of how it gets it's water supply because of the Hoover dam and the water catchments that are needed. The politicians here need to wake up and start to take things more seriously when it comes to these droughts in the drier regions of the country. They should be taking a more innovative approach as to what other countries have done and are doing with their desert regions.

When we have the wet season in the northern parts of the country, much of it is wasted. It's only when the water comes south naturally from the northern rains to the Lake Eyre Basin (in the desert) where it then flourishes with bird life and the beautiful desert flora. You would think that this would be enough for the government to try and do something by directing these northern rains to other area's by the use of dams and catchments. 

 

[SHaYap]

 The Ballad of Hollis Brown, Live in Holland 1965 Nina Simone

~

[00.06:04]

~

[Miss Meeseeks]

4 hours ago, Noteverythingisaconspiracy said:

We are experiencing the worst drought on record.

This map shows how bad the drought was on july 18th and it have not gotten better since:

0 means that the ground have 100 liters of water per m² avaiable for plants to use, while 10 means 0 liters. 

Here is a link to a short video from ESA showing just how bad it is in Europe:  https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/vejret/det-er-ikke-kun-danmark-der-er-brunt-se-hvor-toert-europa-er-blevet

(I know its in Danish, but I think you will agree that in this case a picture tells more than words)

I think this belongs in the politics section.

Calm your farm! I was just adding a pessimist tone to the situation I aren't that bloody stupid...

[+and-then]

8 hours ago, Daughter of the Nine Moons said:

Kudos to the Australian government for the aid that includes funding towards better mental health services for struggling farmers.

Farmers tend to be forgotten because the modern advances have made their efforts so successful compared to decades ago that people in western countries take their produce for granted.  If we continue that behavior we'll destroy a vital industry.

[+and-then]

8 hours ago, Kismit said:

They need it, the suicide rate for farmers is horrible during droughts like these. I remember we where in Australia just after the black Saturday fires and my husband and I were listening to the radio when a farmer called the station, by the end of the phone call the farmer was confessing to thoughts of suicide. 

It really is heartbreaking. 

The same thing became relatively common in the 80's here in the U.S.  The well-meaning Department of Agriculture made low-interest loans available to farmers for capital upgrades of equipment and seed, fuel and other necessities.  Bad weather here and bumper crops elsewhere in the world and pretty soon there was a mass of foreclosures on family farms that had been viable for many generations.  To farm on a small scale requires intense dedication and a real love of nurturing the land and bringing life-sustaining food to people.  It's a tremendous sense of accomplishment but it's also a very high-stress occupation.  Many of the heads of these families could not face leaving their family's land and so, were buried on it... 

[Kismit]

28 minutes ago, and then said:

Farmers tend to be forgotten because the modern advances have made their efforts so successful compared to decades ago that people in western countries take their produce for granted.  If we continue that behavior we'll destroy a vital industry.

They are not forgotten in Australia.  They are the backbone of the country. 

With the world warming, it is actually our food resources and thier availability that should be our main focus.  

I often joke that New Zealand is Australia's veggie patch,  but one day I think it will be true.