Ethiopia

• Ethiopia is a developing country in Eastern Africa. It has been suffering from droughts from 1983 to present
• Causes


  Relies on two periods of rain that have been getting shorter and more unpredictable.

  Due to Indian ocean warming more moisture is lost as rainfall. Dryer air moves westward towards Ethiopia bringing little rain and causing drought.
• Key Effects

  • 85% of population live in countryside and depend on farming
  • Unreliable rains make planning difficult for farmers, dry ground means crops are harder to grow -> livestock are hard to feed
  • Less food means greater prices, especially affecting the poorest
• Key effects(2)

  • 40% of Ethiopians rely on natural water sources, when these dry up they may have to walk kilometres to find water
  • The time it takes for women and children to fetch this water takes them out of school and work
  • Lack of water may force people to turn to polluted sources, with the risk of diseases that, without access to medical care, can be fatal
• Key effects(summary)

  • impacts education, health and development in countryside
  • is an important cause of migration from rural areas to cities
• Responses

  • Issues created by drought in Ethiopia were addressed in 1980s through a major charity even to help raise money for relief
  • Ethiopian government organises its own relief programmes in times of especially bad drought
  • NGOs like UNICEF work work in remote areas of the country to support those worst affected, working to provide food, clean water, medical supplies.
  • Longer term they plan to help with resilience by developing new agricultural developments and improving education on the matter