Uk drought

• What is a drought?


  - A drought occurs when there is below average or no precipitation for an extended period of time leading to water shortages
• What caused the UK drought?


  - Rain - 55% less rainfall between April 2010 and May 2012

  - Wind - Unusual wind patterns brought dry winds from Europe compared with the usual moist winds from the Atlantic

  - Temperatures - Warmer than usual, by up to 5 degrees in spring and 10 degrees in summer

  - Dry soils - difficult for rain to infiltrate

  - High water usage - 1.7m litres daily; leaky pipes - leading to water stress
• social consequences of the UK drought


  - Hosepipe bans for 20 million people

  - Gardens could only be watered with watering cans

  - No washing of cars with hosepipes

  - More picnics, BBQs and outdoor leisure opportunities
• Business consequences of the UK Drought


  - Some factories closed to conserve water

  - Water based products suffered shortages, so profits decreased short term

  - Some farmers benefited from increased yield (soft fruits)

  - Some farmers had reduced yields (potato and wheat)
• Environmental consequences of the UK drought


  - Rivers ran low, so oxygen content dropped, endangering aquatic life and increasing the negative impact of pollution

  - South wales suffered from wild fires

  - Fauna suffered as a result of reduced food
• How did the environmental agency respond?


  - Told farmer's to stop using canals and rivers and to irrigate instead. Water plants at night when it's cooler.

  - Granted permits to water companies to allow them to extract water from rivers
• How did the government respond?

  - Held a water summit to discuss water conservation and supply issues
• How did water companies respond?

  - Told customers to not use as much water

  - TV adverts to change people's habits regarding water