Consequences on health (Human, animal and vegetal)
Drought and desertification (climate changes impacts) disturb the ecosystem and support the propagation of certain harmful insects and diseases of humans, plants and animals. According to the research results, higher average temperatures will increase the fertility rate and of growth of the devastating insects and the frequency of epidemics, and will allow insects, diseases and adventitious to gain new geographical surfaces.
Human health
Drought and desertification (climate changes impacts) are generally accompanied by a qualitative and quantitative degradation of water resources, and often of the development of epidemics (cholera, malaria etc).
Winds are also, at the time of the sandstorms, vector of ophthalmologic diseases (conjunctivitis).
In addition, as migratory movements empty rural areas, cities fill under often disastrous sanitary arrangements, for lack of infrastructures of cleansing of waste water, of liquid waste processing, management of waste; in these cases the prevention and the medical departments will be largely insufficient.
Drought and desertification (climate changes impacts) disturb the ecosystem and support the propagation of certain harmful insects and diseases of humans, plants and animals. According to the research results, higher average temperatures will increase the fertility rate and of growth of the devastating insects and the frequency of epidemics, and will allow insects, diseases and adventitious to gain new geographical surfaces…
Animal and vegetable health
Drought and desertification (climate changes impacts) cause the decimation of herds for lack of grass. New diseases appear. For example, in countries of the Sahel (for periods of hot summer days), cows generally die at the time when they put low, often calves are premature. The veterinary surgeons as of these areas bound these new diseases to climate change.
The modification of the mode of winds is likely to change the diffusion of insects as well as bacteria and mushrooms vectors of plants diseases. The rise in the winter temperatures will support the multiplication of bee moths drilling machines in the rice systems for example.
Studies reveal that the number of parasitoids – insects such as wasps and flies which lay their eggs on /or inside the caterpillars – falls in the event of irregular rains. However, these parasitoids are very useful in the biological fight against ravagers of many tropical cultures.
The World Health Organization established a clear bond between the strong rains which have affected the major part of the East Africa at the beginning of 2008 and the recrudescence of malaria. Dengue for example, grave disease caused by a virus transmitted by the mosquitoes, reached catastrophic epidemic levels in the Caribbean.
Appearance of mildew in certain areas of potato growing, a disease which is spread under the hotter and wet conditions.
Consequences on soil and biodiversity:
On soil
- Reduction of soils thickness;
- Reduction in the organic matter of soils;
- Reduction in the fertility of the soils;
- Formation of a crust/soils compaction;
- Appearance/growth of the frequency/intensity of winds of dust/formation and movements of dunes;
- Saltiness/alkalization;
- Reduction in quantity and quality of surface and/or underground water ;
- Effects on the pluvial agriculture which occupies an important surface of countries for example Africa (the Sahel and the Maghreb);
- Irrigated agriculture is also affected; water restrictions can be pertaining to irrigation of crops, the domestic uses of water, such as gardens watering or industrial sampling, tourist etc;
- Increase in the sources arid up and the small watercourses;
Deterioration of the relative reflectance of grounds (change of the albedo).
Figure -7-: Map of the geography of water dominant problems in the world (MARGAT, 1990)
On biodiversity
- Reduction in the cover;
- Decrease of air biomass;
- Decrease of production;
- Modification of distribution and frequency of key species;
- Deterioration of the reproduction of key species.
- Firewood is more current and more important (loss of forest and animal species);
On animal (breeding)
- Modification of distribution and frequency of key species.
- Change of composition of herds.
- Decline of the production of cattle.
- the productivity of the cattle.
Global consequences on the human stabilization
Drought and desertification are unquestionable threats for the food security of the 9 billion individuals who will have to be nourished in the middle of the 21st century. Their healthy food would be likely to triple production capacities food from here 2050. Nevertheless, paradoxically, arable surfaces decline. It is provided that the developed countries will have seen passing their arable surfaces from 0.65 to 0.4 hectares through anybody between 1990 and 2010.