The California Drought

The last four years California has been in an increasing state of crisis because of drought. An article from BBC even called it a "catastrophic environmental disaster." In the same article they claim that scientists have predicted that the reservoirs could dry up within the next year. Though this may be a disaster for the residents of California who are directly affected by the drought, I would not call this a disaster yet because there is still time to prevent further damage and begin to reverse it. But before I get in to detail on that I would like to refer back to the Ethiopian drought which was classified as both a natural and humanitarian disaster.

Unlike California, which is in a developed country and has access to modern irrigation systems, Ethiopia did not have the same access to water during the 1970s disaster. The drought in Ethiopia was caused mainly by subsequent years when the annual rains did not come. Yes, the famine that followed was worsened by the government's response but the drought itself was not, nor was it made worse by the citizens using too much water. Because this was just a matter of environmental factors, the drought was difficult to manage, thus it led to the other crisis of famine, among others. Since the country was so vulnerable at the time and the drought spiraled out of control by causing a famine and other problems for the country, it was hard to manage. These two factors add to the others of hazard and exposure because of the region the country is in. Therefore the crisis in Ethiopia can be classified as a natural disaster, as well as a humanitarian disaster. The same is not true for California.

Lake Oroville 2011

Lake Oroville 2014

Because the drought has largely been caused by a misuse of water, it can be managed. One of the factors that has played a part in this crisis is people abusing the water, especially to water their grass. Recently, the government of California has realized this and ordered cities to decrease their water usage by 25%. They have also turned to international assistance by looking to Australia as a model for conserving water in a dry region. Australia, which regulates how much water can be used by residents, also experienced a drought from 2002 to 2010. Water supplies in the country decreased by 70% but there was a minimal effect felt because of their conservation efforts. Using Australia as an example shows how the California drought can be managed and even prevented in the future if the residents act now.

One area the California government has not looked at to decrease water usage is agriculture. This is an issue since agriculture accounts for 80% of water usage in the state. Without efforts to decrease water usage by farmers, there could be little to no effect, thus the drought could still worsen and the predictions that the reservoirs will dry up in a year could become a reality. Therefore, though I do not consider this drought a disaster as of now, I think we can call it a looming disaster. If the residents, farmers, and government of California, as well as the rest of the country, do not do enough now to conserve water, this environmental crisis could turn into a disaster within the year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32196177
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-09/california-drought-fighters-yearn-for-australia-like-wins
Keller, Edmond J. "Drought, War, and the Politics of Famine in Ethiopia and Eritrea." 1992.