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Drought around the world, especially western regions of the United States, has become a big problem, and global warming has made it worse for those areas. (Image Credit: Pixabay)
For the past two decades, the Western U.S. has been affected by one of the worst “megadroughts” in 1,200 years. Scientists have discovered that, when compared to droughts that occurred centuries ago, the ones we see today have been fuelled by human interference and the burning of fossil fuels. By analyzing the growth rings in trees, researchers from Columbia University were able to examine the dry and wet cycles that have impacted the western regions of North America over the past few centuries. The researchers published their findings in the journal Science.
By using increment borers to extract cores from over 30,000 trees, researchers were able to reconstruct soil moisture and observe the West’s hydrological history, which includes extensive droughts that show as narrow growth rings that run through the wood. Additionally, scientists studied data from trees at 1,586 sites and were able to discover four other intense droughts that occurred in the late 800s, the mid-1100s, 1200s and the 1500s.
The team also leveraged 31 climate models to predict the influence of higher temperatures released by climate change from 2000 to 2018. They discovered that the average temperature was 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than usual during those years, and they predicted 47% of the Drought’s severity was caused by climate change. They concluded that this Drought would have been moderate, but global warming has turned it into one of the worst megadroughts in history.
While temperatures increase, the Western region is suffering from intense heat waves and wildfires. Hotter, drier conditions over two decades show just how climate change will continue to affect water management, where rivers and ground basins were already being over-pumped.
Climate change will continue to have an impact on shrinking water supplies, even when there’s an average amount of snow and rainfall in certain areas. Infrastructure and water management systems that were built when the wetter climate was around will need to undergo substantial shifts. Western regions will be required to build new infrastructure, deploy new technologies and rewrite water policies and rules.
Irrigation for agriculture accounts for 75% or more of water use, which puts an impact on its availability. Farms can improve irrigation efficiency or use crops that need less water. Reducing water demand, fixing leaky pipes, or building additional facilities to recycle wastewater can help areas prepare for the effects of higher temperatures.
Researchers noted that natural variability could put an end to the Drought in the future.
About 50% of the West, from Washington to New Mexico, is either dry or suffering from drought, which is significantly higher than last year when only 17% of the region was dry or in drought conditions. Farmers in areas of the western U.S. who rely on snowmelt runoff to irrigate crops will most likely suffer from climate change due to less snow, which could affect food production.
On average, 40% of Phoenix’s water is sourced from the Colorado River, 58% from reservoirs from the Salt and Verde rivers and 2% from groundwater. North Phoenix depends on Colorado River water. City officials are in the process of drilling 15 new wells and constructing water mains and pump stations to haul in water from other areas that draw on the Salt and Verde rivers. These systems will allow Phoenix to transport water supplies from other sources throughout the area.
Another technique that’s helped during the dry spells is less water consumption in the majority of areas, mostly due to better efficiency and conservation progress. Over the past twenty years, U.S. water usage has dropped significantly, with the total amount of water used in 2015 falling below the amount used in 1970.
In 2017, the Mexico and U.S. governments agreed to explore the possibility of developing a desalination plant on the shore of the Sea of Cortez.
This solar-powered device collects water vapor from the air and turns it into the water, which could be useful when there is a drought. (Image Credit: MIT)
There are some useful technologies being developed and used that could help with drought conditions. One such solar-powered device, developed by MIT, uses a large surface area of the pores found in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) to capture water vapor and transfer it between two temperature zones to compress it. This system is capable of producing many liters of water out of the air within a short amount of time, which can be very useful in the desert or dry regions.
BioGill, an Australian biotech company, found a way to harness more water where and when it’s needed. By using bioreactors and biofilters in wastewater treatment plants, the company leverages bacteria to convert wastewater into drinkable water. BioGill technology is being used globally to help clean dirty water, making it safe enough to be used again.
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