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The Water Crisis Of The Americas, Africa, Or Asia, Droughts And Floods

Decent Essays

Whether in the Americas, Africa, or Asia, droughts and floods have long been part of the cycle of rural life (Hiscock 67). California, home to more than 38 million people, has just recently entered the fourth year of one of the state 's worst droughts in the past century, one that 's led to fierce wildfires, water shortages and restrictions, and potentially staggering agricultural losses. In the next few pages, we will go over the history of the drought, the issues the drought has caused, what California is doing to conserve water, and a long term possible solution to what is being called a “water crisis”. 2014 was officially the driest year on record since 1977. There was less than 60 percent of the average precipitation. Records began in 1849, known as the Gold Rush Year, and since then, only 1924 and 1931 were drier. Scientists who study long term climate patterns have determined that there have been much longer drought stretches before the 163-year historical period began. These scientists also fear that the “megadroughts” found in California’s early history could be around the corner (http://www.salon.com). Researchers have documented multiple droughts in California through the studies of tree rings, sediment, and other natural evidence. There have been multiple droughts in the state that have lasted 10 or 20 years in a row during the past 1,000 years, which is nothing compared to the mere three-year duration of the current dry spell. The two worst megadroughts

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