The causes of drought are quite diverse and differ in each region. The cause of drought is usually through a natural process, but unfortunately it is getting worse every year with bad habits in the community.
Of course, drought can occur because of these bad habits, one of which is the habit of throwing away unused clean water. Perhaps this is due to a sense of security with the living environment, which may be felt to have abundant water sources.
However, in fact the abundance of water in the present does not mean that the water reserves will not run out in the future. Given, the climatic conditions on earth are also uncertain as a result of Global Warming. This will also be the cause of drought in the environment.
Why? With an uncertain climate, usually rainfall will also be affected, and it may be that in one area it doesn't get enough rainfall at all. Rainwater that falls to the ground will be absorbed by the soil. The water will be filtered which will eventually become a new source of water for humans.
Maybe you don't fully understand some of the causes of drought, but below we have summarized what are the real causes of drought that deserve attention, so that future generations can enjoy these water sources.
Geographical Location
Indonesia is right on the equator. The location of this country is flanked by 2 continents and 2 oceans. Geographically, Indonesia is also located in the "monsoon" area, which is a natural phenomenon where extreme climate change often occurs due to changes in air pressure from the mainland.
These changes cause a "jet steam effect" from the ocean that hits the land with hot air. The heat and wind make many areas that originally had water content, become dry. This is exacerbated when the dry season arrives.
Lack of infiltration areas
The conversion of green open land used as residential buildings affects the condition of water reserves in the ground. Naturally, when soil that is able to absorb rainwater must be covered by concrete which causes water to not seep into the ground. The less water reserves in the soil will have a bad impact in the form of drought.
Waste of Water
The wasteful use of groundwater has resulted in drought in some areas. The impact of wasting water gets worse when the dry season arrives. Usually, this excessive use of water can be caused by the habit of using excessive water for households or the use of large amounts of water by farmers to irrigate rice fields. If done continuously will have an impact on the depletion of water reserves.
Low Rainfall
One of the causes of drought that commonly occurs in Indonesia is caused by climate change which makes rain less frequent. The low rainfall is caused by low levels of water vapor and cloud production. If there is very little rain, the dry season will be longer and drought will hit.
Hydrological Damage
Hydrological damage is damage to the function of the upstream area of the river because the reservoir and the irrigation canal are filled with very large amounts of sediment. As a result, the capacity and capacity of water will be drastically reduced and this will trigger drought when the dry season comes.
Global Warming
Global warming or which means global warming, has indeed been the cause of the biggest drought not only in Indonesia, but almost all over the world. Indeed, the causes of Global Warming are very diverse, ranging from vehicle and factory pollution, to the use of various hazardous chemicals.
Impact of Drought
Of course, as long as there is a cause, there will be an effect. There are so many impacts that may be caused if not addressed immediately. Some of them are as follows
1. Reduced Clean Water Sources
If the source of clean water is reduced, it will have an impact on reducing the consumption of drinking water needed by the human body. And when this happens, it will cause dehydration. Dehydrated body conditions are very dangerous if left unchecked. One of them can cause death, considering that water is an essential ingredient for the body to survive.
In addition, activities such as washing, bathing, and so on will also be reduced and make daily activities disrupted. There will be a domino effect when there is a drought. Therefore it is better to always maintain the existing water reserves on Earth.
2. Lots of Dead Plants
Plants are a source of life for humans. When the dry season comes, many plants will die because the plants cannot get a source of water to live. There are only a few plants that can survive, such as teak trees and cacti.
3. Increased Pollution
The next impact when the plants die, the air pollution will be more rampant. This is because there are no plants that function as agents that process carbon dioxide gas to be used as oxygen for human life. Therefore, let's together prevent the various causes of the drought, so that life can continue and avoid various disasters.