Teacher guide Drought

Teacher guide Drought mitigation Drought There are a wide range of different drought mitigation technologies on the market, including products for drought monitoring, better water and crop management, augmentation of groundwater, intensified watershed, reduction in water demand, and water conservation. In this project, students will research different drought mitigation technologies, look at the costs and benefits of these technologies and make recommendations for whether their local community should explore the technology further or not. Prompts • Is your area at high risk of drought? What are the likely consequences of drought in your local area? Which of these consequences are the most problematic? Encourage students to think about mitigation strategies that address the likely impact of drought in their area. • What is the current drought mitigation strategy in your local area (if there is one)? Encourage students to evaluate the current strategy – do they think this is effective? Why, or why not? • Encourage students to think about other implications of their ideas, e.g. cost and infrastructure. Will any of the measures they plan to implement affect local people? How? What might the reaction be? 12

Student brief Drought mitigation Drought (Drought, climate change, water cycle) Have you ever wondered how to mitigate the impacts of drought? Imagine you work for the local council. You are concerned about the pattern of increased frequency and intensity of droughts in your area. Other parts of the country are implementing various drought mitigation strategies such as water-use planning, rainwater harvesting, runoff collection using surface and underground structures, improved management of channels and wells, and exploration of additional water resources through drilling and dam construction. Conduct some research into these options, and create a drought mitigation plan suitable for your local area. Getting started Start finding out about the drought risks in your local area and think about which strategies would be appropriate in light of this. Conduct some research into the current drought mitigation strategy in your area and different drought mitigation plans around the world. Things to think about • Can you make a list of the different types of drought? • Is your area at high risk of drought? • What are the likely consequences of drought in your local area? Which of these consequences are the most problematic? • What is the current drought mitigation strategy in your local area? • Which parts of the world have a similar situation? Are there aspects of their strategies you could incorporate into your own plan? • Why do drought mitigation strategies vary so much? • How can you evaluate which measures from other areas have been successful or unsuccessful? • What are the practical implications of your strategy? Have you thought about cost and who will be responsible for the different aspects of your plan? Where will the money, time and infrastructure come from? • Will any of the measures you plan to implement affect local people? How? What might the reaction be? Useful resources • Historic Droughts https://historicdroughts.ceh.ac.uk/ • Drought Facts http://threeissues.sdsu.edu/three_issues_droughtfa cts04.html#:~:text=Activities%20such%20as%20wate r%2Duse,of%20a%20drought%2Dmitigation%20plan • Mitigation, Preparedness & Response https://www.droughtmanagement.info/pillars/mitig ation-preparedness-response/ • Drought Mitigation Measures: A Comprehensive Framework https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978- 94-015-9472-1_18 • UKCEH Water Resources Portal https://eip.ceh.ac.uk/hydrology/water-resources/ Health and safety To avoid any accidents, make sure you stick to the following health and safety guidelines before getting started: • Find out if any of the materials, equipment or methods are hazardous using http://science.cleapss.org.uk/Resources/Student- Safety-Sheets/ to assess the risks. (Think about what could go wrong and how serious it might be.) • Decide what you need to do to reduce any risks (such as wearing personal protective equipment, knowing how to deal with emergencies and so on). • Make sure there is plenty of space to work. • Clear up slip or trip hazards promptly. • Make sure your teacher agrees with your plan and risk assessment. 13