with climate change, these changes had a significant impact on water supplies, agriculture and the environment. Additionally, it set the stage for the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires that raged during 2019 and 2020.
FIGURE2 Characteristics of the Tinderbox Drought 2017–19
VDP: Vapour Pressure Deficit shown on the map indicates that its capacity to hold moitsure is 15% greater when compared to the usual ampount of water it can hole; making the air drier that normal.
Moisture deviated
Cool
Tinderbox Drought region
–50%
+15% VPD
+1.6˚C
Compared to the average year: • Temperatures are higher • Rainfall is lower • Vegetation cover has decreased
–15%
Warm
SkillBuilder discussion Concluding and decision-making 1. Describe the area of Australia affected by the Tinderbox Drought. 2. Why is this region important? 3. Why do you think this drought is referred to as the Tinderbox Drought?
The region affected by the Tinderbox Drought includes the Murray–Darling Basin and is often referred to as Australia’s ‘food bowl’. It is a vital region for food production, producing around 40 per cent of our food and fibre, including: • almost all of our rice • nearly three-quarters of our grapes, stone and citrus fruits • a third of our dairy production. The Tinderbox Drought had a significant impact across the Murray–Darling Basin and other parts of Australia — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, including King Island. • Water supplies: Rural townships came close to running out of water. Level 2 water restrictions were implemented, restricting hose watering to specific times of the day, and with restrictions on car washing and filling pools. The concept of the two-minute shower was encouraged to conserve water. • Agriculture: Yields for winter-rainfed crops such as wheat and barley declined by 43 to 73 per cent and summer irrigated rice production decreased by more than 90 per cent. • Environment: Reduced stream flows, soil moisture and reduced groundwater recharge led to significant environmental stress. Wetlands habitats dried out, affecting the local ecology, dust storms remove topsoil and biodiversity declined. • Economy: The drought affected the nation’s food security and economic systems. Reduced crop yields and livestock losses reduced the income of farmers and lead to higher food prices. Reduced water in the environment impacted tourism, which was vital to some rural economies.
298 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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