UN Video: Sahel Drought

While videos like the above may not be “Trending” on sites like YouTube and Twitter, for the people who experience the depicted conditions in their daily life it is significant. Often, drought is seen as something that need not concern those living in North America or more urbanized regions with the infrastructure and electricity needed to contain and manage water resources. With that said, one should always be wary when having that sense of security as we all share this planet and none of us really know if we could end up like those depicted in this seemingly far-off world in the Sahel.

 

Does the relation between the economy and the environment always have to result in the economy taking a metaphorical beating?

Image by Brooklyn Museum via Flickr

 

According to an article posted today on the Khaleej Times Online, Egypt’s economy is predicted to experience an increase in “stress” due to the affects of climate change on the agricultural sector. According to Reuters it was reported that 10 to 12 percent of land used for farming could be lost due to potential occurrences of flooding and the expected decrease in fertility. Yet the economy does not always have to shape to the environment. If necessity is the mother of invention, as Plato is famously known for remarking, then there is profit via the creation of environmental technology to alter the climate, clean up oil spills, or even capture and contain greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Just as a coin always has two sides, so too does the relationship between economies and the environment. Drought is devastating for farmers who may not have supplementary income but good business evolves to the task at hand, creating more jobs, and hopefully at the same time increases awareness as to the effect interactions between the environment and people ultimately has on food production.