DjiboutiCurrent Issue

Where is Djibouti?

•Where is Djibouti?

• Djibouti is located in north east Africa or the horn of Africa.

Trivia/Facts

•What desert, located north of the Great Rift Valley , makes up most of Djibouti?

• Danakil Desert. The Danakil Desert is a lowland geothermal region which covers much of western Djibouti. The Danakil Desert extends into Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Trivia/Facts

•What lake in Djibouti has the lowest point in the county, as well as in Africa?

• Lake Assal. The shores of Lake Assal are at 512 feet below sea level, making it the lowest point in Djibouti and Africa.. Like the Great Salt Lake in Utah, salt is mined out of Lake Assal for shipping all over the world.

What Current Issue?

•Based on Djibouti's geography, What do you think might be some issues Djibouti Deals with?

• Environment?

• Government?

• Economy?

What Current Issue?

• The one I chose was environmental. Specifically Djibouti's water situation.

• For the last several years Djibouti has been struggling with a shortage of potable water.

What is potable water?

•The word "potable" is just another word for "drinkable".

•Potable water is clean, clear, and safe to drink.

Water Shortage

•Djibouti is mostly desert. Temperatures can range from 80o-120o fahrenheit.

•With temperatures very high, water is scarce.

• The only fresh water that is mostly safe to drink is either from a well, or by water trucking.

Water Shortage

• The country usually gets only 5-10 inches of rain a year.

• One of the reasons why Djibouti is having water shortages is the Sahara desert is growing and taking all water and vegetation with it.

• The Sahara is expanding southwards into an area called the Sahel.

• This process is called desertification.

Water Shortage

• The Sahara desert has grown significantly in the last 100 years.

• The rains are lighter and more scattered than ever before.

• The daily showers that used to fall during a 25 day period in the rainy season has now ceased.

Solutions?

• One solution was help from a charity called “action against hunger".

• Currently the charity is helping thousands of children in the hardest-hit regions of the drought.

Solutions

• The group is also trying to reduce the impact of water shortages by constructing wells, drilling boreholes, and installing storage devices to capture future rainfall.

• In addition to promoting hygiene for the people to prevent the spread of cholera, and other water-borne diseases.