Resources in Hot Arid Environments (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Jacque Cartwright
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Opportunities in Hot Arid Environments
Hot arid environments provide a range of opportunities for development, including:
Energy
Solar energy in areas such as the Mojave, Desert
Wind, including the Tarfaya complex in the Sahara Desert
Coal mining, such as the Thar coalfield
Mineral extraction
Reserves of a range of minerals include copper, uranium, and coal in the USA Western Desert, phosphorus and gypsum in the Thar Desert
Tourism
Desert safaris in the Kalahari Desert
Horseback riding in the Namib Desert
Staying in a traditional Ger (Mongolian Yurt) in the Gobi Desert
Balloon flights such as those over the Namib Desert
Agriculture
Irrigation enables large scale agriculture in areas such as the Arabian Desert and Gobi Desert
Subsistence farming occurs in many desert environments
Challenges in Hot Arid Environments
The harsh, hot, and arid environment pose a range of challenges for any development
Water availability
The lack of readily available water increases costs and can deter people from moving to areas for work
However, as the population increases, the demand for water also increases, but not all aquifers are usable
Some aquifers are hyper-saline (they are many times saltier than seawater)
Some become polluted by mining processes, such as the use of arsenic in gold extraction
Many arid regions have deep-level aquifers and where pit mining occurs, water flows into the pit from the aquifer
The Pilbara region of Australia lies on a water-bearing aquifer that is just 100 to 250 metres below surface
Many commercial mining operations in the region start below the water table and have to pump the water out of the pit daily
Water is pumped to a holding tank and then used to process the 'ores' or sprayed on roads to dampen dust
Extreme temperatures: which can reach 50 °C
This leads to high levels of evaporation and water shortages
It makes working very difficult and tiring
Mineral extraction
The abundant stores of natural resources can lead to political tensions over contested land or borders
Western Sahara has rich phosphate reserves, but there has been a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Sahrawi people
Abandoned pits can flood, creating artificial lakes, although if polluted or hyper-saline, they have no economic or recreational value
Open-cut mining creates unstable slopes and are environmentally damaging as it exposes previously-covered toxic or dangerous materials
Uranium is open-mined in the Sahel Desert (in Niger), where the rock is crushed before being dumped for chemical leaching
There are enough harmful substances and radon emissions in the mining tailings to damage the local ecosystem for many generations
Underground mines can collapse and cause land subsidence
Accessibility
There is a lack of roads due to low population
Pipelines, roads and railways need to be built to withstand the high temperatures
Sand often covers the roads
Most of the desert areas are inaccessible and are only accessed by flying into the region
Case Study: Thar Desert
Development opportunities in the Thar Desert
Location of the Thar Desert
Opportunities
Subsistence farming
In depressions between the sand dunes, any precipitation collects; grasses grow and animals can graze
Goats provide milk and meat for the communities
Commercial farming
The construction of the Indira Gandhi canal allows irrigation
This enables crops such as wheat and cotton to be grown for sale on a commercial scale
Tourism
Tourists are attracted to seeing the different species found in the deserts on desert safaris
The desert is a hub for migrating birds, which many tourists visit to see
There has been an increase in ecotourism
Mineral Extraction
The extraction of gypsum, limestone, feldspar, kaolin and phosphorus all takes place within the Thar Desert
Energy
The Jaisalmer Wind Park is the world's fourth-largest wind farm
Coal extraction: It is estimated there are reserves of 175 billion tonnes of coal
Oil and gas: Large reserves of oil and gas have been found under the Thar Desert
The Bhadia Solar Park covers more than 22 square miles and is one of the world's largest
Challenges
Extreme temperatures
In the hottest months of May and June, temperatures often reach 50 °C.
Working in the high temperatures for miners, farmers, etc... is extremely challenging
Water supply
Precipitation in the Thar desert is very low (120–240 mm)
Evaporation rates are high
Natural ponds: called tobas, provide people with water in remote areas
In some areas, over-irrigation has led to salinisation when the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind
The 650-kilometre Indira Gandhi Canal provides water for drinking and irrigation
Inaccessibility
The Thar Desert is over 230,000 km2
The road network across the vast area is limited
On the roads that do exist, tarmac may melt due to the high temperatures
Roads quickly become covered in sand
City of Jaisalmer has become a honeypot tourist site because access to other areas is so expensive and difficult
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