A hosepipe ban comes into force tomorrow over a large area of the SE of England. Tonight's local news magazines were full of stories about how to reduce water use in the home, and why we were in this situation: "we haven't had enough rain".
The first is to compare the droughts that we have in the UK with those elsewhere in the world and the differences in their impact, duration, severity etc.
The potential impact on people in the UK is as nothing compared to the problems facing millions in other parts of the world.
Where else are their droughts at the moment that the UK situation could be compared with ?
Try the TERRA DAILY account of the drought in Brazil and Paraguay at the moment.
Also check the SAHEL where UNICEF are working to help a situation where ONE MILLION CHILDREN are at risk of dying.... the fact that you can't use a hosepipe to water your car is not really on the same scale...
For many years, people have thought to explore the practicalities of creating a water grid for the UK along the lines of the National Grid for power. There are obvious physical restrictions which make this unlikely, as well as the cost....
Natural England are also working with farmers. They are trying to ensure that funds are released for those who need help. Many farmers are reducing the area they are cropping to save water.
Some farmers local to where I live in Norfolk are changing their cropping patterns to plant crops which have less water usage.
What are we to do about the drought ?
Are we going to have to get used to the problems that we are facing this year for the foreseeable future.
This BBC Magazine feature explores a few possible, answers - useful for the idea of technological fix.
Other possibilities for teachers to explore:
- Tales of 1976 - interviewing people who remember a previous drought in the UK
- Produce some rain dances, where the movements are linked to the water cycle ( a little like a 'Strictly' version of Coastal Kung-Fu )
- Thanks to Nick Crane for the tipoff to the Environment Agency's Drought Maps... Explore your home area...
- The importance of personal action, but framed against the rate of leaks from an ageing water infrastructure in some cities.
- The food that is 'hidden' in the food that we eat every year.
The image to the right was taken by me in 2005 during the great European drought which included very high temperatures in France. I was in France at the time, and for three weeks we baked in very high temperatures, and lived a nocturnal life to avoid the heat of the day...
What other drought ideas do people have ?
Does drought deserve a place on the curriculum - is it a big enough 'geographical' idea ?
Over to you...
Image: Alan Parkinson
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