Living with Extreme Weather Chapter 26, Section 2

Vocabulary Summer Monsoon Winter Monsoon Drought

Human Perspective Extreme weather terrorized families Left many dead Extreme weather terrorized the family in northern Bangladesh. This made life difficult and dangerous Left 700 people dead and 30,000 wounded.

The Monsoon Seasons South Asia is home to Monsoons Two different Monsoon seasons Summer Monsoons Winter Monsoons A monsoon is a wind system not a rainstorm and have two different seasons. A summer monsoon is a wind system that blows toward South Asia from June to September. A winter monsoon is a wind system that blows toward the sea from October through February.

Impact of Monsoons Shapes South Asia Rain in Monsoons is critical Summer Monsoons cause great damage Winter Monsoons cause great damage too Climate also plays a role in South Asia Monsoons shape South Asia’s life and relations with other countries. Rain that accompanies the Summer Monsoons is critical for agriculture in South Asia and helps nourish the rain forest, irrigate crops, and produce flood water that deposits rich soil. However, Summer Monsoons do bring great devastation to South Asia by creating deadly cyclones that destroy farmland, villages, and cause massive flooding. Winter Monsoons also cause great havoc for people in South Asia because they cause droughts to occur causing fertile lands to become wastelands over night. Climate in South Asia makes economic life and activity bad for the people there because many people lose everything to weather catastrophes. However, the government is trying to help reduce this by creating shelters.

Impact of Monsoons cont. South Asia does receive help for these weather catastrophes Extreme weather conditions also carve political tensions Political disputes South Asia receives international help and is loaned billions of dollars by other governments. But this is ineffective because the frequent weather disasters still causes South Asia to go into heavy debt. Weather has caused a political crisis known as the Ganges Water Crisis between Kolkata, India and Bangladesh. The two cities did settle the dispute in 1997 when both countries signed a treaty giving each country specific water rights to the Ganges.

Question 1 What are the two different Monsoon seasons? A. Summer and Winter Monsoon B. Spring and Winter Monsoon C. Fall and Summer Monsoon D. All the above

Question 2 What do Summer Monsoons create that cause great damage? And what do Winter Monsoons create that cause great havoc? A. Hail storms and Fires B. Cyclones and Droughts C. Cyclones and snow D. Whirlpools and Droughts

Question 3 What river was divided between Bangladesh and Kolkata India? A. Mississippi B. Nile C. Ganges D. None of the above

Critical Thinking Question 1 If you lived in South Asia how would you try and prepare and adapt to this extreme nature of weather? And what extreme weather have you experienced if any?

Critical Thinking Question 2 How would you help the people of South Asia if you had the ability to help them?