It’s a topical subject this week! Cheri sets a challenge to share a photo of a landscape – “a wide establishing shot of a scene in nature or an urban setting.”
Her scene of a desert landscape in Joshua Tree National Park highlights the extraordinary vegetation adapted to an arid environment. The wide panorama ‘speaks’ of an encompassing starkness, and it brings to mind issues of resilience to climate change.
In South Africa many areas are suffering severe drought conditions. The agriculture industry is headed for disaster and critical water restrictions make us aware of a very fragile balance.
Here in the Western Cape, recent rainfall has not been enough to alleviate the scale of the drought. In the second scene above, a brewing rainstorm brings hope to a parched land.
Our changing landscape – how are you faring where you live?
Nature on the Edge 
Water shortages are scary. Such a helpless feeling. I feel blessed to live with abundant rain especially when I read of droughts in Africa, Australia and the American Southwest. Hope you get relief soon.
Thanks Eliza; we’re hearing all the buzz words – the resilience imperatives and technology interventions, but hell good ol’ rain is what is needed!!
Goodness that drought sounds dreadful! Where we are in UK we had the opposite problem this winter with constant rain, mild temperatures and flooding. This meant lots of viruses around and a spike in elderly deaths from flu!
The flooding sounds equally as catastophic. Ready or not we’re feeling the effects of climate change; i really feel for the elderly; and here the poverty levels are rising as well.
I really hope the rains come soon.
Thanks for the positive thoughts Gilly. Dam levels are at 32%, saying our prayers.
Wish we could send you some water from South Florida. We’ve had a wet winter and early spring.
Wouldn’t that be great – an equal distribution of climatic conditions. Appears that the planet has gone pear-shaped and the coriolus effect is spinning off all of El Nino’s moisture in the north! (kidding!)
A drought is not nice at all…. Yet, there is a harsh beauty in these landscapes
Droughts and their impact on an environment are a frightening prospect; I hope the heavens open for you soon.
Thanks Theresa – We’re hearing that the El Nino conditions should be easing and the winter rains should fall. Meanwhile the knock on effect of failing agriculture is serious for farmers and seasonal workers losing jobs; rising cost of food impacts. Praying for the rain 🙂
Was at an encouraging Soil for Life talk for U3A this morning.
We can, we could, make good use of our water.
Hi Diana, good to see your comment and it’s heartening to know that there is potential for better use of our precious water. Time to conserve resources more wisely.