For millennia, people have learned to live in the hot and dry climate of a desert. Humans found ways to cope with blistering heat during the summer seasons, and cold winter seasons. A good example of how people have acclimated to harsh conditions of the desert is Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, temperatures can reach 45 C in the summer at night, yet humans decided to create an entertainment Mecca in these conditions. The flickering lights and the cool air conditioning would never have been possible though if it wasn’t for the power produced by the most abundant substance on earth: water.
Water is the most important substance when residing in any desert. If there is no water, then there is no way to reside in that environment. According to Moran (2008), human populations appear to have neither genetic nor developmental adaptations for living in dry heat areas. They depend on acclamatory and behavioral adjustments to facilitate their occupation of these regions and usually take 2 weeks to do so (p 189). The biggest problem, Moran continues, is controlling water, storing and distributing it, managing the consumption, and minimizing its loss. If these issues are taken care of, there will not be a problem. Since Las Vegas has a steady supply of water from the Colorado River’s runoff, the city will survive, and most likely continue to thrive.
What would happen though, if a population lost its water? Las Vegas will not run out of water anytime soon, but the populations near the Aral Sea will. For the past 50 years, the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (also an arid environment) has been drying up creating a desert wasteland. The water from the two rivers that fed the Aral Sea, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, has been diverted for irrigation purposes. While the people of these two countries were able to farm cotton and food, the trade off has been nothing short of an environmental disaster that has destroyed multiple species wildlife, fish, and vegetation. And now, there is proof that the process of desertification has affected the health of many populations in the surrounding area.
Adrian and colleagues (2001) pointed out that the deterioration of the ecological equilibrium in the Aral Sea region has increased the salinization and aridization processes of the region resulting in the exposure of large areas of soil. The dust that is picked up by local wind currents contains heavy metals, pesticides, fertilizers, salts, and other toxic chemicals (p 589). These pollutants that contaminate the air have caused an array of health problems, especially in pregnant women and young children. The health problems include: retardation, malabsorbtion, thyroid problems, chronic renal and lung diseases, and even blood contamination (Ardian et al 2001; Moran 2008).
Is it possible for humans to adapt to the conditions in the Aral Sea region? Possibly. They will have to adapt to the conditions of their own doing, however, this seems unlikely without medical treatment considering the complex chemicals and the diseases associated with them. In both cases, Las Vegas and the Aral Sea, are examples of how humans effect the environment and vice versa. Humans have learned how to successfully maintain a society in an arid environment. On the other hand, humans have learned how to create a desert out of what was once the fifth largest lake in the world.
Moran, E (2008). Human Adaptability: An Introduction to Ecological Anthropology. Westview Press, Colorado.
Adrian, S.; Ataniyazova, O.; Mazhitova, Z.; Moshammer, H.; Prindull, G.; Zetterstrom, R. (2001). Continuing Progressive Deterioration of the Environment in the Aral Sea Region: Disastrous Effects on Mother and Child Health. Acta Paediatrica. Vol 90, Issue 5. Pgs 589-591.
State of Environment of the Aral Sea Basin (2000). Website. http://enrin.grida.no/aral/aralsea/english/arsea/arsea.htm
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Good post. I like the idea of adaptation being the fundamental source of survival in a given area that is both dry and lacks water. As you stated, we were not meant to live in harsh and dry lands with very hot temperatures. So to force a community to live in an unsustainable environment by providing outside sources will be hazardous to both the people and the environment.
ReplyDeleteI agree, great post. Humans have been able to live in desert climate due to the fact that water is available. People usually focus on the limited amount of water when there are water shortages. They do not tend to think much about the contaminents that can be blown around where the water used to be. Nor do they think about the higher concentration of toxins due to a lower volume of water.
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