The coldness, hotness, or wintriness of the weather could have some identifiable impact on human activities, either as some disruption or some supplement to the running of the so-called men’s business. This impact is quite large and very noticeable as much as they could be dangerous and of course beneficial.
Well, as far as the case of weather conditions are concerned, there seems to be no route for escape for man. It’s a two-way street, bad or good. This range from one section or occupation to the other. For instance, the changes in temperature and precipitation, as well as droughts and floods, will affect agricultural yields and production.
Some of the reasons why the weather changes are:
- Natural conditions
- Deforestation
- Pollution
- Earth’s Movement
Subsequently, in some regions of the world, these impacts may compromise food security and threaten human health through malnutrition, the spread of infectious diseases, and food poisoning. Similarly, this very unwanted change affect other areas of human activities too.
That is not to absolutely conclude that the weather can only cause negative effects on the human community. Certainly, the impact of weather on human activities can no doubt also be very positive and beneficial as a matter of fact more than it creates bad conditions.
Shall we then peep into what impact of weather on human activities can the human physical world experience?
Weather is very important to human life, animals and agriculture because it controls the distribution of rain water and the required freshness to the survival of all living organisms. Weather systems are simply the movement of warm and cold air across the globe. These movements are known as low-pressure systems and high-pressure systems.
Farming
Climate helps farmers to know when to plant and harvest their crops. Climate also impacts the types of crops grown in an area. In coastal areas where it is hot and wet, it is possible to grow crops like coconuts, sugarcane, cashew nuts and sisal.
Settlement
Climate can attract or discourage people from settling in an area. Settlement in a desert area is scarce. Many people tend to settle in cool and wet environments.
Read Also: Steps to Remain Healthy Amidst Climate Change
Natural habitats
Climate affects the growth of natural habitats like forests, rivers and lakes. For example, Equatorial climate makes it possible for forests to grow. Forests provide timber for construction and for making other products like paper.
Industries
In some areas, climate supports operation of industries. An example is Magadi area. In this area, hot and dry conditions encourage a high rate of evaporation. This makes it possible for soda ash and salt crystals to form. As a result, mining is an important activity there.
Tourism
In dry areas like the Nyika plateau, large areas of land have been set aside for wildlife conservation. Wild animals attract tourists from foreign countries who bring the country foreign exchange.
Negative Impacts of the Weather on Human Activities
- Too much rainfall cause floods which affect farming activities and transport. Floods also cause destruction of property and death.
- Little or no rainfall results to an increase in temperature. This results to drought which does not support farming activities as crops and pastures dry up. This causes famine and results to deaths of people and animals due to lack of food.
- Hot and dry conditions may also cause desertification hence resulting to a shortage in water supply.
- Harsh conditions force people to migrate from dry areas to wetter areas. This may result to deforestation, as people clear forests to get land for settlement. This in turn affects the cycle in which rainfall is formed resulting to dry conditions.
