UNIT 11 SOUTH ASIA SG 1 - PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY & THE ENVIRONMENT

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1 UNIT 11 SOUTH ASIA SG 1 - PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY & THE ENVIRONMENT

2 I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY TAKE OUT YOUR PHYSICAL MAP OF SOUTH ASIA A. The Himalayan Mountains form the northern boundary of the region (color in brown). 1. The world s tallest mountain peaks are found in the Himalayas including the tallest mountain (by elevation), Mt. Everest at 29,035 ft. above sea level. (1:08-3:15 & 5:43-6:25) 2. Snow melt from the mountains feeds many of the major river system as well as moving sediment.

3 B. Rock fragments & particles have built up deposits of alluvium (about 10,000 ft) in the river basins (Indus, Ganges, & Brahmaputra flood plains) (outline rivers in blue; shade in plains in light green) 1. The Ganges & Brahmaputra join to form a huge delta of low-lying, flood-prone land that occupies most of Bangladesh (major natural hazard for Bangladesh). 2. These plains are now densely populated and intensively farmed.

4 Types of alluvial sediment from course sand to clay. ALLUVIUM

5 II. WEATHER & CLIMATE A. The monsoons dominate the climactic environment & life of much of South Asia. 1. Some of the world s largest annual rainfall totals (over 400 in/yr) are recorded in the Assam hills of northeastern India from the summer rain brought by monsoons winds. (a) Most flooding in the region occurs during the summer. 2. On the Indian peninsula, most of the rain falls on the Western Ghat mountains leaving the eastern lands in a rain shadow. (a) Rain shadow effect - higher rainfall on the windward side of the mountains and lower rainfall on the leeward side of the mountains.

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8 B. Regional climate zones 1. Nepal & Bhutan - tundra climate in the north; humid continental in the south 2. India - tropical wet/dry mainly in the northeast & east; humid subtropical in the north; semiarid in the central & northwest 3. Sri Lanka & Maldives - mainly tropical wet 4. Bangladesh - tropical wet/dry 5. Pakistan - mainly semiarid & arid except in extreme northern parts

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10 III. RESOURCES & THE ENVIRONMENT A. Natural Resources 1. South Asia has many mineral resources such as iron & uranium ore. 2. India has large coal deposits, one of the world s largest reserves. Most of India s demand for electricity come from coal-burning power plants. 3. Timber from boreal forests in Nepal & Bhutan & timber from Sri Lanka & Bangladesh (tropical) also provide a major resource for export.

11 B. Natural Environmental Problems - The people of South Asia face a number of environmental hazards 1. The clashing tectonic plates that produced the Himalayas (Indian plate & Eurasian plate) continue to set off earthquakes, mainly along the base of the Himalayas. (a) The October 2005 Kashmir earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale. It killed 86,000 people & injured more than 69,000 as well as causing widespread destruction of buildings & roads. (earthquake 2013)

12 2. Flooding is a major problem in the lower Ganges & Brahmaputra valleys & their combined delta (Bangladesh). Causes include: (a) snowmelt in the Himalayas combined with heavy rainfall; (b) the funneling effect of the Bay of Bengal & storm surges from cyclones; (c) deforestation in Tibet, Nepal, & Bhutan (increases erosion), & low topography; (d) very highly populated which causes major humanitarian disasters (e) There is very little regional cooperation to reduce this effect.

13 3. Drought is the main problem in other parts of South Asia such as Pakistan. 4. Water shortages raise major social concerns in both rural & urban India. (a) The urban middle classes can install storage tanks for water in times of shortages, but the slum-dwellers wait in line with buckets for water. (b) Members of the upper castes use good wells while the untouchables must find their water elsewhere.

14 5. Tsunamis have caused issues in the past for the coastal regions of India, Sri Lanka, & the Maldives. (a) Example - The Indonesian Tsunami of 2004 killed over 31,000 people in Sri Lanka & over 10,000 in India. (animation)

15 C. Human-Induced Environmental Problems are mainly due to the huge rise in population & the necessary growth in national economies that leave landscapes of exploitation, degraded resources, & pollution 1. The Green Revolution include the use of pesticides & herbicides. The production of these chemicals resulted in toxic concentrations of chemical factories. (a) Example: In 1984, at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, water leaked into a methyl isocyanate storage tank, triggering chemical reactions & a cloud of toxic gases. It is considered the world s worst industrial disaster killing over 15,000 people. (Bhopal) 0:00-2:00; (25 years later)

16 2. Air pollution from coal burning power plants & other industry, but not as much acid rain as of yet, but totals have been increasing. The monsoons have kept acid rain at bay. 3. Water pollution (a) In the Ganges - from leather tanning runoff, trash dumping, funeral pyres, despite its sacredness to Hindus. 4. Deforestation is causing erosion & the extinction of wildlife: (a) commercial logging (b) industrial & urban expansion (c) for agricultural land

17 SUMMARIZE - TICKET OUT THE DOOR In your OWN WORDS: What are 3 major environmental problems in South Asia & why? 5-7 sentence paragraph