Case Study: The Sahara Desert - Development
Geography: KS3, topic 17.1.14
Challenges of Developing in the Sahara Desert
Development in hot deserts is difficult.
Extreme temperatures
- Temperatures are so high that most animals are nocturnal.
- This shows how hard it is for humans working in the day in the Sahara desert.
- Temperatures will be 40oC in the day and then below 0oC at night. No workers want to live and work in these conditions.
- There is also not much water in the Sahara desert.
Inaccessibility
- Almost nobody lives in the Sahara desert. It is a massive expanse of sand, infertile soil and not much else.
- There are not many roads in the Sahara desert and transporting anything is very expensive.
Water supply
- Hot deserts have less than 25cm of rain each year and in some years, it may not rain at all.
- Water can be found in underground wells, but water supplies can be unreliable, making it hard to plan.
Test yourself on Case Study: The Sahara Desert - Development
What are the main challenges to economic development in the Sahara?
Which of the following is NOT a challenge to economic development in the Sahara?