sw writes
Yes. Ideally an aid agency would arrive with information and funding for
local schemes promoting alternative cropping strategies, low-tech water
retention, primary health care and education. Then at least the people
have a chance of producing sufficient food to feed themselves and their
children, and start to reduce the birth rate, which eventually means
they all have a better chance of finding the time and energy to invent
other projects earning money from outside the area. If someone flies in
and dumps a factory on them it might provide an opportunity to earn
cash, but it'll almost certainly be a starvation wage with no hope of
anything better.

I often wonder if the pharoes didn't have the right idea.

When there is a famine, move in with large quantities of food and then
pay people in food to do major works.

A drought is an excellent time to do terracing, make reservoirs, dam
rivers (well, weir them anyway), build roads, schools, medical centres
and suchlike.

That way a drought could be used for good rather than harm.

--
Oz
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