Environmental Impacts of Dust and Wind Erosion in Iran (Case Study: Razavi Khorasan Province)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Areas, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran

Abstract

The dust phenomenon is among the critical issues associated with climate change, which, in recent years, has deviated from its natural course. This deviation has led to an increase in both the frequency and intensity of dust storms, causing significant environmental impacts across various provinces in Iran. This study employs the erodibility and windiness indices of synoptic stations in Khorasan Razavi Province over a 20-year statistical period (2003–2023) to assess the severity of erodibility and identify critical wind and dust erosion hotspots within the province.
The findings indicate that 24.05% of the critical dust hotspots fall into the high-severity category, 47.83% into the moderate category, and 28.13% into the low category. These results reveal that, although high-severity dust hotspots constitute a relatively small percentage of the total, they play a significant role in dispersing dust into the atmosphere.
Finally, by implementing management actions, identifying the factors contributing to dust occurrences, and considering the province’s constraints and capabilities, strategies and policies for combating dust storms can be developed and executed.

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References

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