Latest news with #duststorms
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The California region where 5 million residents face growing health risk
One of America's richest farming hubs is facing a hidden threat that could jeopardize the health of local residents and the future existence of the land. California 's Central Valley and its neighboring drylands grow a third of the country's crops and power a multibillion-dollar economy. But scientists say the region is now confronting the escalating danger of dust storms driven by climate change, unchecked development, and vast swaths of idle farmland. A major study published in Communications Earth and Environment in April found that 88 percent of dust storms caused by human activity — so-called 'anthropogenic dust events' — were linked to fallowed farmland between 2008 and 2022. With hundreds of thousands more acres expected to sit idle by 2040, researchers warn the crisis is only beginning. 'Dust events are a big problem, especially in the Central Valley, and have not gotten enough attention,' said UC Merced professor Adeyemi Adebiyi in a May 2025 university report. The phenomenon is hitting five major regions: the San Joaquin Valley, Salton Trough, Sonora Desert, Mojave Desert, and Owens-Mono Lake area — home to roughly 5 million Californians. Experts at UC Dust, a multi-university research initiative focused on the issue, say the relationship between degraded land and dust is dangerously self-perpetuating. 'There is a two-way linkage between dust emission and landscape degradation, with one reinforcing the other, leading to potentially irreversible shifts in California's dryland ecosystems,' the group wrote in its latest update. While some dust-control efforts exist, scientists say they're not enough—and warn that without more intervention, the storms will only increase (Pictured: Aerial shot of suburban residential streets in Bakersfield, California) Dust has always been part of life in inland California, but human activity is making it more frequent—and more hazardous. The storms have already caused massive disruptions, ranging from serious health impacts to deadly crashes. In 1991, an agricultural dust storm led to a 164-car pileup that killed 17 people in the San Joaquin Valley. And in 1977, wind gusts nearing 200 mph in Kern County triggered a destructive storm that killed five and caused $34 million in damages, according to KVPR-FM. Today, many storms are so large they can be seen from space. One of the most serious concerns is Valley fever—a potentially fatal infection caused by fungal spores that live in the soil and spread through the air during dust events. The illness causes symptoms like coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Cases are rising fast: California logged 12,637 cases in 2024, the highest on record. The first four months of 2025 have already surpassed the same period the year before. A Nature study cited in the new report found Valley fever cases jumped 800 per cent in the state between 2000 and 2018. 'Valley fever risk increases as the amount of dust increases,' said Katrina Hoyer, an immunology professor at UC Merced. Central California — where much of the state's fallowed land is located — is now considered a hotspot for the disease. And while some dust control efforts are in place, they've been limited and costly, according to UC Dust. 'The future of dust in California is still uncertain,' Adebiyi said. 'But our report suggests dust storms will likely increase.'
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Poor Soil Management Fuels Sand And Dust Storms Across The Middle East
Sand and dust storms in southeastern Iran, near the Hamun Lake in Sistan and Baluchistan Province. ... More Image taken in October 2018. (Photo by Hamed Gholami / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP). The Middle East is no stranger to sand and dust storms. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are among the countries hit hardest by this transboundary problem, which costs billions of dollars each year in damages to infrastructure and health systems. In May, Iran's local media reported severe sand and dust storms in the southeast near the border with Afghanistan, which swept through the area, sent hundreds to the hospital with respiratory illnesses, and disrupted local livelihoods. 'Dust storms happen when strong winds lift loose, dry, and fine soil particles from barren or degraded land surfaces into the atmosphere,' says Nima Shokri, professor of geo-hydroinformatics at the Hamburg University of Technology in Germany. 'Unlike people, dust particles don't require visas to cross international borders- they can travel effortlessly thousands of kilometers from one country to another,' adds Shokri. The Middle East is naturally prone to strong winds, extreme heat, and arid landscapes—factors that create an ideal environment for sand and dust storms when coupled with climate change. But decades of poor water management, which have dried up lakes, rivers, and wetlands that once helped contain these storms, have turned sand and dust storms into a pressing challenge for the region, with many consequences. Food and water insecurity, air pollution, conflict, and forced migration are just a few examples. Meanwhile, as governments across the Middle East struggle to combat the growing problem of SDS, experts highlight soil degradation as a significant contributing element that demands urgent global attention. Sand and dust left behind after a storm on dry soil in southeastern Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan ... More Province. Image taken in July 2021. (Photo by Oshida / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP). According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, healthy soil is defined as having the ability to perform functions such as retaining water or sustaining plant and animal life. Soil then becomes degraded when it loses vegetation and organic matter, like manure, and is exposed to long periods of drought. Research indicates that in the Middle East, soil in many parts of the region has been harmed because of the excessive extraction of groundwater for irrigation and farming, as well as climate change. This mix of problems has caused a big issue for many countries called soil salinization, where water dries up and leaves salt behind, preventing crops from growing. Scientists say Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan are among the nations in the region experiencing the highest salt increases in their soil. In a part of the world with no shortage of environmental problems, soil degradation poses an added threat to food, water, and the resilience to cope with disasters such as floods and wildfires. But that's not all that it does. Pete Smith, a professor of plant and soil science at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, told me in an interview that poor soil management can also increase the severity of sand and dust storms. 'Failing to retain plant cover on the soil and practices like overgrazing lead to the destabilization of soil, making it easier for particles to be picked up and carried by the wind,' adds Smith. On the other hand, scientists have discovered that wet and heavy soil is less likely to release dust into the air quickly or in large quantities. This means the drier the land, the worse the dust storms, experts say. 'Dust emissions greatly depend on soil moisture,' says Paolo D'Odorico, a professor of environmental science at the University of California, Berkeley. Particularly in the Middle East, 'there are a few basins of internal drainage that are drying out and exposing the sediment to the action of wind and consequent dust storms,' D'Odorico adds. Agricultural land ruined by the relentless onslaught of drifting sand in a village in Iran's ... More southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan Province. Image taken in August 2021. (Photo by Oshida / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) plan to help nations achieve peace and prosperity by 2030. They include objectives like fighting climate change and making sure everyone has access to clean and safe water. However, the list does not include the need for well-functioning soil, an essential component of the SDGs that experts say the international community is overlooking. 'It would be naive to think we can achieve any of these goals without giving soil the proper attention it deserves,' says Shokri. 'In the absence of that, the whole foundation of sustainable development will begin to crumble,' he adds. The World Bank reckons that over 40% of the land in the Middle East has already lost its productivity. As droughts become increasingly severe and temperatures rise, scientists believe that healthier soil can be a key solution for mitigating these problems. When it comes to sand and dust storms, 'it can certainly reduce the impact and severity for communities," says Smith. Decision makers 'should definitely discuss it as a tool for tackling climate change, food security, and combating land degradation and desertification,' he adds. 'This is truly the definition of a transboundary issue in need of serious global cooperation,' Shokri adds.
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Science
- Arab News
How dried-out wetlands on the Iran-Iraq border threaten the region
LONDON: The dust storms that have choked Iranians and Iraqis for weeks and hospitalized thousands, are the canary in the coalmine for a complex environmental disaster unfolding in wetlands straddling the two countries' border. The Hoor Al-Hawizeh wetlands, north of the southern Iraqi city of Basra, are drying out and experts warn that continued decline, including in the connected Hoor Al-Azim marshes in Iran, could drive water shortages, migration and even conflict. 'These marshes once acted as natural barriers, trapping fine sediments and maintaining soil moisture,' said Hossein Hashemi, an associate professor of water resource engineering at Lund University in Sweden. 'But their shrinkage, caused by upstream dam construction, wartime destruction, and climate change, has exposed vast stretches of loose, dry sediment,' he said. 'As winds sweep across these barren areas, they lift large quantities of fine dust, leading to more frequent and intense storms.' The degradation of the wetlands, part of the Mesopotamian Marshes, also threatens unique wildlife, including softshell turtles, birds, fish and water plants. Hoor Al-Hawizeh is recognized by UNESCO for its biodiversity and cultural heritage, and Iraqi sections are designated wetlands of international importance on the Ramsar List, the world's largest list of protected areas. On the Iran side, Hoor Al-Azim is a crucial source of food, water, jobs and tourism to millions of people in the southwestern Khuzestan province. But now it is under threat. 'This brings with it the issue of forced migration, displacement, conflict, poverty, unemployment, hunger and more,' said Kaveh Madani, director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and a former deputy head of Iran's Department of Environment. Data from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran shows that since the early 1970s, Hoor Al-Azim has declined from some 124,000 hectares to 60,650 hectares. That means nearly half of its original area, including water and reed beds, has disappeared, mainly, scientists say, because of oil exploration, farming, dam building and climate change. 'The degradation has contributed to the displacement of local communities, increased poverty, and reduced agricultural productivity,' said Ali Torabi Haghighi, associate professor of water resource management at the University of Oulu in Finland. 'It has led to severe biodiversity loss, particularly among migratory bird species, native fish populations, and other aquatic and semi-aquatic life,' he added. In July 2021, one of the largest waves of nationwide protests began in Khuzestan over drought and water shortages. Security forces killed dozens and thousands were arrested, according to the human rights group, Amnesty International. Those same stresses persist today with temperatures exceeding 55 degrees Celsius in the summer months and drought again stalking the land. In May, around a thousand people were hospitalized in Khuzestan each day with heart and respiratory illnesses from sand and dust storms. Madani said urgent action was needed, not least to prevent political tensions flaring with countries accusing each other of not releasing enough water into the wetlands. Wildfires exacerbate the pollution. In early May, thousands of hectares of Hoor Al-Azim caught fire, local media said. Earlier this year, smoke and pollution from fires on the Iraqi side of the wetlands engulfed villages in Khuzestan, forcing schools and offices to shut for days. As well as climate effects, human activities are degrading the marshes. Around 80 percent of Iran's oil production is in Khuzestan and a 2021 study found that since the early 2000s, oil exploration projects have caused 'significant damage.' Hamidreza Khodabakhshi, a water planning expert and environmental activist in Khuzestan, said oil exploration had caused parts of the wetlands to dry up. 'Road construction and pipeline installation have not only damaged the ecosystem, but also blocked the natural flow of water,' he said. In February, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told a meeting in Ahvaz, the main city in Khuzestan, that the government took responsibility. 'We are the ones who dried up the wetland, and we are the ones who hurt the people of Khuzestan — now we need to prioritize the employment needs of locals,' he said. The Hoor Al-Hawizeh marshes are fed by water from the Tigris River in Iraq and the Karkheh River in southwest Iran — sources that have sometimes become a point of conflict. Iran, Iraq and Turkiye have constructed dams upstream that scientists say have significantly harmed Hoor Al-Hawizeh. Since 2009, the marsh has also been effectively divided by a 65-km dyke built along the border by Iran to keep water inside its territory. Haghighi said tensions also flared over water allocation. 'In many cases, maintaining ecological water flows is given lower priority compared to agricultural, hydropower and municipal uses, resulting in severe consequences for wetland health,' he said. Scientists hope to raise the case of Hoor Al-Azim at the next meeting of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Zimbabwe in July. 'Sand and dust storms and wildfires are examples of the complex problems that are going to require complex solutions through diplomacy and cooperation,' Madani said.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opinion: The dust we breathe — Utah's urgent wake-up call from the Great Salt Lake
Since 1987, there has been a steady decline in the Great Salt Lake's water elevation. 2022 reached its lowest annual lake elevation in recorded history, raising alarm throughout the Great Basin in Utah, from Brigham City, Farmington and Ogden to Orem, Provo and beyond. In response, researchers, policymakers, businesses, faith groups, farmers, ranchers and nonprofits have stepped up to address a crisis that has already exposed roughly 1,110 square miles of lakebed. The Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL Utah) collaborates with these stakeholders to confront the growing threat of hazardous dust storms that originate from the drying lakebed and worsen our already poor air quality. This is not a distant concern — these storms are already happening and are becoming more frequent. Currently, Utah experiences a few dust storms per year. But as the lake continues to shrink, both the frequency and intensity of these storms will increase. The Salt Lake Valley's unique geography traps air pollution, meaning that harmful particles from dust storms can linger in our communities for days. These dust events are most common in spring and fall due to passing cold fronts, though summer thunderstorms can also trigger them. With rising temperatures and a changing climate, dust storm conditions will become even more prevalent, blowing toxic particles from the exposed lakebed directly into our homes and lungs. The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, which means that all precipitation that falls as rain or snow within its watershed flows into the lake and remains there, with no natural outlet. This means that any pollution this water picks up along the way ends up in the lake. We know from researchers that the lake sediment contains potentially harmful elements, including aluminum, antimony, arsenic, copper, uranium and vanadium. When airborne, these elements contribute to serious health risks. Exposure to polluted air can cause short and long-term health problems including coughing, shortness of breath and asthma. Chronic exposure to elements found in the lakebed can result in various health impacts, including lung and heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. Utah already ranks among the worst states in the nation for air pollution. According to the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air report, Salt Lake City, Provo and Orem rank 25th out of 225 metro areas in the nation for worst short-term particle pollution, and 54th out of 208 for year-round particle pollution. While Utah is making some efforts to increase water inflows to the lake, more must be done. Getting more water in the lake is critical to keeping dust on the playa and out of our atmosphere. At the same time, dust storms are already impacting our health and our lungs. State regulators and lawmakers must prioritize comprehensive dust monitoring and air quality alerts for communities around the lake. Though the Legislature has yet to fully fund this work, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and Division of Air Quality are committed to building a statewide dust monitoring network. This is essential to establishing a baseline dataset, tracking environmental changes, and protecting public health today and in the years to come. Utah must ensure that all communities living near the Great Salt Lake are informed about the potential dangers of dust storms. Schools, daycares, elder care facilities, centers serving people with disabilities, and outdoor workers must have access to the resources needed to protect themselves. A stronger, more coordinated response is essential, one in which communities receive clear guidance and support from the state and researchers to guard against the lake's worsening air pollution concerns. This support should include, at the bare minimum, funding air filtration systems in homes and businesses, providing face masks to block harmful particulate matter, improved access to medical care, and creating a reliable alert system to warn residents of incoming dust storms. These collective actions, from residents and decision makers alike, will help ensure Utah is ready to face a dusty future, at least until the lake is restored to healthy levels. This work is difficult, long term, and there is no one solution. But Utahns are adaptable, extremely intelligent and creative. By practicing gratitude for our Great Salt Lake while taking action to increase water flows and dust monitoring, we can be cautiously optimistic for the future of the lake.
