Wind Erosion in Africa and West Asia: Problems and Control Strategies: Proceedings of the Expert Group Meeting 22-25 April 1997, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Drylands are important sources of aeolian particles (dust and other particulates) associated with a variety of human activities, including vegetation removal and biomass burning. A wide range of empirical and numerical modeling studies, which relate climatic variation in drylands to a variety of forcing mechanisms, has established the strength of the link between the global climate system and specific climate patterns in the dryland areas. Wind erosion, the removal of soil by wind, is one of the most damaging effects of wind in many parts of the world. As a rule, it only assumes the status of a major problem in regions with a strongly-marked annual dry season, and hence 
is a potential hazard in all dry environments. Much of the early work on wind erosion was carried out in the great plains of the United ·states, the wheat fields of the Canadian prairies, and the south of the former USSR. The problem has also been studied in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The occurrence of wind erosion is a function of weather events interacting with soil (intrinsic properties) and land management (past and present practices) through its effect on soil structure, tilth, and vegetation cover. As with water erosion, most wind erosion damage comes from relatively rare, severe events. Increased availability of simple and inexpensive