Editing Dust (section)

===Middle East===
Dust in the Middle East has been a historic phenomenon. Recently, because of [[climate change]] and the escalating process of [[desertification]], the problem has worsened dramatically. As a multi-factor phenomenon, there is not yet a clear consensus on the sources or potential solutions to the problem.

====Iran====
The dust in [[Iraq]] and [[Iran]] are migratory systems that move from west to east or east to west in the spring and have the highest intensity, concentration, and extent until mid-summer. The causes of their occurrence are the lack of humidity, dry environment, low rainfall, and annual droughts. Due to the decrease of rainfall in areas such as Iraq and Syria, most of the dust in Iran also originates from the regions of Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.<ref name="Dust in Iran"/>

In addition to the foreign foci, there are areas inside the country that have either formed new dust foci in recent years or were from the past and their extent has increased. Among these areas, parts of southern [[Tehran]], south of [[Alborz province]] – which in the past were plains, riverbeds, seasonal lakes, and seasonal reservoirs – and [[Gavkhouni|Gavkhoni wetland]] of [[Isfahan province]] can be mentioned because they have become dry and prone to dust. Among other areas that have become dust centers, [[Qom province]], the Qom salt lake and its surroundings can be mentioned, as well as the [[Lake Urmia|Urmia lake]], which due to strong winds and due to the dryness of the lake and the reduction of its size, some areas of its bed which were underwater in the past are subject to wind erosion.<ref name="Dust in Iran">{{cite news |title=Continuity of dust in the country |script-title=fa: تداوم گرد و غبار در کشور |url=https://www.tabnak.ir/004yKs |access-date=9 April 2024 |work=Tabnak |publisher=Tabnak |date=28 July 2023 |language=Persian |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520021511/https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1185246/%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%88-%D8%BA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In Iran, the dust directly affects more than 5 million people and has become a serious government issue recently. In the [[Khuzestan province]], it has led to the severe increase of [[air pollution]]. The amount of [[pollutant]]s in the air has surpassed more than 50 times the normal level several times in a year. Recently, initiatives such as Project-Dust have been established to study dust in the Middle East directly.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The continuation of drought has caused water scarcity or drying up of some wetlands and lakes such as [[Hamun Lake|Hamon]] and [[Urmia Lake]]. This has turned them into centers of dust.<ref name="Dust in Iran"/>

Director General of the Office of Desert Affairs of Iran's Natural Resources and Watershed Organization stated that according to the data of the 2018 studies, 30 million hectares of land in the country are affected by wind erosion, and 14 million hectares of this area are considered to be the focal points of wind erosion, which causes serious damage to infrastructure.<ref>{{cite news |title=What is the key to effectively deal with dust in the country? |url=https://www.tabnak.ir/004yKs |access-date=9 April 2024 |work=Tabnak |publisher=Tabnak |date=28 July 2023 |language=Persian |quote=کد خبر:۱۱۸۵۲۴۶ |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520021511/https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1185246/%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85-%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D9%88-%D8%BA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 |url-status=live }}</ref>