Dust exposure linkages among Asian countries

Abstract

Dust events have far-reaching and detrimental effects on the environment and human populations, often crossing international borders and spanning vast distances. However, a comprehensive assessment of their transboundary linkages is lacking. In this study, we integrated dust emissions with dust transport in Asia to investigate the dust exposure linkages among Asian countries. Our findings indicate a significant correlation between dust transport and dust exposure in various countries, which is stronger than that between dust emission and dust exposure. Our results reveal the origins of dust exposure in countries distant from dust sources, as well as the destinations of dust from dust source countries. For instance, 65.16% of dust exposure in Japanese cities originates from Mongolian dust emissions, while dust emissions from China account for 57.14% of dust exposure in Chinese cities. This information is instrumental in effectively addressing the impact of dust events under the Policy Advocacy Framework to combat Sand and Dust Storms. This research provides insights for developing policies that leverage intercountry communication and collaboration to alleviate the threats of dust events at the regional and local levels.