Abstract
ABSTRACT Sand and dust storms are a common natural hazard in arid and dry areas of the Middle East and North Africa severely affecting human life and economic sectors, including agriculture production. In this paper, I explore the potential impact of sand and dust storms (SDS) on agricultural sub-sectors in Iraq by combining the household-level production and socioeconomic data with the climate dataset to allow the empirical assessment of agricultural impacts due to dust storms. I find compelling evidence that exposure of crops and livestock to dust storms significantly diminish agricultural productivity, vegetation cover and have significant bearings on the household welfare. Our analysis reveals a 1.1% reduction in the value of crop production as a result of an additional SDS event. This corresponds to about 0.045% losses in the GDP of Iraq, an amount equivalent to about $0.1 billion. Crop yields are reduced significantly ranging from 0.9% to 3% for an additional day of sand and dust storms.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
