Environmental risks caused by water and wind erosion in the basin of Al-Majroor Valley, in the south of Al Muthanna Governorate

Abstract

The research aims to analyse the environmental risks caused by water and wind erosion in one of the valleys located in the south of Al Muthanna Governorate alongside the Iraqi -Saudi border it is Al-Majroor valley. The researcher highlighted a marginalised area in terms of geomorphology and development, attempting to link natural factors and the resulting risks to their impact on human activity. The research focuses on assessing the negative impacts of water and wind erosion in the study area, as key drivers of desertification that threaten ecosystems. The risks are not limited to the environmental aspect, but extend to form a heavy economic burden, through the contribution of wind erosion to sand encroachment and accumulation on transport networks. The research also reviews the relationship between dust storm activity and increased health risks to humans, leading to higher rates of respiratory diseases.

The study provides a spatial and environmental analysis of the risks posed by water erosion—specifically regarding the degradation of soil physical structure and the destruction of natural vegetation—within the study area. High rates of soil loss in areas of severe erosion strip away organic-rich surface horizons, transforming the soil into impermeable layers that reduce water permeability and increase surface runoff. The study reveals that the area is caught in a "dual environmental vice": the first force is water erosion, which weakens and strips the surface in specific zones; the second is severe wind erosion (particularly in Rafha), which exploits dry soil conditions—caused by low effective precipitation—to transport fine particles and bury vegetation under encroaching sands.