File:Dust Across Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MODIS).jpg

English: Thick streamers of dust blew southward from the Hamoun wetlands in late September 2023, spreading across parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the strong storm on September 20.

Hamoun sits in the Sistan Basin on the Iran-Afghanistan border, in one of driest spots on Earth. In the springtime, the Helmand River carries snowmelt from the Hindu Kush Mountains across the desert to reach Hamoun, creating an oasis in the parched region. In the heat of summer, the lakes and wetlands shrink, sometimes leaving little hint of water through the rest of the year.

In the past, when the three shallow lakes and surrounding wetlands filled with spring meltwater, the water would linger long enough to create a home for many plant and animal species. But the combination of drought and the diversion of water for irrigation has caused the wetlands to nearly disappear, leaving decreased biodiversity and lots of dust. The Hamoun wetlands have become a major source of heavy dust storms, not just in the driest seasons but year-round.