Iraqis use clay to curb sandstorms

Dust increases as country bears the brunt of climate change, writes AFP

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Deep in Iraq’s southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers are spreading layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of broader efforts to combat increasingly frequent sandstorms.

Iraq has long been affected by sand and dust storms, but their frequency and intensity have increased in recent years as the country bears the brunt of climate change.

Driven by severe drought, rising temperatures and deforestation, the storms have cloaked cities and villages in thick ochre haze, grounded flights and sent thousands to hospitals with breathing difficulties.

Iraqi authorities have warned the suffocating storms will worsen, underscoring the urgency of tackling their root causes.