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Sand and dust storms are natural environmental processes that occur at various scales and they can have significant ecological and social impacts. Globally, patterns of aeolian activities are changing, and on South Africa’s west coast a marked increase in dust emission was observed during a prolonged drought lasting from 2015 to 2022. This region, dominated by Succulent Karoo shrublands, experienced a decline in vegetation cover and shifts in vegetation states due to the combined effects of drought, grazing, mining activities, and wind erosion. This review examines the transition in vegetation cover, the environmental and anthropogenic processes driving these changes, and their relationship to increased wind erosion and dust emission. Key influencing factors include rainfall variability, grazing intensity, and the degrading effects of wind erosion, shaped by broader forces such as climate change and land-use practices like mining and limited crop farming. To synthesise these dynamics, we present a conceptual State-and-Transition Model (STM) that captures vegetation responses in arid ecosystems and integrates the feedback between vegetation loss, wind erosion, and dust emission. This research furthermore summarises the broader consequences of dust events, including soil degradation, public health risks, and off-site effects on ocean chemistry and marine ecosystems. Understanding the drivers of vegetation change and the role of human and climatic pressures is crucial for anticipating future atmospheric dust loads and managing the resilience of arid landscapes.
Vos et al. (Wed,) studied this question.