Wind erosion is a serious problem in many parts of the world. It is worse in arid and semiarid regions. Areas most susceptible to wind erosion on agricultural land include much of North Africa and the Near East; parts of southern central, and eastern Asia; the Siberian Plains; Australia; northwest China; southern South America; and North America.
Wind erosion is a major problem on about 75 million acres of land in the United States. About 5 million acres are moderately to severely damaged each year. Wind erosion physically removes from the field the most fertile portion of the soil. Some soil from damaged land enters suspension and becomes part of the atmospheric dust load. Dust obscures visibility and pollutes the air and water, causes automobile accidents, fouls machinery, and imperils animal and human health.