Long-term impacts of dust storms on transport systems in south-eastern Iran

Abbas Miri () and Nick Middleton ()
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Abbas Miri: University of Zabol
Nick Middleton: University of Oxford

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2022, vol. 114, issue 1, No 12, 312 pages

Abstract: Abstract Dust storms are frequent in the Sistan region of south-eastern Iran and cause a wide range of problems, but few studies have assessed their negative impacts. This paper makes an assessment of the impacts and estimates the damage costs associated with dust storms on transportation systems—aviation, road and rail—over the period 2013–2020. Daily visibility data were used to obtain the number of dust-storm days, and information on the damage to each transportation sector was collected from the relevant local authorities. A strong relationship was observed between dust storms and the number of flight cancellations and car accidents and the amount of accumulated sediment on the roads, by month and year. The impacts were greatest during summer months (June–August) and in 2018, the year of highest dust storm frequency. The total estimated cost to the three transport systems was US$46.5 million over the 8 years studied, with most of the costs (66%) associated with road transport. The results provide managers with a basis from which plans can be developed to control and mitigate the impacts of dust storms.

Keywords: Dust storm; Sistan region; Transportation system; Impacts; Economic costs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-022-05390-z

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