MapMaster 3

A map highlights the regions of the world with areas affected by wind erosion highlighted in dark red and water erosion-affected areas highlighted in dark blue.

In North America, wind erosion significantly impacts the Great Plains in southern Canada and the adjacent northern Great Plains of the United States. This issue extends to the southern plains, affecting regions in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Water erosion is prevalent in the eastern plains, the Midwest, parts of the Mississippi River Valley, Michigan, southern Ontario, and the mountainous areas of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. In the western United States, water erosion affects parts of California and eastern Washington, while wind erosion is notable in the deserts of southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. Western Mexico faces water erosion along its length, which continues through Central America to Panama and includes major Caribbean islands like Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Wind erosion is also observed in northern Mexico.

In South America, water erosion is prominent along the Andes mountains from Venezuela to Bolivia, in central Chile south of Santiago, and along Brazil's Atlantic coast from Recife southward to southeastern areas. The southern Andes of Bolivia and northern Chile experience wind erosion, as does east-central Brazil. Northwestern Europe sees minimal soil erosion, but water erosion does occur in Spain, southeastern and central Europe, and western Russia, extending into Siberia in Asia. Ukraine and southern Russia are susceptible to wind erosion.

In North Africa, wind erosion affects the northern Sahara from Algeria to western Egypt and extends across the Sahel from Mauritania to Sudan. Sub-Saharan Africa has scattered water erosion patches in West Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, southern Africa (notably South Africa), and Madagascar. Southwest Asia experiences widespread wind erosion on the Arabian Peninsula and in Iran, while water erosion impacts Turkey, northern Iran, Yemen, and southern Oman. Central Asia faces water erosion in northwestern Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. In South Asia, northwest India deals with wind erosion, whereas water erosion is widespread across India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and parts of Bangladesh.

Southeast Asia encounters extensive water erosion in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia (particularly Borneo and Java). East Asia experiences water erosion in large parts of eastern China and wind erosion in northern China, eastern Mongolia, and various areas in western China. In Oceania, small areas of water erosion are found in eastern and western Australia, Vanuatu, and New Zealand’s North Island.