Yellow Sand is Expected to Decrease This Spring

It is expected that yellow sand from China will be less serious this year than in previous years. Accordingly, the Korean Peninsula is predicted not to suffer serious damage from the phenomenon.

Chinese meteorological authorities announced on January 14 that it expects a less frequent and less severe yellow sand phenomenon this spring compared with last year, as the ecological environment of central and northern Neimonggu region, from which the yellow sand mainly originates, has improved significantly with efforts such as the creation of a grass field.

Regions in the path of yellow sand, like the Hui tribe district in Ningsha and northern Shanxi Province, show relatively abundant rainfall and improved ecological environment such as a newly created forest blocking the wind, which leads to the prediction that eastern China including Beijing will suffer less damage from the yellow sand.

However, another epicenter of the phenomenon, the Uyghur tribe district in Sinjang and western Gansu Province, do not show any signs of improvement in terms of their ecological environment while rainfall reduced, which leads to the prediction that yellow sand will be more frequent in these areas.

Yoo-Seong Hwang yshwang@donga.com