What's happening in the yellow sand area ... April 28, 14:29

This time about yellow sand that tends to occur in spring.

Looking at the place of origin, we have come to see difficult issues that are not just natural phenomena.

Challenge the problem!

It's a problem right away.

Problem


Yellow sand is dust generated from the arid regions of the Asian continent and flies over East Asia, including Japan.

In order for this phenomenon to occur, it is necessary to meet two conditions: dust is rolled up by strong winds in arid areas, and it is carried east by the movement of the atmosphere above, and the season is spring.


What is the movement of the underlined atmosphere?


(Underlined "Carried to the east by the movement of the atmosphere in the sky")



(Shirayuri Gakuen Junior High School 2020 renamed)

The answer is "westerlies".

Flying yellow sand

The source of yellow sand is the desert in the inland Eurasian continent and the arid areas around it.

When the temperature rises in the spring in this area, strong winds blow and sandstorms are more likely to occur, which fly to Japan thousands of kilometers away on the winds of the sky and westerlies.

Serious disaster on the continent

In Japan, the effects of yellow sand on health have been pointed out, but on the continental side, serious disaster-level situations are occurring.

A large-scale sandstorm that occurred in Mongolia in March 2021.

You can see its size compared to the building.

In addition to the dead and missing, there was also damage to the traditional mobile dwelling called "Gel".



We talked to a Japanese who has experienced a sandstorm.

Mr. Kenjiro Hara, the representative of an organization that has been engaged in greening activities in China and Mongolia for over 20 years.

Mr. Hara:


"When it

's

terrible, there's a sound of sand hitting the eardrum, crackling. I don't know the direction. I can't see about 10m ahead. It may be about to come to Japan. I don't know, but there are some more scary parts in the field. "

It is a state of Beijing, China in March 2021.

It is hazy yellow due to the flying sand.

More than 400 flights have been canceled at two airports in Beijing.



On the continental side, the damage and impact are thus serious.

On the background of yellow sand ...

The important thing is to prevent the devastation of dry areas where sandstorms occur, that is, to stop "desertification".


It has been pointed out that desertification is not only due to climate change, but also due to human factors.

Mr. Hara:


"I keep too many livestock. Especially when goats run out of grass, they dig up and eat up to the roots. This is also affected by Japan, but the demand for cashmere goats has increased. Demand has increased. I think that the number of livestock has increased steadily because we have to increase the production volume by doing so. "

According to Mr. Hara, livestock cannot be parted for people in arid areas to survive, but "overgrazing" of over-grazing livestock is devastating the land.


In order to prevent such desertification, Mr. Hara and his colleagues are engaged in greening activities with the local people.

This is a technique called "Kusakata".

The work of inserting straw into the ground is done in a grid pattern.

Then, it seems that the sand becomes difficult to move.

Sow the seeds there and grow the plants.

The place that used to be a dune



is now in bloom

10 years later

.

It changes so far.



The Chinese government is also focusing on greening.

We are planning to build a large-scale protected forest called "Green Great Wall" and a farm.

It is a long-term effort until 2050.

East Asia is not the only concern about desertification.

It is also progressing in Africa and elsewhere.


If left untreated, hunger and poverty can be further exacerbated by the inability to farm and livestock, as well as disasters such as sandstorms.

Mr. Hara


: Of course, there are poverty problems in desertified areas, and I think there are various problems, so I think it is necessary to go beyond the country rather than trying to solve one problem. "

Yellow sand is not just a natural phenomenon, it is a complicated problem involving human activities.


International cooperation is indispensable because global environmental problems are related to all fields such as politics, society, and economy, and it is also necessary to share know-how on countermeasures.


Whether it's the issue of climate change or desertification, it's important to work in unison, overcoming the interests and conflicts between countries.

In "Migake, Curiosity!" Of "Weekly Maru-Knowledge News" (broadcast at 9:00 am on Saturday), we will delve into the news every week on the subject of current affairs presented in the entrance examination.


Let's think of "why?", In fact, "in the first place" that you want to know as a Kamakura caster!



You can also review the past on the corner homepage.


Please take a look from the link below!

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/maruwaka-migake/