MapMaster 3

Atlas (Beta)

Soil Erosion

WorldPhysical Environment

Areas of soil degradation where human activities result in high or very high levels of water and wind erosion

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.

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Soil Erosion		Major Drainage Basins
Wind erosion	Water erosion	Adriatic Sea - Greece - Black Sea Coast	Africa, East Central Coast	Africa, Indian Ocean Coast	Africa, North Interior	Africa, North West Coast	Africa, Red Sea - Gulf of Aden Coast	Africa, South Interior	Africa, West Coast	Amazon	Amu Darya	Amur	Angola, Coast	Antarctica	Arabian Peninsula	Arabian Sea Coast	Arctic Ocean Islands	Atlantic Ocean Seaboard	Baja California	Baltic Sea Coast	Bay of Bengal, North East Coast	Black Sea, North Coast	Black Sea, South Coast	Bo Hai - Korean Bay, North Coast	Brahamani	California	Caribbean Coast	Caribbean	Caspian Sea Coast	Caspian Sea, East Coast	Caspian Sea, South West Coast	Cauvery	Central Iran	Central Patagonia Highlands	Chao Phraya	China Coast	Colombia - Ecuador, Pacific Coast	Columbia and Northwestern United States	Congo	Danube	Daugava	Dead Sea	Denmark - Germany Coast	Dnieper	Dniester	Don	Douro	East Brazil, South Atlantic Coast	Eastern Jordan - Syria	Ebro	Elbe	Ems - Weser	England and Wales	Farahrud	Finland	Fly	France, South Coast	France, West Coast	Fraser	Ganges - Bramaputra	Gironde	Gobi Interior	Godavari	Great Basin	Grijalva - Usumacinta	Guadalquivir	Guadiana	Gulf Coast	Gulf of Guinea	Gulf of Mexico, North Atlantic Coast	Gulf of Thailand Coast	Hamun-i-Mashkel	Helmand	Hong (Red River)	Huang He	Hudson Bay Coast	Iceland	India East Coast	India North East Coast	India South Coast	India West Coast	Indus	Ireland	Irian Jaya Coast	Irrawaddy	Isthmus of Tehuantepec	Italy, East Coast	Italy, West Coast	Japan	Java - Timor	Kalimantan	Kara Sea Coast	Krishna	La Plata	La Puna Region	Lake Balkash	Lake Chad	Lena	Limpopo	Loire	Maas	Mackenzie	Madasgacar	Magdalena	Mahandi	Mahi	Mar Chiquita	Mediterranean Sea Islands	Mediterranean Sea, East Coast	Mediterranean South Coast	Mekong	Mexico, Interior	Mexico, Northwest Coast	Mississippi - Missouri	Namibia, Coast	Narmada	Narva	Negro	Neman	Neva	New Zealand	Niger	Nile	North America, Colorado	North and South Korea	North Argentina, South Atlantic Coast	North Borneo Coast	North Brazil, South Atlantic Coast	North Chile, Pacific Coast	North Gulf	Northeast South America, South Atlantic Coast	Northern Dvina	Northwest Territories	Ob	Oder	Orange	Orinoco	Pacific and Arctic Coast	Pacific Central Coast	Palau and East Indonesia	Pampas Region	Papaloapan	Papua New Guinea Coast	Parnaiba	Peninsula Malaysia	Pennar	Persian Gulf Coast	Peru, Pacific Coast	Philippines	Plateau of Tibet Interior	Po	Poland Coast	Red Sea, East Coast	Rhine	Rhône	Rift Valley	Río Balsas	Río Grande - Bravo	Río Lerma	Río Verde	Russia, Barents Sea Coast	Russia, South East Coast	Sabarmati	Salinas Grandes	Salween	Sao Francisco	Saskatchewan - Nelson	Scandinavia, North Coast	Scheldt	Scotland	Seine	Senegal	Sepik	Shebelli - Juba	Siberia, North Coast	Siberia, West Coast	Sinai Peninsula	Sittang	Solomon Islands	South Africa, South Coast	South Africa, West Coast	South America, Colorado	South Argentina, South Atlantic Coast	South Chile, Pacific Coast	South China Sea Coast	South Pacific Islands	Southern Central America	Spain - Portugal, Atlantic Coast	Spain, South and East Coast	Sri Lanka	St Lawrence	Sulawesi	Sumatra	Sweden	Syr Darya	Tagus	Taiwan	Tapti	Tarim Interior	Tiber	Tigris - Euphrates	Tocantins	United States, North Atlantic Coast	Ural	Uruguay - Brazil, South Atlantic Coast	Viet Nam, Coast	Volga	Volta	Wisla	Xun Jiang	Yangtze	Yasai	Yenisey	Yucatán Peninsula	Zambezi	Ziya He, Interior
	2.64%													87.6%																																										13.5%																												8.22%																																					96.7%																						58.3%																														16.6%						57.5%							43.7%
	30.3%																										82.2%	93.6%
3.39%	3.82%										16.1%																		12.4%	16.0%																								8.22%								1.60%										4.05%	34.4%									11.2%														12.8%																																						27.5%																																																													31.3%				12.1%					3.55%
2.81%	18.0%											11.4%												3.99%												6.29%																								4.47%		20.8%													8.85%														95.4%																						1.59%														76.9%									1.53%																4.08%												8.54%			1.36%																																98.3%		16.9%											3.74%	17.6%		21.8%			3.72%
3.18%	1.43%											4.42%											45.9%						3.97%		80.0%															1.68%																																														4.99%						13.9%																						1.25%												1.60%		11.5%																											4.48%							1.62%							10.6%	19.5%																															7.19%						12.2%
22.9%	24.9%	36.5%															26.9%			48.9%		20.7%																		40.9%	18.1%		18.9%	53.2%	11.9%	9.25%	16.6%			17.7%	27.4%	16.9%	58.5%		79.6%		4.48%	17.3%			12.6%					10.6%	11.7%										96.7%						25.7%				30.9%	21.8%												19.4%	3.30%							5.54%	95.9%								17.0%		33.0%	1.08%											9.46%				16.3%																22.3%	10.7%		16.4%	14.8%													41.3%	4.20%	30.8%	12.9%																	15.8%	19.6%					37.5%		12.0%				5.87%									17.4%
2.18%	6.98%									44.1%																	14.1%							4.67%			13.8%											3.29%																	45.3%																													23.8%	5.38%									22.9%			4.35%											6.04%								8.07%		3.07%	31.1%		35.1%						47.3%				6.35%			3.84%				19.1%																5.92%		7.54%																13.1%	15.5%	12.6%			76.4%															10.7%			9.89%									24.7%
22.2%	76.2%				54.7%	26.4%								97.7%			98.3%											90.0%																																																																																																																																																18.6%											83.7%			72.9%
2.27%	11.4%																	2.95%	7.17%							3.87%												6.80%																					1.82%					3.54%	4.11%			3.99%		6.05%						13.5%										4.14%																17.5%										12.3%	23.2%	31.5%										5.93%						4.18%			40.3%					14.0%	2.81%			2.84%															7.61%	4.10%	6.51%	5.01%							5.29%																								4.49%												2.41%											6.69%
2.72%	5.61%															12.8%					11.9%				1.72%							2.42%																												36.7%			9.70%									13.3%	1.45%					1.88%	1.42%	1.81%	2.53%	18.5%											8.33%												4.50%	1.25%										3.08%																														2.23%																	13.1%																											98.3%								2.24%														2.21%
	27.1%																				7.62%														30.7%																																				7.34%			27.5%										21.1%	55.3%					11.0%	24.3%																				32.9%																57.6%													3.11%					19.1%				93.0%																11.0%													8.51%							1.13%							9.32%	24.2%													24.9%				3.41%
18.0%	27.1%	3.03%			69.4%	74.5%	6.77%								64.8%	4.26%							37.2%							8.82%	9.55%		48.4%									13.0%							8.97%					1.81%																		2.10%																									2.92%												17.0%	10.3%												6.56%	25.4%																								12.1%						21.9%																								2.76%																								19.1%
14.8%	14.3%		36.4%	21.0%	17.4%		14.6%	28.6%	39.0%				23.6%																										54.6%																														33.4%																												37.3%		13.8%				99.5%												31.6%							32.6%	50.1%													37.7%																				21.3%																16.3%		36.3%						20.8%	8.49%																											17.9%							24.0%

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