In March 2021, Seoul woke up under a thick yellow haze - the worst dust storm in a decade. South Korea blamed China, who promptly blamed Mongolia. Fingers were pointed, narratives emerged, and what seemed like a weather event quickly became a diplomatic one.

Since then, dust storms have continued to blight the region, and have emerged as a source of continual transborder tension.

Joining Esau in this episode, Dr Thomas White, co-author of the article Foul Weather Friends? The Transnational Politics of Dust Storms Between China and Mongolia, and Prof Andreas Baas, a physical geographer with expertise in desertification and land degradation.

Together, they unpack how dust storms stir up more than sand - touching on nationalism, environmental diplomacy, and the politics of green solutions - questions that resonate far beyond the Gobi Desert.

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