Sand and dust storms, a once-underappreciated problem, are now becoming “dramatically” more frequent in various regions worldwide, warns the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The UNCCD experts attribute at least 25% of this phenomenon to human activities. The severity of the issue is underscored by the fact that two billion tons of sand and dust, equivalent to the weight of 350 Great Pyramids of Giza, enter the atmosphere annually.
The warning, accompanied by policy recommendations, is issued during a five-day meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where global progress in implementing the Convention is under review. This meeting addresses the significant impacts of sand and dust storms on agriculture, industry, transportation, water and air quality, and human health. Ibrahim Thiaw, the UNCCD’s Executive Secretary, emphasizes the costly havoc wreaked by these storms across Northern and Central Asia to sub-Saharan Africa.
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While sand and dust storms are natural phenomena, poor land and water management, droughts, and climate change exacerbate the problem. UNCCD experts highlight the unpredictable and dangerous nature of fluctuations in their intensity, magnitude, or duration. Beyond the source regions, the cumulative impacts from these are substantial.
The UN Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), was established in 2019 to address the global challenge. The coalition’s efforts are documented in the Sand and Dust Storms Compendium and SDS Toolbox, providing guidance on data collection, monitoring, impact mitigation, and preparedness.
This discussion is part of the agenda at the UNCCD’s Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 21) meeting in Uzbekistan. This critical meeting occurs as recent statistics reveal the world is losing nearly 1 million square kilometers of healthy and productive land every year. The meeting signifies a significant step as it’s the first time the UNCCD has held one of its major meetings in Central Asia.