Sand and dust storms are a natural phenomenon in many dry regions of the world. But they are now much more common in some regions than before, warn United Nations experts in several recent reports. This causes massive immediate damage to people and nature, especially in North and Central Asia and in Africa south of the Sahara. But the consequences can also be felt in the long term and globally, according to the UN. Because the forces of nature release two billion tons of sand and dust into the atmosphere every year. According to scientists, at least a quarter of the storms are linked to human activity.
“The sight of rolling dark clouds of sand and dust, engulfing everything in their path and turning day into night, is one of nature’s most intimidating spectacles,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. UNCCD). In this agreement, adopted in 1992, the 197 contracting states decided to take targeted measures to combat land degradation and droughts. So far, however, there has been only limited success, as several recent reports from UN experts reveal. They were released at a five-day meeting of UNCCD States Parties in Uzbekistan
Two billion tons of sand and dust every year
According to these reports, the frequency and intensity of sand and dust storms have increased dramatically in some regions in recent years. They usually occur in dry and low-lying regions with little vegetation and particularly affect local agriculture by destroying or reducing crops. According to UN statistics, the world is now losing almost a million square kilometers of arable land every year due to sandstorms and desert expansion. North and Central Asia as well as sub-Saharan Africa are particularly affected by sandstorms, where the amount of sand in some deserts has doubled in the last century. According to the United Nations, dust storms occur primarily in North and South Africa, the Middle East and East Asia, as well as in Australia and South America.
But the effects of both phenomena can be felt far beyond the storm regions. According to the reports, two billion tons of sand and dust end up in the earth’s atmosphere every year and are spread widely by the wind, with consequences for the climate and the environment. The authors warn that global water and air quality as well as human health are at risk. “Atmospheric dust, especially when combined with local industrial pollution, can cause or worsen respiratory diseases,” says Feras Ziadat, chair of the UN Coalition to Combat Sand and Dust Storms. Sand and dust storms are particularly dangerous for asthmatics. In addition, even in regions thousands of kilometers away, industry, transport and communication routes as well as power supply can be disrupted by poor visibility and dust-related mechanical failures, the reports say.
Human activities are partly to blame
In some regions with deserts and steppes, sand and dust storms have always been seasonal and common. Locally they are also called sirocco, haboob, yellow dust, white storms or harmattan. UNCCD experts report that these storms are often unpredictable and, depending on their duration and intensity, dangerous. However, poor land and water management, droughts and climate change are making the problem worse. Human activities are partly to blame for at least a quarter of the storms. “But just as sand and dust storms are increased by human activities, they can also be reduced by human actions,” adds Thiaw.
In order to reduce the causes and consequences of sand and dust storms (SDS) and to be able to warn about them at an early stage, politicians must implement further measures globally and regionally, according to the UN. However, the danger posed by natural forces is underestimated in many places because individual storms often only cause indirect and long-term human losses, but not direct human losses, say the UNCCD experts. “Inadequate information hinders effective decision-making and effective management of SDS sources and impacts,” they write. The United Nations says it is supporting governments in developing local and global policies to promote sustainable land management practices, implement effective climate protection measures and introduce early warning systems for storms.
Source: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)