United Nations experts have warned that recent years have seen a significant increase in the frequency and severity of sandstorms due to human activity and climate change, impeding the achievement of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations in 2011.
This growing natural phenomenon poses a threat to agricultural lands, food sources, and human health in many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa region, which originates a significant percentage of these globally impactful storms.
According to a statement published on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification website, sandstorms annually carry about two billion tons of sand and dust into the atmosphere, equivalent to 350 times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza. In some regions, the number of sand and dust particles in the atmosphere doubled between 1900 and 2000.
This trend has continued with the exacerbation of human-driven climate change. UN experts estimate that at least 25% of global dust emissions originate from human activities, while the remaining percentage is due to natural causes. However, human-induced climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of sand and dust storms.
Sand and dust storms lead to increased desertification, land degradation, and crop damage.
Multiple Risks
Sand and dust storms arise in dryland areas covering 41% of the Earth's surface, forming some of the most fragile ecosystems and most vulnerable to global climate change. While larger particles from sandstorms typically travel no more than a few kilometers, dust storm particles measuring less than 0.05 millimeters in diameter can travel thousands of kilometers.
Consequently, the impact of sand and dust storms extends across all regions of the world. Nevertheless, the main hotspots for dust storms are particularly in the Sahara Desert, the Middle East, northwestern China, southwestern Asia, and central Australia.
According to a recent report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, sand and dust storms can lead to increased desertification, land degradation, and crop damage, negatively affecting the quantity and quality of food. These storms also negatively impact air quality and have harmful effects on health worldwide.
Inhaling fine particles carried by these storms can lead to respiratory issues, allergies, and other health problems. A global scientific review published in March 2023 found substantial evidence of the health effects of desert dust and sandstorms, especially on respiratory, cardiovascular diseases, and causes of mortality.
The Middle East and North Africa are among the dustiest regions due to their proximity to the Sahara Desert.
The Middle East and North Africa at the Heart of Storms
The Middle East and North Africa are among the world's dustiest regions due to their proximity to the Sahara Desert, the world's largest source of dust. Its dust emissions are about four times higher than those from the Arabian deserts. This dust travels to distant locations such as the Amazon rainforests, North America, Europe, and China.
According to a 2019 World Bank report on sand and dust storms in the Middle East and North Africa, the highest density of dust sources is found in the Middle East and in northern Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Dust sources in the region are generally located in vast desert areas with low population density. Sudan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Arabian Gulf have recorded the overall highest frequency of dust storms.
While natural sources like the Sahara are the primary contributors to dust storms in the Middle East and North Africa, changes in land use and human-driven climate change have also added human-made sources.
United Nations estimates point to a yearly loss of about $13 billion from the Gross Domestic Product in the Middle East and North Africa due to dust storms.
Dust and sandstorms may be influenced by climate change and contribute to climate-related impacts.
Weak Climate Action Exacerbates Threat
Scientific studies have demonstrated that dust and sandstorms can be affected by climate change, which in turn contributes to climate-related impacts by affecting regional weather patterns, altering carbon and nutrient cycles, and exacerbating land degradation and desertification.
Sandstorms are expected to become more intense with rising temperatures, as stated by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in their report on sand and dust storms in Asia and the Pacific.
With increasing temperatures and droughts, the reduced soil moisture significantly contributes to the heightened intensity and frequency of sand and dust storms in South and Western Asia and other regions around the world.
The World Meteorological Organization emphasizes that tackling sand and dust storms require an integrated approach, including sustainable land management, mitigating and adapting to climate change effects, and reducing disaster risks, encompassing early warning systems and international cooperation.
