Abu dhabi: The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has revealed that sand and dust storms are affecting 330 million people across more than 150 countries, posing significant threats to public health and the global economy.
According to Emirates News Agency, the annual WMO Airborne Dust Bulletin underscores the urgency of enhancing monitoring, forecasting, and early warning systems to mitigate these effects. The Bulletin notes that while the global average of annual mean dust surface concentrations in 2024 was marginally less than in 2023, regional disparities were stark. In severely impacted areas, 2024 surface dust levels surpassed the long-term average from 1981-2010. Annually, about 2,000 million tonnes of sand and dust enter the atmosphere.
A majority of the global dust budget, over 80 percent, originates from the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. These particles can travel vast distances, crossing continents and oceans. Although much of this is natural, factors such as poor water and land management, drought, and environmental degradation are increasingly responsible.
The report, released for the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on July 12th, highlights that while natural causes dominate, human-induced factors are becoming more significant. In 2024, dust concentrations were below the long-term average in many main source regions but exceeded averages in areas receiving the dust.
Regions particularly susceptible to long-range dust transport include the northern tropical Atlantic Ocean, South America, the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and central-eastern China. Notably, African dust transported across the Atlantic reached parts of the Caribbean Sea in 2024.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized the broader impacts of these storms, noting, 'Sand and dust storms do not just mean dirty windows and hazy skies. They harm the health and quality of life of millions of people and cost many millions of dollars through disruption to air and ground transport, on agriculture and on solar energy production.' She stressed that investments in early warnings and mitigation could yield substantial returns.
A new indicator developed by WMO and the World Health Organisation reveals that 3.8 billion people were exposed to dust levels exceeding WHO's safety thresholds from 2018-2022, marking a 31 percent increase from 2003-2007. Exposure varied, with some regions experiencing dust for over 87 percent of days within five years.
The economic impact, often underestimated, includes a 2017 case study from the USA, where dust and wind erosion cost approximately US$154 billion-a significant rise from the 1995 estimate. These costs encompass household impacts, crop damage, energy production disruptions, and health-related expenses. The true financial burden is likely higher, given the lack of comprehensive evaluations of dust's broader economic consequences, as noted in a study published in Nature.
