The UN General Assembly has declared 2025–2034 the Decade of Combating Sand and Dust Storms.

The relevant document was announced by the UN General Assembly last year and adopted on the eve of July 12-the International Day against Sand and Dust Storms, which is celebrated today for the first time. This initiative aims to mitigate the negative impact of sand and dust storms through international and regional cooperation.

"We are working to mitigate the negative impact of sand and dust storms through several initiatives. We will help countries establish monitoring and early warning systems, as well as develop international cooperation to combat root causes", said Ibrahim Thiaw, Under-Secretary-Generaland Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

According to the UN, dust and sandstorms have become a serious global problem in recent decades due to their serious impact on the environment, health, agriculture, livelihoods, and socio-economic well-being. Today, at least 25 percent of this phenomenon is caused by anthropogenic factors. 2 billion tonnes of sand and dust enter the atmosphere every year. 

"It is difficult to track the impact of this phenomenon since human activity in one region can cause sand and dust storms in another region. However, since sand and dust storms are caused by human activity, this risk can be reduced through human activity", the organization's website says.

For information: Mitigation of the effects of sand and dust storms will be discussed at the 16th UNCCD COP16 Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 2–13, 2024.