The United Nations (UN) International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) is annually observed across the globe on 12 July to raise global awareness of the growing health and environmental challenges posed by SDS.
- 12 July 2024 marks the observance of the 2nd International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms.
- The Day highlights the significance of combating SDS for human health and well-being, promoting sustainable land and water management.
SDS and its Impacts:
i.SDS is an ensemble of particles of dust or sand energetically lifted to great heights by a strong and turbulent wind.
ii.SDS are common meteorological hazards in arid and semi-arid regions that generate large amounts of airborne mineral dust particles.
iii.SDS are part of Earth’s natural cycles but are worsened by climate change and unsustainable land and water use. At least 25% of global dust emissions stem from human activities.
iv.The impacts of SDS are:
- Health deterioration
- Increased desertification and land degradation
- Deforestation and loss of biodiversity
- Threats to food security and sustainable economic growth
Note: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally, 330 million people are exposed daily to particles transported by wind, sometimes for thousands of kilometers (km) from source areas.
Background:
i.On 8 June 2023, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/77/294, proclaiming 12 July of every year as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms.
- The first-ever International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms was observed on 12 July 2023.
ii.Through the UN Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms (SDS), 20 UN agencies and non-UN organizations join efforts to foster global action against SDS.
UN Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms:
i.It was launched by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Parties at the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the UNCCD held in India in 2019.
ii.It was launched to commit the UN System to a proactive approach to combat SDS, enhancing cooperation and coordination on SDS at global, regional, and sub-regional levels.
iii.The UN Coalition on Combating SDS is chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).
Key Points:
i.According to the UNCCD, approximately 2 million tonnes of sand and dust enter the atmosphere annually.
iii.SDS increasingly threatens the achievement of 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2024 Event and Launches:
i.On 12 July 2024, the UN Coalition on SDS organised a webinar to mark the International Day of Combating SDS.
ii.On the occasion of the International Day of Combating SDS, the UNCCD and FAO launched the “Policy Guideline on the Integration of Sand and Dust Storm Management into Key Policy Areas.”
- The guidelines, aimed at policymakers globally, emphasise the need to integrate SDS management into national and regional strategies.
iii.In 2024, the UNGA designated 2025–2034 as the UN Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, to fight against the meteorological phenomena.
iv.On 12 July 2024, on the occasion of the International Day of Combating SDS, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) launched its annual report WMO Airborne Dust Bulletin, on the incidence of SDS and its impacts on society.
About the WMO Report on SDS:
i.The report noted that SDS activity in 2023 was above the long-term average, but slightly lower than 2022.
ii.A severe storm in Mongolia in March 2023 impacted over 4 million square km, including 20 Chinese provinces.
iii.The WMO’s The WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) set up in 2007, enhances warning accuracy and impact-based forecasts.
Global Dust Concentration Trends and Impacts in 2023:
i.2023 saw a slight decrease in global average annual mean surface dust concentrations compared to 2022.
ii.Regions with Reduced Dust Emissions are North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Plateau, northern India, central Australia, and north-western China.
iii.Western Central Asia, north-central China, and southern Mongolia experienced higher dust concentrations.
iv.The regions that are most vulnerable to long-range dust transport are the northern tropical Atlantic Ocean (between West Africa and the Caribbean), South America, the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and central-eastern China.
