The United Nations General Assembly has designated the years 2025 to 2034 as the United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms. These extreme weather phenomena are becoming more frequent and pose threats to both health and economies, affecting regions from central Africa to northern China.
Uganda’s U.N. Ambassador Godfrey Kwoba presented the resolution on behalf of the Group of 77, comprising 134 developing countries and China. The initiative aims to curb and alleviate the adverse impacts of sand and dust storms through enhanced international and regional collaboration.
The assembly unanimously approved the resolution with a decisive gavel strike by assembly president Dennis Francis.
According to a 2022 report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, sand and dust storms have substantially increased in occurrence in recent years. These storms can worsen respiratory illnesses, damage crops and livestock, and contribute to desertification, although the documentation of their effects remains limited.
The convention estimated that around 2 trillion tons of sand and dust are released into the atmosphere each year, mostly in arid lands and semi-arid regions with sparse vegetation. While a significant portion of emissions are due to natural causes, droughts and climate change exacerbate the issue, the report highlighted.
The report noted that at least a quarter of global dust emissions stem from human activities such as unsustainable land management and water usage.
Under the newly adopted decade-long initiative, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization will promote mitigation strategies in affected countries. These practices include sustainable land management, agroforestry, shelter belts, afforestation/reforestation, and land restoration programs.
Additionally, the resolution emphasizes the importance of international cooperation to strengthen early warning systems and facilitate the sharing of vital weather information for sand and dust storm forecasting.
This resolution was passed just before the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on July 12, designated by the General Assembly last year and to be observed for the first time. Countries are urged to commemorate the day with educational initiatives and other activities that raise awareness about the significance of combating these storms for public health, land use improvement, food security, livelihood enhancement, and resilience to climate change.