Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
'About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, the organization's U.N. representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly.
More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers (miles) across continents and oceans.
The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the U.N. decade on combating sand and dust storms.
Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.'
'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said.
Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration.
Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are 'staggering.'
In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is $150 billion, roughly 2.5% of GDP, she said.
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'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close.
Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said,
Dashti, who also co-chairs the U.N. Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 U.N. and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing.
She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas.
'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act,' Dashti said. 'What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.'
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CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
Rock formations stand in the Sahara desert outside the city center of Djanet, a southeastern Algerian oasis town in the Sahara desert, on July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Audrey Thibert) UNITED NATIONS — Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment, the UN World Meteorological Organization says. 'About two billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza,' in Egypt, the organization's UN representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly. More than 80 per cent of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometres across continents and oceans. The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the UN decade on combating sand and dust storms. Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.' 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said. Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to seven million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25 per cent, causing hunger and migration. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are 'staggering.' In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is US$150 billion, roughly two and a half per cent of GDP, she said. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said, Dashti, who also co-chairs the UN Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 UN and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing. She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas. 'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act,' Dashti said. 'What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.' Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, UN agency says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries and are taking an increasing toll on health, economies and the environment, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization says. 'About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 300 Great Pyramids of Giza' in Egypt, the organization's U.N. representative, Laura Paterson, told the General Assembly. More than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts in North Africa and the Middle East, she said, but it has a global impact because the particles can travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometers (miles) across continents and oceans. The General Assembly was marking the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Saturday and its designation of 2025 to 2034 as the U.N. decade on combating sand and dust storms. Assembly President Philemon Yang said the storms 'are fast becoming one of the most overlooked yet far-reaching global challenges of our time.' 'They are driven by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices,' he said. Yang, in a speech Thursday that was read by an assembly vice president, said airborne particles from sand and dust storms contribute to 7 million premature deaths every year. He said they trigger respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and reduce crop yields by up to 25%, causing hunger and migration. Undersecretary-General Rola Dashti, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, told the assembly the storms' economic costs are 'staggering.' In the Middle East and North Africa, the annual cost of dealing with dust and sand storms is $150 billion, roughly 2.5% of GDP, she said. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'This spring alone, the Arab region experienced acute disruption,' Dashti said, citing severe storms in Iraq that overwhelmed hospitals with respiratory cases and storms in Kuwait and Iran that forced schools and offices to close. Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa has reached as far as the Caribbean and Florida, she said, Dashti, who also co-chairs the U.N. Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, said over 20 U.N. and international agencies are working to unite efforts on early warning systems for storms and to deal with other issues, including health and financing. She urged all countries to put sand and dust storms into global and national agendas. 'From land restoration and sustainable agriculture to integrated early warning systems, we have the tools to act,' Dashti said. 'What we need now is collective determination and financing to bring these solutions to scale.'
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Climate change makes South Asia's monsoon season more prone to floods, landslides and heavy rains
BENGALURU, India (AP) — Each year from June to September, a series of heavy rains known as monsoons sweep through the Indian subcontinent, providing relief from heat, irrigating the country's farms and replenishing its rivers. However, as global heat increases, the rain is becoming more erratic and intense, creating the conditions for deadly floods. Nearly 1,300 people died in India throughout 2024 due to heavy rain and floods. Hundreds of rain-related deaths have already occurred this year in the South Asian region, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Nepal. Climate experts say the high temperatures and heavy rain are also contributing to the melting of glaciers in the mountainous Himalayan region, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides. Monsoon season becomes more dangerous The South Asian region has traditionally had two monsoon seasons. One typically lasts from June to September, with rains moving southwest to northeast. The other, from roughly October to December, moves in the opposite direction. But with more planet-warming gases in the air, the rain now only loosely follows this pattern. This is because the warmer air can hold more moisture from the Indian Ocean, and that rain then tends to get dumped all at once. It means the monsoon is punctuated with intense flooding and dry spells, rather than sustained rain throughout. 'We are witnessing a clear climatic shift in monsoon patterns across South Asia,' said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and author of several United Nations climate reports. Traditionally, people in India and neighboring countries excitedly awaited the monsoon rains, which would finally mean the end of summer heat. But attitudes are changing as disasters increase during the rainy seasons. 'The frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events are increasing, often overwhelming drainage infrastructure in urban areas and triggering flash floods,' Koll said. Higher temperatures and longer periods of drought are also making farming harder in South Asia, climate experts said. 'More than 60% of the people in South Asia are dependent on agriculture, and almost all of them are dependent on monsoon rainfall,' said Finu Shreshta, a climate scientist at Kathmandu, Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Mountain regions are seeing more glacial lakes overflowing A 2023 report by Shreshta's organization found that glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountain ranges. The study found that at least 200 of the more than 2,000 glacial lakes in the region are at risk of overflowing, which can cause catastrophic damage downstream. Heavy monsoon rains can exacerbate the problem. 'A lot of the mountain areas tend to have more warming than the global average, resulting in more glaciers melting,' said Miriam Jackson, glaciologist at the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative. An October 2023 glacial lake overflow in the Indian state of Sikkim triggered flooding that killed 55 people and damaged bridges, buildings and a hydropower dam that was under construction. Heavy rainfall and increasing heat are leading to snow and ice avalanches, rockfalls and other events that can trigger the lakes to breach or overflow, Shreshta said. 'Even small glacial lakes are now breaching and causing damage,' she said. Early warning systems and long-term planning can help Installing early warning systems and building in less risky areas can help reduce damage from heavy rains, climate experts say. 'If you know a flood is coming, then people can get to higher ground and there could be a sort of standard early warning system along a river that sends out a siren,' Jackson said, adding that social media and messaging applications can help people spread warnings to those downstream. Koll, the Pune-based scientist, said that rapid urbanization, shrinking floodplains and loss of natural drainage also exacerbate damage from heavy rains. Koll said that most government response currently comes after disasters, and there is a lack of long-term planning. 'In the future monsoon, extreme rains are projected to intensify further, in addition to sporadic water shortages. Hence, we need proactive, long-term strategies that combine science, policy, and community engagement,' he said. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Jackson said the biggest issue, however, is to try to reduce emissions of planet-heating gases because there are limits to adapting to extreme weather. 'If we continue with, you know, business as usual, and we have the same kind of emissions, then the world is going to keep on getting warmer and there will be more intense rain and floods. At some point, we could go beyond the limits of adaptation,' she said. ___ Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123 ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
