International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms 2023; July 12th.

FORUM: ''Combating Sand and Dust Storms.''International Day of Combatting Sand and Dust Storms 2023.

At least 25% of global dust emissions originate from human activities, and in some areas, desert dust has doubled in the 20th century. The impact of this phenomena is difficult to control, as human activity in one part of the world can cause sand and dust storms in another region. However, just as sand and dust storms are caused by human activities, these storms can also be reduced through human actions.

Sand and dust storms are an essential element of the Earth’s natural bio-chemical cycles, but are also caused in part by human-induced drivers, including climate change, and unsustainable land management and water use. In turn, sand and dust storms contribute to climate change and air pollution. Sand and dust storms’ impacts are felt in all regions of the world, both in developed and developing countries, and pose severe challenges to achieving 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, especially:

SDG-2 — Goal 2: Zero hunger
SDG-3 — Goal 3: Health
SDG-6 — Goal 6: Water and sanitation
SDG-8 — Goal 8: Economic growth
SDG-11 — Goal 11: Cities
SDG-13 — Goal 13: Climate action, and
SDG-15 — Goal 15: Biodiversity forests and desertification.

 Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #12july, #sandstorms, #duststorms.

EVENTS: On July 12th, at High level Panel Discussion  was held at the UNHQ.

To mark the first observance of the International Day to Combat SDS, several events were organized around the world. The “Commemoration of the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms” event, co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Senegal at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, featured various speakers from organizations collaborating in the UN SDS Coalition. At the same time, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) hosted a series of regional webinars bringing together stakeholders from different regions.

The United Nations General Assembly stressed the need for cooperation at the global and regional levels, with a view to preventing, managing and mitigating the effects of sand and dust storms through the enhancement of early warning systems and the sharing of climate and weather information to forecast sand and dust storms. The General Assembly affirmed that resilient action to combat and reduce sand and dust storms requires a better understanding of the severe multidimensional impacts of sand and dust storms, including the deterioration of the health, well-being and livelihood of people, increased desertification and land degradation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and land productivity, threatening food security, and their impact on sustainable economic growth.

PUBLICATIONS: The aim of the Sand and Dust Storms Compendium is to provide information and guidance on how to assess and address the risks posed by sand and dust storms and plan actions to combat sand and dust storms. The Compendium brings together this information from a wide range of sources

Sand and Dust Storms Compendium. from Christina Parmionova