Understanding the Impact of Sand and Dust Storms: A United Nations Report
Exposure Levels in Asia-Pacific Region
The United Nations (UN) recently revealed that sand and dust storms pose a serious threat to the health of more than 500 million people across India alone. Moreover, majority of the population in Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran are also under the same risk. The severity of such conditions is predicted to escalate by the 2030s, especially in Western Australia, south-eastern Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan due to increasing instances of extreme drought.
Sand and Dust Storms: An Overview
Sand and dust storms are common meteorological events in arid and semi-arid places. Typically, these storms are triggered by thunderstorms or strong pressure gradients linked to cyclones, subsequently increasing wind speed across vast areas. Surprisingly, approximately 40% of aerosols present in the troposphere, which is the Earth’s lowest atmospheric layer, are dust particles caused by wind erosion.
Primary Sources of Dust Particles
The principal sources of these mineral dusts are the arid regions of Northern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and China. While their contribution is comparatively less, Australia, America and South Africa also contribute to these dust storms.
Negative Impacts of Sand and Dust Storms
Sand and dust storms can have a wide range of adverse effects. For instance, they can disrupt energy infrastructure, causing interruptions in electricity transmission and consequently give rise to power failures. Countries affected most by this include India, China and Pakistan, with major losses amounting annually to over Rs.782 crore for India alone.
Moreover, high dust deposition in the Himalaya-Hindu Kush mountain range and the Tibetan Plateau – the sources of fresh water for over 1.3 billion people in Asia – can significantly affect the availability of fresh water. Also, dust deposition triggers warming effects on glaciers, which result in ice melting that impacts food security, energy production, agriculture, water stress and flood regimes.
The harmful effects are also seen on farmlands, particularly in Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan where dust deposition with high salt content is toxic for plants. This diminishes yield and poses a serious threat to the production of irrigated cotton and other crops.
Moreover, these storms directly impact 11 out of the 17 United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including ending poverty and hunger, ensuring good health and well-being, providing affordable and clean energy, maintaining decent work and economic growth, and taking climate action.
Positive Impacts of Sand and Dust Storms
However, it isn’t all gloom. These storms can enrich the areas of deposition with nutrients and benefit vegetation. They can alter the chemical characteristics of water bodies positively or adversely. For instance, dust particles carrying iron can improve parts of oceans, enhancing the phytoplankton balance and impacting marine food webs.
Suggestions for Policy-Makers
The impacts of sand and dust storms are complex and therefore demand the urgent attention of policy-makers in the Asia-Pacific region. Member States must strategize joint actions, aiming for a deeper understanding of the socio-economic impact of sand and dust storms. It’s imperative to establish a coordinated monitoring and early warning system with an impact-based focus, and plan actions in the most at-risk and exposed geographical areas to mitigate the associated risks.