The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued its annual report on the incidence of sand and dust storms, as well as their impacts on society. According to the Airborne Dust Bulletin, dust concentrations in the worst-hit areas in 2023 were above the long-term average, but slightly lower than 2022.
The most severe storm of the year swept across Mongolia in March 2023, affecting more than 4 million square kilometers, including 20 provinces in China.
Every year, around 2,000 million tons of dust enter the atmosphere, darkening skies and harming air quality in regions that can be thousands of kilometers away, and affecting economies, ecosystems, weather and climate. Much of this is a natural process, but a large part of it results from poor water and land management.
WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo commented, “We need to be vigilant in the face of continuing environmental degradation and current and future climate change. Scientific evidence shows that human activities are having an impact on sand and dust storms. For example, higher temperatures, drought and higher evaporation lead to lower soil moisture. Combined with poor land management, this is conducive to more sand and dust storms.”
Monitoring and forecasting accuracy has improved in recent years due to the progress of numerical models and observation systems. The WMO Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS), set up in 2007, strives to improve warnings through dedicated regional centers and combines research and operational work.
“The Early Warnings for All initiative seeks to bring all hazards under one umbrella, including improved warnings and impact-based forecasts of sand and dust storms,” Saulo added.
The bulletin also highlights that the long-range transportation of sand and dust across oceans is a valuable source of nutrients and is important for the international management of fisheries.