UN Declares 2025-34 as Decade to Combat Sand, Dust Storms

News Desk 

Islamabad: The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has dedicated a decade, from 2025 to 2034, to combating the increasing occurrence of sand and dust storms—extreme weather conditions that pose significant environmental, economic, and human risks.

Acting by consensus, the 193-member Assembly adopted the draft resolution titled “United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms (2025-2034),” thus dedicating this 10-year period to addressing these meteorological phenomena.

The Assembly invited the UN Secretary-General to take appropriate steps to plan and organize the activities of the Decade at global, regional, and country levels. 

It also emphasized that the cost of all activities arising from the resolution’s implementation should be met from voluntary contributions, including from the private sector.

Uganda’s UN Ambassador Godfrey Kwoba, who introduced the resolution on behalf of the Group of 77 (developing countries), told the Assembly that the initiative aims to “halt and mitigate the negative effects of sand and dust storms” through “international and regional cooperation.”

Presiding over the session was the General Assembly President, Dennis Francis.

In a 2022 report, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification stated that sand and dust storms have “increased dramatically in frequency in recent years.” The report noted that these storms can exacerbate respiratory illnesses, kill crops and livestock, and increase desertification, although documentation of their impact is limited.

The convention estimated that 2 trillion tons of sand and dust enter the atmosphere annually, largely from dry lands and sub-humid regions with little vegetation. 

While the majority of emissions result from natural conditions, droughts and climate change exacerbate the issue. The report estimated that “at least 25 percent of global dust emissions originate from human activities” such as unsustainable land management and water use.

As part of the decade-long initiative, the General Assembly announced that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization will promote mitigation practices in affected countries, including “sustainable land use management, agroforestry, shelterbelts, afforestation/reforestation, and land restoration programs.” 

The resolution also calls for global cooperation to enhance early warning systems and share weather information crucial for forecasting sand and dust storms.