Storms of sand and dust are on the rise, driven by desertification and a warming climate. A recent report from the World Meteorological Organization shows higher atmospheric concentrations of these particles in 2022 compared with 2021, affecting regions such as Spain and parts of the Americas.
The report also notes elevated dust and sand levels across key zones including the Red Sea, the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian Plateau, the Bay of Bengal, the Indian subcontinent, the Tarim Basin in northwestern China, and the mid-Atlantic region between the Caribbean and West Africa.
Most emissions originate from deserts in these same areas, with the Sahara in North Africa, the Middle East, Iran, and northwestern China highlighted as major sources.
About two thousand tons of dust enter the atmosphere annually. The result is darker skies and poorer air quality thousands of kilometers away, a situation that can impact economies, ecosystems, and climate. Haze also poses health risks when it recurs regularly.
While some dust events are natural, human activities such as mismanagement of water and land contribute to higher particle concentrations. The United Nations environment agency warns that these levels are likely to rise this century in step with global warming.
Overuse of water resources accelerates desertification, expanding land areas that can release suspended dust into the air.
The report identifies areas experiencing high concentrations of sand and dust, including the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, parts of Iran, the Mesopotamian plains of Iraq, eastern Syria, and the mouths of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers along the Gulf.
Equally vulnerable are regions that dust particles traverse, such as the Mediterranean basin, parts of South America, East Asia (including Japan and the Korean Peninsula), and the Caribbean, which in 2022 drew dust from West Africa.
The WMO compiles this report from data gathered by four atmospheric particle networks located in Barcelona (Spain), Beijing, Bridgetown (the capital of Barbados), and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
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