KSA outlines dust and sand storm mitigation initiatives during Iran conference

KSA showcases dust storm mitigation efforts at Iran conference: Saudi Arabia is implementing a series of measures to mitigate the impacts of sand and dust storms in the country, head of Saudi Arabia’s National Center of Meteorology Ayman Ghulam said in a speech at the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms in Tehran, according to Urdu Point. These measures include planting more trees, rehabilitating degraded plant sites, developing cloud seeding technologies, and setting up regional climate change and storm warning centers. Ghulam highlighted a number of ongoing national projects, including one to plant 10 bn trees and restore over 40 mn hectares of degraded land, and another to plant 50 bn trees as part of the Saudi Green Initiative, which is equivalent to 5% of the global afforestation target. Other moves that will support the country's preparation for dust storms include its establishment of the Regional Climate Change Center, the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center (accredited by the World Meteorological Organization in July), and the Regional Cloud Seeding Program, Ghulam added in his speech.

Why is this important? From 25% to 50% of global dust emissions occur as a result of human activities, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification said, adding that in some areas, desert dust has doubled in the last century alone. The MENA region loses about USD 13 bn a year from sandstorms that “damage buildings, powerlines and other vital infrastructure, kill crops and interrupt transportation,” the World Economic Forum says. Dust storms also reduce the generation efficiency of solar panels, according to the Middle East Institute. The storms also have a major impact on health, causing breathing problems that can lead to disorders including asthma or pneumonia, as the region witnessed during the summer of 2022 when unprecedented dust storms hit the Middle East, the institute said.

The issue is gaining traction regionally: Iran convened a ministerial conference with 11 countries from the region in July 2022 and formed a regional environmental organization and fund. The country has also signed MoUs to increase cooperation and information exchange on dust storms with the UAE, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is hosting the world’s first International Conference on Sand and Dust Storms in the Arabian Peninsula next March and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in December 2024.