Sand, dust storms affect about 330 million people due to climate change: UN
Summary
A UN report highlights that sand and dust storms, worsened by climate change, affect over 330 million people worldwide and cause serious health and economic problems. These storms lead to millions of early deaths and have significant costs, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.Key Facts
- Sand and dust storms affect more than 330 million people in 150 countries.
- The UN has declared 2025 to 2034 as the decade to combat these storms.
- The storms are linked to climate change, land misuse, and bad environmental practices.
- Each year, airborne particles from the storms contribute to 7 million early deaths.
- They are believed to trigger respiratory and heart diseases, reduce crops by up to 25%, cause hunger, and force people to move.
- The Sahara Desert is the largest source of this dust, impacting areas far away like the Caribbean and Florida.
- In the Middle East and North Africa, dealing with these storms costs about $150 billion yearly.
- Nearly half the world's population faced unsafe dust levels from 2018 to 2022, according to the WMO and WHO.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
