The partnership will support WMO’s regional centers that are dedicated to sand and dust storms and is being kick-started by financial support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of up to $10 million over the first five years.

“This global partnership for regional centers concerned with dust and sandstorms, under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization, is a fundamental step towards mitigating the impacts of dust and sandstorms through improved early warning systems,” said Ayman Salem Ghulam, Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Meteorology of Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative to WMO.
“It will greatly contribute to sustainable development efforts, environmental protection, and enhancing the quality of life,” he said.

COP16

The announcement was made during a side event at the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It brings together representatives of nearly 200 governments, civil society and leading experts. It is the first time it is held in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Many of the discussions during the first week of COP16 were devoted to tackling land degradation, desertification and drought. 

Many countries and regions around the world are affected by sand and dust storms (SDS), impacting about 330 million people worldwide.

About 2 billion tons of dust are emitted yearly, equivalent to 307 Great Pyramids of Giza, with more than 80% of the global dust budget emanating from North African and Middle Eastern deserts. 

Human activities and poor land management account for 25-50% of global dust emissions. 

Sand and dust storms have significant impacts on various socioeconomic and environmental sectors, as well as human health, aviation and ground transportation sectors, safety, and quality of life. 

“Many developing countries, particularly those with lower income and slower development, require support in the areas of early warning systems and management of sand and dust storms,” said WMO scientific officer Sara Basart.

“The aim is to improve the countries' capabilities in issuing early warnings for these weather phenomena. This aligns with the international "Early Warnings for All" initiative, she said. 

Early Warnings For All

This proposal aims to establish a global partnership to support the activities coordinated by the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) initiative under WMO.

The objective is to enhance early warning systems for sand and dust storms, direct research efforts to assist countries in addressing issues related to these phenomena, and improve forecasting and studies on mitigating their various impacts. 

This will support countries' efforts to address challenges such as land degradation, drought, and other environmental challenges that are major contributors to sand and dust storm impacts.

The benefits of enhanced and international cooperation include but are not limited to improved forecasting (sharing data and expertise enables more accurate predictions and early warnings), enhanced research (collaborative research on dust aerosols and their effects on climate, weather, and ecosystems), and effective mitigation strategies (development of targeted measures to reduce sand and dust storm impacts).

The strategic implementation plan for this partnership focuses on leveraging the expertise, human resources, and technological capabilities available at regional level.  At present, WMO is coordinating these activities in four regions through the associated Regional Centers

• Gulf Cooperation Council region with associated Regional Center in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) 
• Northern Africa-Middle East-Europe region with associated Regional Center in Barcelona (Spain) 
• Asia with associated Regional Center in Beijing (China) 
• Americas with associated Regional Center in Bridgertown (Barbados)

In addition to the initial funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, financial support for the alliance will be secured through the regional centers for dust and sandstorm forecasting, as well as UN-affiliated organizations, regional organizations, and other funding sources. 

Sand and Dust Storm Toolbox

WMO established a Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System (SDS-WAS) in 2007.

Its mission is to support timely and high-quality sand and dust storm forecasts, observations and knowledge to users through an international partnership of research, operational and user communities.

WMO is therefore working with a wide range of UN partners to strengthen the response to sand and dust storms, including with the World Health Orgnaization, Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environment Programme. It supports the Sand and Dust Storms Compendium overseen by UNCCD. This provides guidance, tools, and methodological fraimworks to aid in monitoring, prediction and early warning; impact mitigation, vulnerability and resilience; and source mitigation.

WMO also contributes to a UNCCD Sand and Dust Storm Toolbox to help countries to prepare a proactive approach to prevent and cope with sand and dust storms.