July 12 is the International Day for the Prevention of Sand and Dust Storms. The World Meteorological Organization released the 2025 Dust Bulletin on the 10th.
The report points out that the damage caused by sand and dust storms to human health and the economy is increasing. According to new indicators developed by the World Meteorological Organization and the World Health Organization, 3.8 billion people worldwide were exposed to dust levels exceeding the safety threshold determined by the World Health Organization between 2018 and 2022. This is a 31% increase from 2.9 billion people between 2003 and 2007.
The report points out that although sand and dust phenomena are mostly natural processes, poor water and land management, drought and environmental degradation are increasingly becoming important causes.
In response to questions from CCTV reporters, experts from the World Meteorological Organization said that in the context of climate change and frequent extreme weather events, scientists have indeed observed more extreme sand and dust events in atypical seasons, and countries need to observe and monitor more closely to better understand the causes of these atypical events.
