Understanding the health impacts of sand and dust storms

The World Health Organization (WHO) publication “Understanding the Health Impacts of Sand and Dust Storms” (2025) presents a comprehensive overview of the environmental, climatic, and health dimensions of sand and dust storms (SDS), positioning them as a significant but underrecognized climate and public health challenge. Sand and dust storms originate in arid and semi-arid areas where strong winds lift mineral particles from bare or disturbed soils into the atmosphere. Major global sources include the Sahara Desert, the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Gobi Desert, with increasing contributions from high-latitude regions such as Iceland and Greenland due to climate change and glacial retreat. Dust particles of varying composition—containing quartz, clay, feldspar, and iron oxides—can remain airborne for days, traveling across continents and oceans, affecting receptor regions thousands of kilometres away. The report highlights the dual role of dust in the climate system: it scatters and absorbs solar radiation, alters cloud formation and precipitation, and fertilizes ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, while simultaneously degrading air quality and increasing health risks. SDS contribute to extreme concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), sometimes exceeding 9000 μg/m³ during severe events, such as those recorded in China and Mongolia in 2023. Health impacts include short-term increases in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respiratory hospitalizations, and exacerbation of asthma and allergies. However, WHO notes a significant evidence gap regarding chronic or long-term exposure. The document references systematic reviews and meta-analyses showing a 1.21% increase in all-cause mortality and 2.52% in cardiovascular mortality during SDS events compared to non-dust days. It also emphasizes the importance of differentiating between emission and receptor regions, as exposure composition and health outcomes vary widely. The economic burden is substantial—estimated at US$ 3.6 trillion in global welfare losses from dust-related PM2.5 in 2013, with East Asia and the Pacific accounting for the largest share. The brief underscores the urgent need for standardized research protocols, robust ground-level and satellite-based monitoring networks, and integration of health and environmental data systems. Recommended interventions include improved source apportionment, early warning systems, and multisectoral coordination across ministries of health, environment, meteorology, and agriculture. The brief calls for sustainable land and water management, reforestation, and desertification control as key mitigation strategies, alongside adaptive urban planning and infrastructure design to withstand SDS impacts. The report also highlights the role of the United Nations Coalition to Combat Sand and Dust Storms, involving 19 UN and non-UN partners—including WHO, WMO, UNEP, UNDP, and ESCAP—collaborating on adaptation, forecasting, policy, and regional cooperation. Authored by an international group of experts from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, the publication stresses that addressing SDS requires both global and regional coordination, recognizing their transboundary nature and linkages to climate change, air pollution, and health. Ultimately, WHO identifies sand and dust storms as a critical intersectional issue, demanding evidence-based, cross-sectoral responses that protect human health, strengthen resilience, and promote sustainable environmental management across affected regions.