Every year we are losing larger and larger areas of arable land due to sandstorms. The phenomenon has natural origins, but the hand of man makes it terribly worse. In particular, two billion tonnes of sand and dust are released into the atmosphere every year.
The problem has emerged from a report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Such storms have negative effects on agriculture, human health and the socio-economic fabric, yet the problem is underestimated, especially in countries where the phenomenon is most visible, such as northern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Primarily aggravating the storms are poor land and water management, drought and climate change. Importantly, in the most vulnerable regions, the amount of sand lifted has doubled in the last 100 years. Moreover, this problem, like pollution and rising temperatures, knows no boundaries and impacts other areas as well.