Impact of Human Activities on Global Dust Emissions
December 28 , 2023 326 days 420 0
The Food and Agriculture Organization released a report named “Sand and dust storms: A Guide to Mitigation, Adaptation, Policy, and Risk Management Measures in Agriculture”.
Human activities contribute 25 per cent of global dust emissions, with agriculture being the main anthropogenic source.
Every year, more than two billion tonnes of sand and dust travel over thousands of kilometres through the Earth’s atmosphere.
Sand and dust storms are a meteorological phenomenon characterised by strong and turbulent winds lifting an ensemble of small particles to great heights.
They are known to have adverse impacts on human health, the environment and economies.
Sand and dust storms present a formidable challenge to achieving 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Anthropogenic factors such as land-use change, agriculture, water diversion and deforestation contribute to the 25 per cent.