International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms
A global day highlighting the health and environmental dangers of sand and dust storms and calling for joint action to combat them.
Date12 July
TopicEnvironment & Sustainability
Established2023
Ways to observe this day
- Learn about the sources of sand storms in your region
- Support desertification-control and tree-planting initiatives
- Follow public health guidance during dust storm events
- Share awareness content about climate change's role in these storms
On 8 June 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 12 July as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, responding to the marked rise in frequency and severity of these events driven by land degradation, climate change, and poor natural resource management across large parts of the world, especially Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Sand and dust storms affect hundreds of millions of people each year, causing respiratory and cardiovascular illness, disrupting agriculture, transport, and aviation, and inflicting major economic damage. The day aims to strengthen international cooperation on monitoring and forecasting these storms and to support the most affected countries with the expertise and technology needed to tackle root causes such as desertification and deforestation. The General Assembly also declared 2025–2034 the UN Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, underscoring that addressing the phenomenon requires long-term commitment and cross-border cooperation.
