UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Erik Solheim on Wednesday in Tehran called for joint efforts of the whole world to fight against sandstorm.
Solheim made the call at a conference on “challenge and solution of sand and dust storms,” jointly launched by UNEP and Iranian Ministry of Environment from Monday to Wednesday.
He said “all countries of the world should reinforce cooperation to develop solutions in the field of anti-sandstorm to protect our health, our economies and reclaim an environment that sustains us.
“There are two common misconceptions about sand and dust storms.
“The first is that they’re simply as old as the world itself and a fact of life in certain parts of the world.
”The second is the belief that there is absolutely nothing we can do about them.”
He said sandstorm had been well documented for centuries.
Solheim added that there were many countries devastated by winds choking cities throughout the history.
“Nowadays, that the sandstorms have come to be accepted as part of the planet’s natural cycle, and a natural hazard of the desert landscape.
“As with climate change, the reality of sand and dust storms is alarming and in fact the actions we need on both environmental crises are intertwined.
“The science tells us that the condition is getting worse,’’ he said.
The sandstorms are hitting many parts of the Middle East with increasing frequency, as well as Central Asia, large swathes of Africa, and parts of the U.S.
“They’re also carrying toxic particles across China and the Korean peninsula.
“China’s success in reforesting a major desert, which was once the source of frequent sandstorms in Kubuqi desert, has provided ideas for other countries battling desertification,’’ Solheim said.
Kubuqi Desert, the seventh largest desert in China covering an area of 10,000 square kilometers, has reforested a quarter of the total size over the past three decades,
A UNEP policy report says the core of the success at Kubuqi is its sustainable business model, and the establishment of a system that incorporates policy instruments, investment from the private sector and active participation of locals.
Solheim said UNEP was also working with China to set up an International Coalition for Green Development on the Belt and Road to promote renewable energy, encourage greener infrastructure, industries and tourism.
