Roundup: UN climate talks show deep concern over disease-laden sand, dust pollution

The health and economic impacts of the dust and sand pollution remained a major cause of concern at the ongoing UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) talks, which neared its conclusion in Nairobi on Thursday.

Scientists attending a special session on the impact of sand and dust pollution at the conference cited its major impacts, including the rise in the number of hospital visits, major road accidents, flight cancellations at major airports and the chemical pollution carried over large distances.

"The interest on the sand and dust pollution was previously non-existent but it has grown massively in the past 15 years," said Dr Nick Middleton, a College Lecturer at the Oxford University's School of Geography and Environment, addressing a session on the impact of sand and dust pollution.

According to the scientist, the dust pollutants work in the same way as the climate change. The dust particles often travel over vast distances from the main source in Northern Africa into the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific regions before settling in some parts of Europe.

"They are causing some environmental hazards. The dust particles carried over the vast distances often affect the lungs and is a major reason for hospitalization of most people living in Northern Africa and the Middle East," Middleton told Xinhua.

The scientist said the dust pollution is associated with the high number of hospital visits, eye ailments and cases of skin disease because the dust particles often carry with them some radioactive elements.

"There is nothing that can be done about the dust pollution except to deal with its effects. You must emphasize adaptation and mitigation efforts," Middleton said.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says 7 million people die prematurely as a result of the air pollution around the world. Sand and dust pollution, is however, not included in the major causes of pollution deaths.

Air pollution, is estimated to cost 600,000 premature deaths in Africa alone.

To deal with the sand and dust pollution, Professor Savas Alpay, Chief Economist at the Islamic Development Bank, said it was working with several states to support countries in carrying out an assessment on the economic cost of dust pollution.

The Islamic Bank's 57 member states are currently cooperating on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"This is a trans-boundary event in our country," said Zieaoddin Shoaei, Manager at the Centre for Combating Dust Storm at the Iranian Department of Environment.

Shoaei said sand and dust pollution in Iran often travelled 600 km and was often rising as high as 10-15 km, lasting for four to seven days of every occurrence. Endit