African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko warned at COP16 in Riyadh that sand and dust storms cause severe economic, environmental and health damage across Africa, particularly in the Sahel.

She said North Africa and the Middle East lose around US$13 billion in GDP annually because of these storms. The Sahara is one of the world’s largest sources of dust, while dried lakes, loose coastal sediments and human activities such as construction, agriculture and poor land management worsen the problem.

Dust exposure also has important health consequences. In the Sahel, periods of high dust concentration are strongly associated with meningitis outbreaks, affecting an estimated 250,000 people each year.

Sacko highlighted the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) as a key tool for improving timely information and anticipatory action. She called on governments, international organisations and civil society to strengthen resilience and reduce the human and economic impacts of sand and dust storms.