The Executive Director of the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center, Jamaan Saad Al-Qahtani, announced that the Kingdom is witnessing a gradual and noticeable decline in the rates of dust storms, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Al-Qahtani stated that this decline is driven by the Kingdom’s efforts to overcome the environmental issues through various programs outlined by Saudi Vision 2030.
Such programs aim at reducing dust and sand storms and mitigating their impacts on the environment to achieve a sustainable future.
The statement highlighted the opening of the virtual scientific symposium held by the center on the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms on Thursday.
The seminar saw the convergence of various scientists from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, and Iran along with officials and experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
During the meetings, Al-Qahtani reviewed the Kingdom’s efforts to address these challenges, as follows:
- Launching the Middle East Green Initiative in April 2021 to support the Saudi Green Initiative to plant 50 billion trees
- Establishing regional centers concerned with dust and sand storms, climate change and rainmaking
- Investing in research and technology to introduce a better understanding of sand storms and innovative solutions to efficiently tackle their impacts
- Boosting cooperation with regional and international partners
Furthermore, Al-Qahtani stressed that dust and sand storms pose a major challenge to the Arabian Gulf region and the entire world.
He clarified they have harmful impacts on public health, agriculture, transportation, and energy, which calls for concerted efforts and effective strategies to encounter them.
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