Makkah, The National Center for Meteorology (NCM), through the Sand and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center, is hosting a virtual symposium tomorrow called “Advancing Science and Solutions: Sand and Dust Storms in the Middle East.” The event coincides with the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, observed on July 12 each year.

The symposium aims to shed light on efforts to combat dust storms, particularly in the Gulf region, and to introduce the regional center’s work, activities, and programs. It also aims to promote scientific and educational initiatives to raise public awareness about the importance of addressing these storms and to emphasize their negative impacts on health, the economy, and various social aspects.

The symposium will highlight Saudi Arabia’s endeavors to tackle dust storms and minimize their adverse effects, including the role of the Saudi Green Initiative in planting 10 billion trees across the Kingdom. It will also underscore the impact of establishing natural reserves
in preventing overgrazing and deforestation and the contribution of successive rainy seasons to the proliferation of vegetation.

Scientists from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, and Iran, as well as United Nations officials and experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will participate in the symposium to discuss the significance of addressing dust storms and mitigating their negative impacts on various sectors.

Source: Saudi Press Agency