The aim of the Compendium is to provide information and guidance on how to assess and address the risks posed by sand and dust storms and plan actions to combat sand and dust storms.

The Compendium brings together information and guidance from a wide range of sources. It includes approaches and methodology frameworks on data collection, assessment, monitoring and early warning, impact mitigation and preparedness, and source mapping and anthropogenic source mitigation that are required in the development and implementation of policies related to sand and dust storms at sub-national, national, regional and global levels, taking into account the principles set out in the Policy Advocacy Framework for Sand and Dust Storms, and the cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary nature of the impact that sand and dust storms can cause to societies, economies, and the environment.

Sand and dust storms (SDS) are notoriously unpredictable and difficult to manage. This Compendium is the first comprehensive publication that draws from the emerging science to offer the latest information and knowledge on good practice, approaches and frameworks for combating SDS. As addressing the risks posed by SDS and their impacts is an urgent issue requiring collective action, a collaborative approach has been taken to developing this Compendium.

SDS are natural phenomena with multiple impacts on both the environment and people. The scale and scope of these impacts vary from the local to the global, rapid to slow onset, tropics to the Arctic and the land to oceans. Although some SDS impacts can be positive, unfortunately many are negative and highly damaging.

They include impacts on health, transportation, agriculture, air and water quality, and industrial production and other sectors. Such impacts disrupt daily life in the affected areas, disregarding political or geographic boundaries and affecting men and women, young and old alike.

The use of natural ecosystems by people – for example through agricultural and pastoral practices, water use, soil management, deforestation and urbanization – can make the occurrence and impacts of SDS worse. Climate change directly and indirectly intensifies these risks. Sustainable natural resource management therefore has a role to play in addressing SDS.
Concerns about the impact of SDS are growing and the global community urgently needs to find effective and coordinated solutions. Global efforts under the United Nations are now focused on two approaches.

Firstly, on source mitigation through sustainable land and water management, as encouraged by various global policies, including land degradation neutrality under Sustainable Development Goal target 15.3. And secondly, on the mitigation of negative impacts through preparedness and resilience measures, such as early warning systems, response plans and prepared individual

This Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) Compendium: Summary for Decision Makers, compiled and co-edited by Utchang Kang and Charles Kelly, is a subset of the full SDS Compendium: Information and Guidance on Assessing and Addressing the Risks.

The SDS Compendium is a collaborative effort led by the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in collaboration with the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and external experts and partners