Tehran – With escalating frequency, intensity, and geographical range due to climate change, sand and dust storms (SDSs) pose ever-growing threats to public health, food security, livelihoods, and sustainable development worldwide.

The two-day International Conference on Sand and Dust Storms, which began in Tehran today (9 September), aims to mobilise stronger commitments for coordinated actions at sub-regional, regional, interregional, and global levels. Bringing together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders, the conference serves as a high-level platform to gather affected countries and partners to tackle the pressing global issue of SDSs.

Lalini Veerassamy, IOM Iran’s Chief of Mission, participated in the first session of the conference, shedding light on the socio-economic impacts of these phenomena.

During her speech, Veerassamy emphasised the links between SDS events and displacement: in 2022 alone, various types of storms, including sand storms, uprooted 2.38 million people worldwide, as reported by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). She further pointed out that the World Bank projects that slow-onset climate change impacts, including land degradation and desertification, could force up to 216 million people to become "internal climate migrants" globally by 2050.

In Iran, temperatures and changing precipitation patterns have led to increased water scarcity, droughts, and desertification, as well as more frequent heatwaves. “Additionally, extreme weather events, such as intense rainfall and flash floods, have caused infrastructure damage and displacement of communities, and the country has already experienced multiple episodes of unprecedented sand and dust storms in the western regions,” said Veerassamy.  

Beyond their direct impact on displacement, SDSs also have socio-economic consequences, including the loss of property, assets and livelihoods. These impacts, coupled with food insecurity and health risks, represent push factors which can drive internal and cross-border movements.

In 2021, IOM launched its strategy to address Migration, Environment, and Climate Change linkages over the next decade. This comprehensive document includes three core objectives: managing migration in the context of climate change to enable safe and regular mobility, providing protection to people already on the move, and building resilience, as well as addressing the adverse mobility drivers – through disaster risk reduction and adaptation action.

Following this strategy, IOM aims to strengthen evidence-based policy to address both internal and cross-border migration in the context of environmental degradation. Moreover, the Organization seeks to pilot environmentally friendly interventions to diversify livelihood opportunities and promote more sustainable economic pathways, with the aim of strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities and reducing their exposure and vulnerability to climate-induced migration factors.

Advocating for the full integration of human mobility considerations in climate change and SDS discussions, IOM remains dedicated to advancing solutions that address the intricate relationships between climate change, SDSs and human mobility, working towards a more resilient future for all.

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For further information, please contact IOM Iran's Teresa Trallori, E-mail: ttrallori@iom.int