SDS remain a major concern for desert areas under conditions of climate change and desertification . Only about 20% of deserts are covered by sand, but desert SDS provide an important feedback mechanism to climate , with literature showing that some areas have very frequent dust days . In some locations, such as the USA, desert dust can be deposited downwind on snowpacks, hastening snowmelt and altering river hydrology . Deserts and other natural dryland surfaces produced 75-90% of atmospheric dust globally in the early 21st century, with the remainder from agricultural and other land dominated by human land use .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report