Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 28 January 2020

AP Explains: How climate change feeds Africa locust invasion

By CARA ANNA Salih Babiker. He blamed
Associated Press rapidly warming waters in
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — the Indian Ocean off Af-
Locusts by the millions are rica's eastern coast, which
nibbling their way across a also spawned an unusual
large part of Africa in the number of strong tropi-
worst outbreak some plac- cal cyclones off Africa last
es have seen in 70 years. year.
Is this another effect of a Heavy rainfall and warmer
changing climate? Yes, re- temperatures are favor-
searchers say. able conditions for locust
An unprecedented food breeding and in this case
security crisis may be the the conditions have be-
result. come "exceptional," he
The locusts "reproduce rap- said.
idly and, if left unchecked, Even now rainfall continues
their current numbers could in some parts of the vast
grow 500 times by June," region. The greenery that
the United Nations says. springs up keeps the locusts
Here's a look at what's go- fuelled.
ing on and where the vora- "Countries are trying to pre-
cious insects might be go- pare but this took them by
ing next. surprise," Babiker said.
A LOCUST OUTBREAK? The further increase in lo-
WHAT'S THAT LIKE? cust swarms could last until
The swarms of desert locusts June as favorable breed-
hang like shimmering dark ing conditions continue,
clouds on the horizon as IGAD has said. But Babiker
they scour the countryside said it is hard to say for sure
in what are already some when this outbreak will be
of the world's most vulnera- In this photo taken Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, a swarm of desert locusts covers the ground in Chidhi over.
ble countries, including So- village, in the Awdal region of Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Somaliland. "This has become psycho-
malia. Roughly the length Associated Press logically pressurizing," he
of a finger, the whirring said, delicately.
insects in huge numbers ing on sheets of corrugated in Kenya, East Africa's eco- war, and Uganda are brac- WHAT CAN BE DONE?
have destroyed hundreds metal. In rural Kenya, men nomic hub, regional au- ing for the locusts' arrival. Major locust outbreaks can
of square kilometers (miles) dashed along a path wav- thorities reported last week. "Uganda has not had to be devastating. One be-
of vegetation and forced ing leafy branches at the One swarm measured 60 deal with a locust infesta- tween 2003 and 2005 cost
people in some areas to insects and laughing in as- kilometers (37 miles) long tion since the '60s so there more than $500 million to
bodily wade through them. tonishment. by 40 kilometers (25 miles) is concern about the ability control across 20 countries
"A typical desert locust "These things here, they wide in the country's north- for experts on the ground in northern Africa, the FAO
swarm can contain up came to us from Ethiopia east, IGAD said. to be able to deal with it has said. It caused more
to 150 million locusts per and are destroying every- Kenya hasn't seen a lo- without external support," than $2.5 billion in harvest
square kilometer," the East thing along the way in- cust outbreak like this in 70 Marchesich said. "And in a losses.
African regional body, the cluding our farm," said Es- years, Rosanne Marche- country like South Sudan, To help prevent and con-
Intergovernmental Author- ther Ndanu in the Kenyan sich, emergency response already 47% of the popula- trol outbreaks, authorities
ity on Development, has village of Ngomeni. "We leader with the U.N. Food tion is food insecure." analyze satellite images,
said. "Swarms migrate with want the government to and Agriculture Organiza- This week Uganda's prime stockpile pesticides and
the wind and can cover move very quickly to bring tion, said Wednesday. minister told agriculture conduct aerial spraying. In
100 to 150 kilometers (62 to the plane to spray them "It's the worst that we've authorities that "this is an Ethiopia, officials have said
93 miles) in a day. An aver- with the medicine that can seen in Ethiopia and in emergency and all agen- they deployed four small
age swarm can destroy as kill them, otherwise they will Somalia in 25 years," she cies must be on the alert," planes to help fight the in-
much food crops in a day destroy everything." added, noting extensive the government-controlled vasion.
as is sufficient to feed 2,500 "I am seeing a catastro- damage to crops. Millions New Vision newspaper re- The U.N. on Wednesday al-
people." phe," local official Johnson of people in both coun- ported. located $10 million for aer-
Alarm and exasperation Mutua Kanandu said. tries already cope with the HOW IS CLIMATE CHANGE ial spraying, with humani-
mix with curiosity as peo- WHERE IS THIS HAPPENING? constant risk of drought or INVOLVED? tarian chief Mark Lowcock
ple try to shoo the locusts An "extremely dangerous flooding, as well as deadly Heavy rains in East Africa saying families across the
away by shouting, waving increase" in locust swarm unrest in Ethiopia and ex- made 2019 one of the re- region "now face the pros-
pieces of clothing or bang- activity has been reported tremist attacks in Somalia. gion's wettest years on re- pect of watching as their
Now South Sudan, strug- cord, said Nairobi-based crops are destroyed before
gling to emerge from a civil climate scientist Abubakr their eyes."q