Page 21 - Nile Explorer Issue 007

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tions, some of them will stay in Kenya,
however, another generation being
breed; will move northwards into South
Sudan, Ethiopia and westwards into
Uganda. This is particularly so if control
efforts fail. Expert models indicate
another generation of locusts could
coincide with the harvest in Kenya in
the months of August.

The heightened cyclone activity in the
region appears linked to climate change,
and if this trend continues, if there's an
increased frequency of cyclones in the
Indian Ocean, it's quite obvious that
there will be an increased frequency of
desert locust outbreak and upsurges like In Kenya control has had some level of the size of almost 250 football fields,
the one we're seeing now in the Horn of success. It helped reduce the rate at regional authorities said.
Africa. which the locusts bred in the country There are concerns for South Sudan,

The desert locusts have destroyed and therefore prevented early calamity where almost half the country faces
70,000 hectares of farmland in Ethiopia in terms of crop destruction and pasture hunger as it emerges from years of civil
and Somalia, threatening food security loss. However, control of the pest is not war.
and livelihoods in both countries. an immediate activity.
According to the FAO, locust swarms of The government initiated very early Even before this outbreak, nearly 20
one square kilometer can eat the same strong control mechanisms. However, million people faced high levels of food
amount of food in one day as about let us not celebrate early, I have taken insecurity across the east African region
35,000 people. notice of adults being left to lay eggs in long challenged by periodic droughts
and floods. Some analysts have blamed
Uganda has scrambled to respond to the the hope that hoppers will be easier to the locust outbreak on climate change,
arrival of the biggest locust outbreak manage. Interestingly, the infestation is though a direct link is difficult to estab-
that parts of East Africa have seen in seemingly defying tradition in other lish.
decades, while the United Nations ways such as moving into cooler areas,
warned that the already vulnerable although, the cooler areas are still less “We know that cyclones are the origina-
region "simply cannot afford another infested. However, the wind movement tors of swarms – and in the past 10 years
major shock". is said to be the main factor. Beyond that there’s been an increase in the frequency
of cyclones in the Indian Ocean,” said
UN officials warn that immediate however, the cooler areas are becoming Keith Cressman, senior locust forecast-
warmer due to climate change.
action is needed before more rainfall in ing officer at the UN Food and Agricul-
the months ahead brings fresh vegeta- Desert locust control is a challenging ture Organisation (FAO), earlier this
tion to feed new generations of locusts. exercise that not country can leave to its month.
If left unchecked, their numbers could farmers. The responsibility of dealing
grow up to 500 times before drier with the problem lays with the govern- “Normally there’s none, or maybe one.
weather arrives, they say. ments, both local and national. Besides, So this is very unusual. It’s difficult to
attribute to climate change directly, but
"There is the risk of a catastrophe," UN regional efforts must be coordinated for if this trend of increased frequency of
cross boarder reasons.
humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told cyclones in the Indian Ocean continues,
a briefing in New York on Monday, Climate experts have pointed to unusu- then certainly that’s going to translate to
warning that 13 million people already ally heavy rains, aided by a powerful an increase in locust swarms in the
face severe food insecurity - 10 million cyclone off Somalia in December, as a Horn of Africa.”
in places affected by locusts. major factor in the crisis. The locusts The threat in east Africa comes from the

The locusts are eating the vegetation arrived from the Arabian peninsula desert locust, one of a number of species
after cyclones dumped vast amounts of
that supports vibrant herder communi- rain in the deserts of Oman – creating that form swarms. There have been six
ties in the region, and Kenya's Ambassa- perfect breeding conditions. A single major desert locust plagues since the
dor to the UN Lazarus Amayo warned swarm can contain up to 150 million 1900s, the last of which was in 1987-89.
of the "inherent risk of communal locusts per sq km of farmland, an area The last major rise in the number of
conflict over pastures." locust plagues occurred in 2003-05.

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