Large increase in locust numbers, usually 2-3 successive transient breeding seasons, can affect the size of a country Small and localized, can affect the size of a small town, consists of dispersed populations Stages of plague development outlined by Cressman (2013) as below: Locust plagues take over a year to materialize. Further, the possibility of human intoxication by the chemical pesticides used is always looming (Brader et al., 2006). Many times, it is difficult to discriminate between the locust swarms and other non-harmful organisms and vegetation, raising the cost of collateral damage to the environment. Locust emergency costs West Africa 3.3 million USD a year in 2003-2005, however, 570 million USD was needed to combat the West and North Africa plague, an equivalent of 170 years of emergency response costs for the region (Escorihuela et al., 2018 Cressman et al., 2016).Įnvironment: Locust control quite often results in many environment-related side effects due to high use of pesticides and other chemicals (Lazar et al., 2016). Further, recovering from the destructive impact of locust attacks puts a huge economic burden on the affected farmers and countries (Escorihuela et al., 2018 Cressman et al., 2016 Lazar et al., 2016). Additionally, locust outbreak response and control is costly as millions of liters of pesticides have to be bought, and the necessary equipment and labor acquired. They also feed on grasses and other wild vegetation affecting livestock and wild animals (Escorihuela et al., 2018).Įconomic development: Global trade on agricultural commodities suffers a great deal due to the destruction of crops. Livelihoods/Food security and nutrition: Desert locust affect food security by destroying crops, thus affecting availability of food for human populations. Due to desert locusts’ trans-boundary nature they require trans-boundary coordination and intervention to deal with. During the plague in 2003-2005 in West Africa, 100, 90 and 85 per cent losses on cereals, legumes and pastures respectively were recorded, affecting more that 8 million people (Renier et al., 2015 Brader et al., 2006). 40 million locusts) can demolish the equivalent amount food that 35,000 people would eat in a day (Cressman et al., 2016). Locust swarms are highly mobile and can fly across continents and destroy entire livelihoods in less than six hours, with adult swarms flying about 150km daily.
They are highly voracious, as a single adult locust can consume vegetation equivalent to its own weight (approximately 2 grams) in a day (Latchininsky et al., 2016). Desert locust is the world’s most dangerous and destructive migratory pest (Cressman et al., 2016 Lazar et al., 2016).
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