A huge challenge is likely to emerge when they start breeding.

Last year, mature locusts had entered

parts of India after a gap of 26 years. But the locusts that have come in this year are immature.
Immature locusts are not fully grown and have the capacity to cause more harm. They also have a
longer lifespan.

The locusts which entered India were about 10-12 days old and were flying huge distances in search
of food. Since the Rabi crop harvesting is over and the Kharif sowing season is yet to begin, they
were unable to find any vegetation.

They will now start laying eggs after the onset of monsoon and continue breeding for two more
months. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the destructive power of a typical
locust swarm can be enormous. The size of these swarms can vary - from less than one square
kilometre to several hundred square kilometres.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/locust-attack-in-
india/article31729025.ece#:~:text=Swarms%20of%20locusts%20have%20invaded,now%20been
%20put%20on%20alert.

A pattern of warming in the Indian Ocean may be a trigger. A phenomenon called the Indian Ocean
Dipole, in which the western and eastern parts of the ocean, warm differentially, tend to have an
outsized impact in bringing excessive rains to India and West Asia. A ‘positive’ dipole is when the
western part is hotter by a degree or more than the eastern. Last year saw one of the strongest
positive dipoles in the Indian neighbourhood which brought on a difference of more than two
degrees.

The Indian Ocean Dipole was so strong that it over-rode concerns of a drought in India last June and
brought torrential rainfall — the most India has seen in decades. It also lasted nearly a month more
than what is normal. This extended rainfall continued in several parts of West Asia, Oman, Yemen
and in the Horn of Africa — Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya — so much so that that the dry sand became
heavily moisture laden, facilitating the formation of several locust swarms. Experts say the trigger for
this unusual pattern of locusts this year was in 2018, linked to the cyclonic storms Mekunu and
Luban, which impacted Oman and Yemen.. Following the aforementioned cyclones, locust
armies continued to build through 2019, and once the population peaked, the swarms began
spreading to East Africa by November 2019. Due to favourable winds, it helped swarms to fly and
breed in traditional grounds in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The unusually mild summer this
year, which saw several bouts of rainfall over north and western India from March to May, also
helped the insects breed.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/the-hindu-explains-why-is-the-locust-surge-posing-
a-threat-to-agriculture-in-india/article31712573.ece?homepage=true

https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2020-05-29-twc-explainer-why-this-year-locust-
attack-india-worst-recent-history
What do locusts do?

“Locusts don’t like urban areas, they will simply overfly the urban areas. They will make enough of a
bother to scare people, [but] they don’t attack humans, of course. There’s not much to eat in urban
areas. They’re not good at eating cement and concrete, they really like to eat the natural
vegetation,” he said on Friday, speaking at a webinar organised by the Centre for Science and
Environment.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/locust-surge-may-turn-into-global-plague-
expert/article31705510.ece

What do locusts do?

Locusts are the oldest migratory pests in the world. They are insects that belongs to the family of
grasshoppers. Locusts are essentially harmless, however, when they meet suitable environmental
conditions, they become start breeding. Locusts form enormous swarms that spread across regions,
devouring crops and leaving serious agricultural damage in their wake.

Where do they originate?

 The desert locust is a notorious species. Found in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, this
species inhabits an area of about six million square miles, or 30 countries,

https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-locust-attack#collapse

Where do they originate?

The main locust breeding areas in the Horn of Africa, Yemen, Oman, Southern Iran and Pakistan’s
Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-we-have-a-desert-locust-problem-this-
year-6431837/

According to the Agriculture Ministry’s Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), route followed
by locusts is:

Sudan and Eritrea -> Saudi Arabia -> Iran -> Pakistan (Sindh) -> Gujarat

https://www.manifestias.com/2020/06/05/locust-attack-in-gujarat/
Desert Locust recession area covers about 16 million km2 from West Africa to western India. The
invasion area extends to the north, south and east of the recession area, covering some 30 million
km2 – approximately four times the size of the USA.

file:///C:/Users/Arnnava/Desktop/i6152en.pdf
2018
● Cyclones in May and October 2018 brought heavy rains that gave rise to favourable breeding
conditions in the Empty Quarter of the southern Arabian Peninsula in the countries of Yemen and
Oman for at least nine months since June.

October 2108, November 2018 - http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/2094/web18/index.html

December 2018- http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/2094/web18/index.html

● As a result, three generations of breeding occurred that was undetected and not controlled.

2019
● JANUARY: the first swarms left the Empty Quarter to Yemen and Saudi Arabia, reaching
southwest Iran where heavy rains fell.

http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/2094/web18/index.html
● FEBRUARY-JUNE: widespread spring breeding in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran caused large
numbers of swarms to form. Control operations were less successful in Iran and Yemen.
● JUNE-DECEMBER: swarms invade the Indo-Pakistan border from Iran and up to three
generations occur due to longer than normal monsoon, giving rise to large numbers of swarms; In
Yemen, swarms form and move to N Somalia and Ethiopia where breeding occurs and more
swarms form.
● OCTOBER-DECEMBER: Swarms move from Ethiopia and N Somalia to Eritrea, Djibouti, E
Ethiopia, the Ogaden, C and S Somalia to reach NE Kenya; hopper bands and swarms form along
parts of the Red Sea coastal plains in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea and Sudan.

2020
● JANUARY: Swarms continue to invade, spread, mature and lay eggs in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Hatching occurs in NE Somalia. Other swarms move into interior of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
● FEBRUARY: Swarms continue in Kenya, a few reach Uganda and South Sudan, groups reach
Tanzania. Widespread hatching and bands in Kenya. Other swarms reach both sides of Persian
Gulf.
● MARCH: widespread hatching causes a new generation of swarms to form in Ethiopia and Kenya.
A few swarms invade Uganda and South Sudan. Widespread swarm laying and hatching in
southern Iran.

APRIL: http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/common/ecg/2551/en/DL499e.pdf
MAY: http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/common/ecg/2555/en/DL500e.pdf

http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/2094/index.html

http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/2094/web18/index.html

From East Africa, some swarms could reach the eastern part of the Sahel and continue westwards
from Chad to Mauritania.

Two response scenarios are envisaged, as follows: • In the first one, six countries could be aected –
Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger and Senegal – in which case 300 000 ha of land
would be targeted for control operations. • In the second scenario, an additional three countries in
the Sahel – Cameroon, Nigeria and the Gambia – would require control operations, bringing the total
up to 500 000 ha.

FAO’s CLCPRO and REOWA are working closely with potentially aected countries in anticipatory
actions such as training, pre-positioning of resources, initiating surveillance activities and
preparedness for control operations. FAO is also continuing to monitor the potential desert locust
threat in the Sahel. While any threat to the region is not likely to be until June 2020, FAO is strongly
encouraging no regret investment in preparedness and anticipatory action to safeguard livelihoods.
Under the aegis of CLCPRO, preparedness measures for control operations are underway. In
addition, missions to assess the implementation of national contingency plans will be carried out
across the desert locust aected countries. All the logistics of the Western Regional Intervention Force
(FIRO)1 will be mobilized to strengthen the surveillance and intervention systems made up of 53
teams, two helicopters and four aircrafts.

Releasing FAO's progress report on the locust control campaign in East Africa and Yemen,
the Director-General noted that the UN agency had continued its surveillance and control
operations despite constraints resulting from COVID-19 and other challenges.

Preliminary estimates from the UN agency indicate that 720, 000 tonnes of cereal, enough
to feed five million people a year, have been saved in ten countries by preventing the spread
of Desert Locusts and damage to many more hectares. An additional 350 000 pastoral
households have been spared from distress.

So far this year, more 365,000 hectares have been controlled in the ten countries covered by
the FAO appeal.
Since FAO launched its desert locust response in January, its appeal has been $130 million
funded, the report said.

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1274257/icode/#:~:text=FAO's%20Desert%20Locust
%20appeal%2C%20launched,%2C%20Uganda%2C%20Tanzania%20and%20Yemen.&text=Since
%20FAO%20launched%20its%20desert,million%20funded%2C%20the%20report%20said.

To date, FAO has raised USD 130 million against the current response plan, thereby ensuring
continuity in support of control operations as well as the roll-out of livelihoods safeguarding action.

110 000 households targeted for rapid livelihoods protection in nine of the ten countries

together with the governments of affected countries and the Desert Locust Control Organization for
Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA), this funding will enable the control of 1 million ha of infested farmland and
rangeland, protect the livelihoods of 110 000 households, and assist with providing information and
coordination to stakeholders across the region.

hanks to these operations, and based on very preliminary analyses and projections of areas
controlled and likely damage caused if not controlled, it is anticipated that 720 000 tonnes of cereal
have already been saved, worth around USD 220 million. This is enough to feed almost 5 million
people for one year. Through damage averted to rangeland and livestock tropical units, an additional
350 000 pastoral households have been spared from livelihood loss and distress1 .

Control and surveillance operations are being led by national governments, with FAO providing
support in the form of pesticides, biopesticides, equipment, aircraft and training.

FAO quickly focused on anticipatory action to avert a food crisis by: (i) scaling up support to
governments to control the pest; and (ii) undertaking livelihood-saving and recovery interventions

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/emergencies/docs/1_Desert%20locust%20upsurge
%20%E2%80%93%20progress%20report%20May%202020.pdf

Partnering with country governments and key stakeholders

This means supporting national eorts to undertake urgent, large-scale aerial and ground control
operations as well as surveillance, trajectory forecasting and data collection. FAO applies an
integrated approach to control the desert locust through safer alternatives combined with
conventional pesticides

FAO Priorities – Read More

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/emergencies/docs/1_Desert%20locust%20upsurge
%20%E2%80%93%20progress%20report%20May%202020.pdf

http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/emergencies/docs/Desert%20Locust%20Crisis%20-
%20Appeal%20for%20rapid%20response%20and%20anticipatory%20action%20in%20the
%20Greater%20Horn%20of%20Africa%20January%20-%20December%202020%20.pdf

http://www.fao.org/3/ca9250en/ca9250en.pdf