East African Desert Locust Threat Increasing

Surveys conditions in Red Sea area, East Africa, the Sahara, Arabian Peninsula and South Asia.

Surveys conditions in Red Sea area, East Africa, the Sahara, Arabian Peninsula and South Asia.

Biological and Environmental Hazards, Risks, and Disasters, Second Edition provides an integrated look at major impacts to the Earth’s biosphere caused by diseases, algal blooms, insects, animals, species extinction, deforestation, land degradation, and comet and asteroid strikes, with important implications for humans. This second edition from Elsevier’s Hazards and Disasters Series incorporates perspectives from the natural and social sciences to offer in-depth coverage of threats from microscopic organisms to celestial objects and their potential impacts. Contributions from expert biological, health, ecological, environmental, wildlife, physical, and health scientists, readers will gain valuable insights on damages, causality, economic impacts, preparedness, and mitigation. Provides inter- and multi-disciplinary research accessible to both specialists and non-specialists Includes newly added chapters on emerging hazards and risks to earth’s ecosystems (land conversion and habitat loss) and human health (spread of diseases) Contains full-color tables, maps, diagrams, illustrations, and photographs of hazardous processes

In the late eighties large-scale control operations were carried out to control a major desert locust upsurge in Africa. For the first time since the banning of organochlorine pesticides these operations relied mainly on non-persistent pesticides such as organophosphates and pyrethroids. The amount of pesticides sprayed and the area covered were probably the highest in the history of locust control and raised criticism with respect to efficacy, economic viability and environmental impact. As a consequence, applied research into the problem was intensified, both at the national and the international level, with the goal of finding new and environmentally sound approaches and solutions to locust and grasshopper control. Emphasis was laid on developing new control agents and techniques.

The Early Warning Early Action (EWEA) Report on Food Security and Agriculture is developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It provides a quarterly forward-looking analysis of major disaster risks to food security and agriculture, specifically highlighting: - potential new emergencies resulting from imminent disaster threats - new developments in countries already affected by protracted crises which are likely to cause a further deterioration of food insecurity This report is part of FAO’s efforts to systematically link early warnings to anticipatory actions. By providing specific early action recommendations for each country, the report aims to prompt FAO and partners to proactively mitigate and/or prevent disasters before they start to adversely impact food security. In order of intensity, for the period April to June 2020, the high risk section includes: COVID-19 global outbreak Desert locust crisis Yemen Burkina Faso, Mali and the Niger Syrian Arab Republic Ethiopia