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Favourable reproduction
conditions
Massive swarm
migration
July - September 2003
Exceptional rains favour locus
reproduction. Lack of funding for
preventive intervention in the
Sahel.
March - July 2004
Massive reproduction in the
Maghreb, limited reproduction in
the Red Sea region. Invasion into
the Sahel. Gregarious populations
eradicated on the coast of the Red
Sea.
August - November 2004
Monsoon creates favourable
conditions for reproduction in
West Africa. Massive and early
migration of swarms born in the
Sahel towards the Maghreb and
eastward towards Egypt, Lebanon
and Cyprus.
October 2003 - February 2004
Situation aggravated and start
massive migration of destructive
swarms.
Figure 23: A shift in desert locust (
Schistocerca gregaria
) host range due to climate change might have catastrophic impacts on food and
livestock production.
According to UNICEF (2005) it is estimated that two-thirds of the 2004 loss in food production and pasture in
Niger is rooted in the impact of drought at national level, while desert locusts, which infested the country afterwards, caused one-third
of the overall damages. In certain areas, swarms of desert locusts consumed nearly 100% of the crops. The desert locust, like other
locusts, can change its behaviour and physiology from solitary individuals to gregarious stages that form swarms. Solitary desert lo-
custs occur at low density in the recession area, which covers North Africa, the Sahel, the Red Sea countries and parts of Afghanistan,
India, Iran and Pakistan. The outbreak area stretches from Mauritania to India and from southern Europe to Cameroon and Tanzania.
Outbreaks and plagues originate in the recession areas when there are several cycles of good breeding conditions. Although the effects
of climate change on this system are difficult to judge, climate scenarios with more winter rain in the Sahel may provide better breeding
conditions. Large amounts of chemicals are being used to stem this plague, at considerable risk to the environment and public health.
A hazard is that locusts depend on the wind and rain to travel. (Source: CIRAD/UNEP/GRID-Arendal 2005).
creates favourable
iti
s f r reproduction in
t frica. assive and early
i r tion of s ar s born in
the Sahel towards the Maghreb
and eastward towards Egypt,
Lebanon and Cyprus.
i r r uction in the
r , li it d reproduction in
t
a region. Invasion into
t
el. regarious popula-
tions eradicated on the coast of
the Red Sea.
it ti
r v ted and start
i i r tion of destructive
r .
ti
l r i f
r locust
r r
ti
.
f f nding for
r
tiv intervention in the Sahel.