Experts have raised a red flag over the continued emergence of transboundary pests that pose a severe threat to the region's fragile food security.
Transboundary pests such as desert locusts, quelea birds, African Armyworms, and Red Palm Weevil compromise agricultural productivity.
Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa director Moses Mwesigwa said the region remains at high risk of desert locusts and other migratory pests due to climate change.
“This calls for increased vigilance in preparedness and surveillance by member countries to inform early warning actions,” Mwesigwa said.
He spoke on Friday during a high-level meeting on mitigating food insecurity through transboundary pest control in the Horn of Africa.
He said climate change continues to impact migratory pest breeding and spread within the region, thus calling for immediate and sustained action by Igad member countries and regional bodies such as the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa.
“It is imperative, therefore, to improve the capacity of member countries’ early warning systems and preparedness to address the migratory pest challenges, as well as the regional bodies mandated to respond to pest upsurges and attacks (DLCO-EA), as well as those tasked with coordination and policy,"Mwesigwa said.
"DLCO-EA remains committed to undertaking its mandate in the region, that is, aerial survey and control of migratory pests, applied research on migratory pests, pesticide use and safety, pest information forecasting and information sharing, and capacity building of member countries.”
Igad member states include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. It covers 5.2 million square kilometres and serves 261.2 million people.
In 2019 and 2020, Kenya was among the most severely affected countries during the desert locust upsurge.
Desert locust swarms invaded the country for the first time in 70 years, mostly affecting the northern region.
The swarms came into the country from Ethiopia and Somalia on December 28, 2019, before spreading to 28 counties.
Authorities were jolted into action as the swarms posed a risk to food security, undermining economic growth.
Through FAO’s support, Kenya was able to protect pastoralist livelihoods, averting a loss of 11,338 hectares of crop worth $3.4 million. But in 2020, another generation started forming swarms.
Somalia State Minister of Agriculture Asad Abdirazak said his country as a frontline state fully recognizes the need for stronger collaboration and coordination to limit the ability of transboundary pests to breed and spread to the region causing serious economic damage by destroying crops, pastures, forests and vegetation.
“Desert locusts and other transboundary pests are common threats that can only be controlled by adopting a common approach. That is why the formation of IGAD inter-regional Platform for sustainable management of desert locust and other transboundary pests and the MoU between Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia are of paramount importance,” Abdirazak said.
Ethiopia's director of plant protection Belayneh Nigussie said the Horn of Africa has similar agricultural practices, particularly farming and pastoral activities and environmental conditions, but faces comparable challenges in pest management.
“Pests like Ddesert locust, quelea birds, and African Fall Armyworms can quickly migrate across borders and cause significant damage to crops and pastures, posing a serious threat to the region. Therefore, it is crucial to respond quickly and work together with efficient communication strategies and effective pest surveillance, survey, monitoring, early warning and control measures to combat these transboundary pests’ infestations,” he said.
The technical teams on transboundary pests have for the last four days been developing a project proposal on mitigating food insecurity through transboundary pest management.
It covers components such as surveillance, survey, monitoring, and early warning systems: combined ground and aerial surveillance using vehicles, drones and satellite-based tools to track transboundary pests in real-time.
Other components include creating an effective communication strategy, integrated pest management strategy, pesticide management through developing standards for pesticide storage facilities, software, and constructing storage facilities.