Thumbnail Image

Southern Africa locust outbreak - September 2020

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 8p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) At least four southern African countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) are facing serious outbreaks of African Migratory Locust (AML), threatening the winter crops and the main planting season due to start in October. Seven million people who are still recovering from the impact of the 2019 drought, may experience further food insecurity and following crop damage from the AML (Note: this is separate to the Desert Locust emergency in Eastern Africa). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working closely with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Red Locust Control Organization for Central and Southern Africa (IRLCO-CSA) to support the affected countries to respond to the locust outbreaks. It should be noted though, that IRLCO-CSA primarily focuses on the control of a different locust pest: the Red Locust. Awareness of the situation is low due to the absence of dedicated national locust units and, consequently, a lack of regular monitoring and reporting. FAO promotes preventive strategies for locust management, which rely on early warning and early reactions. Delaying the response would prove more costly financially, environmentally, socially and economically.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    Southern Africa Situation Report - October 2016 2016
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The 2015/16 agricultural season in Southern Africa was the driest in 35 years. In a region where over 70 percent of the population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, and following two, and in some cases three, consecutive years of drought, El Niño has had devastating impacts on the lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (series)
    Small water bodies and their fisheries in southern Africa 1994
    Also available in:
    No results found.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO Southern Africa El Niño Response Plan 2016
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The El Niño phenomenon poses a global threat to the agricultural livelihoods of millions of people. In Southern Africa, over 39 million people are now food insecure due to the impacts of El Niño, which have been felt across all sectors — food and nutrition security, agriculture (both crops and livestock), water and sanitation, energy, health and education. The poor 2015/16 agricultural season, compounded by last year’s poor harvest that left only two countries with surplus food to export, has g reatly affected the food and nutrition security of millions of people. The lean season is expected to continue through April 2017, which will have a cumulative eroding effect on the production capacities of farmers in the 2016/17 agricultural season. With 70 percent of the population in the region depending on agriculture for their livelihood, these same people not only produce food for themselves, but for the entire subregion. Supporting these farmers will be crucial to avoiding protracted reli ef operations and increased vulnerability, which can lead to migration as income and labour opportunities cease to exist. This document provides a brief overview of the impact of El Niño on agricultural livelihoods in Southern Africa, along with funding needs and priorties for FAO action in the region.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.