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Emergency Preparedness and Response to Desert Locust Infestation in Uganda - TCP/UGA/3801

Year of publication 2022

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 9

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Project

Synopsis (short abstract) Because of its high mobility and wide and varied feeding habits, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria is a dreaded insect that can, each day, eat its own weight in fresh food, form dense mobile swarms and travel up to 150 km Desert locust swarms reportedly migrated from Yemen to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia between December 2019 and January 2020 prompting FAO operated early warning system desert locust information services ( to issue alerts about a potential spread to South Sudan and Uganda Heavy rains in the Horn of Africa in December 2019 created favorable breeding conditions with the potential to last until June 2020 possibly resulting in large numbers of swarms Swarms spread quickly and at an alarming rate Various sized desert locust swarms entered Kenya and a 40 km by 60 km swam was observed entering Kenya from Somalia in 2020 Uganda has not experienced a desert locust invasion since the early 1960 s, when it had devastating effects on the country's food security situation However, FAO had at the time identified a low to moderate risk of desert locust swarms entering Uganda With limited control capacity in Kenya, the risk that some swarms would spread into the north and north eastern parts of Uganda was considered, particularly in the Kenya bordering subregion of Karamoja With a looming invasion threat, Ugandan government officials analysed the country's preparedness in the event of an infestation and drafted a contingency plan Recognizing the lack of knowledge about this pest and the low capacity for surveillance and control in the country, there was an urgent need to mobilize and educate national and local institutions, as well as the general public, to conduct surveillance and reporting, and prepare for control operations.

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