Burgeoning Desert Locust Population as a Transboundary Plant Pest: A Significant Threat to Regional Food Security

ABSTRACT

Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera Acrididae), is a spectacular example of nature but also a menacing scourge. Its breeding area extends from Morocco to Pakistan and India. Unprecedented movement and migration of desert locust occurred during the current upsurge of 2019-2021. It has migrated and invaded green crops up to Nepal during this gregarious phase. For monitoring, forecasting, and early warning of desert locust in the countries where the crops are under direct threat of this pest, FAO established the Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS), nearly five decades ago. DLIS has a state-of-the-art technology, a very unique expertise, and field presence with the ability to link up different governments to strengthen their capacities in desert locust management. The right to food is a human right, and food needs to be available, abundant, and accessible to all. The current COVID-19 pandemic, in amalgamation with desert locust, has created an extraordinary situation that has shaken the food security and economy of the whole region (from Morocco to Pakistan and India). In the wake of this pandemic, we need to find out the prudent ways to fight this scourge by our own resources in collaboration with the FAO-based contingency plans. Proper control and management of desert locust in the region under direct threat are needed in order to save the crops from damage and ensure food security. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.