Desert Locust and Rural Livelihood Insecurities in Northeast Shewa, Ethiopia, 1900–1991

It is apparent that the desert locust was and is one of the major challenges of human beings. This study attempts to investigate the impacts of desert locust infestation on the society and natural environment in Northeast Shewa, 1900–1991. The finding of this study reveals that this pest, in combination with other human and natural forces, made impoverishment of the local society an enduring phenomenon. Desert locusts that originated in the hot lowlands within and outside the country migrated deep into the hinterlands of Ethiopia, of which my study area was a part, following the direction of the wind. It damaged crops, grasses, and green leaves along the way. It caused the decline of productivity and intensified competition over resources that gradually ended up with conflicts, displacement, and death, particularly among the sedentary agriculturalists and pastoralists. It also caused starvation and famine. Environmentally, desert locust infestation disturbed the food web in particular and the balance in the ecosystem in general. The impact of the pest has been serious, with the progressive decline of vegetation cover and the associated climate change in the region, particularly since the post-liberation period.