The importance of armed conflict to Desert Locust control, 1986–2002

In Africa and Asia in recent years (1986 to 2002), repeated outbreaks and plagues of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål), have prompted the international community, through early intervention, to focus on preventing plague status from being reached. The relative lack of applied research breakthroughs on desert locust monitoring and control, means that for preventive or proactive control, direct access to the breeding areas is essential for both operations so that conventional, short-residual pesticides can be applied to gregarizing or fully gregarious populations. There are a number of challenges to desert locust survey and control as it is currently practiced: these include lack of funding and training, weak regional organizations, and remote and rugged terrain in breeding areas. The most intractable challenge to overcome, and arguably the chief cause for desert locust outbreaks to develop without suppressive interventions to plague status, is armed conflict, especially in countries with key breeding areas. Salient areas of armed conflict in countries where key desert locust breeding areas exist, and the impacts of those conflicts on desert locust survey and control, are described. Possible solutions of the problems presented by armed conflict for desert locust operations are discussed.