Millions in Africa face starvation as huge locust swarms descend . . . Locust outbreak could leave nearly 5 million people in Africa facing starvation The crisis comes on top of food insecurity already exacerbated by COVID-19 A locust swarm can contain as many as 80 million adults A swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people
How can we control locust swarms? | World Economic Forum From the Biblical plagues of Egypt to a major infestation in Madacasgar two years ago, locust swarms have caused chaos throughout history Just one swarm can cover 20% of the land surface of the Earth, affecting the livelihood of 10% of the world’s population by consuming up to 200 tonnes of vegetation per day
What effect to insects and pests have on crop production? | World . . . "Others, such as the desert locust (the world's most destructive migratory pest), are expected to change their migratory routes and geographical distribution because of climate change " There was an increased risk of pests spreading in agricultural and forestry ecosystems, especially in cooler Arctic, boreal, temperate and subtropical regions
How can technology be used in the battle against world hunger? 4 Globally, a mobile app called eLocust3 is being used to monitor and quickly detect one of the most dangerous migratory pest species in the world, the desert locust The app combines the latest advances in information, communication and satellite technologies into a unified monitoring and early warning system
This is the state of the climate in Africa - The World Economic Forum Pest outbreaks were also a key driver of food insecurity, with the locust invasion continuing to have a major impact in East and the Horn of Africa in 2020 This region also accounted for 12% of all new population displacements worldwide, with over 1 2 million new disaster-related displacements and almost 500,000 new conflict-related displacements
Heres why small-scale farmers need more climate funding But they are being battered by rolling crises – not just climate change, but also COVID-19, livestock diseases such as swine fever, and a locust infestation across the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa
Why it’s time to rethink migration - The World Economic Forum It is time to rethink migration Over much of the world, birth rates are plunging and populations are ageing This means that there will be fewer workers to support older people and growt
Technology alone cant solve our problems. Heres what might In recent years, the consequences of our assault on the biosphere have become clear: from the spread of zoonotic diseases and locust outbreaks to permanent damage to riverways and fertile soil The overuse of chemicals, deforestation, climate change and other human factors has led to the loss of one-third of all arable land over the past 40 years