Desert locust management is plagued by human-based impediments

Authors: Showler, Allan

Submitted to: Agronomy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/29/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Technical aspects of desert locust management have markedly improved, particularly since the late 1980s. Examples include modernized electronic networking systems linking stakeholders, global positioning system precision for reporting locust aggregations and applying insecticides to them, use of ultra-low-volume insecticide formulations and sprayers to reduce environmental contamination and quantities of insecticides used, and computerized interdisciplinary data integration for monitoring and forecasting desert locust episodes. Despite remote, rugged terrain typical of the insect’s geographic distribution, vehicles for conducting surveillance and delivering insecticides exist (but are not always available). As technical aspects of desert locust control continue to be surmounted, human-based factors remain substantial, underlying, multifaceted obstacles. Funding shortfalls, for example, are commonly identified as impediments to conducting sustainable desert locust management without elucidating upon their causes. This article examines diverse principle hurdles to desert locust management that are posed by humans. Issues relating to dogmas on fundamental concepts, many kinds of insecurity, political constraints, weak communication between some stakeholders, “donor fatigue”, classification as disaster assistance versus international development, institutional memory loss, unpreparedness, and inattention to real-time events. Human-based impediments are important because they hinder evolution toward increasingly progressive integrated desert locust management approaches and contribute toward development and duration of upsurges and plagues.

Technical Abstract: Technical aspects of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål), management have markedly improved, particularly since the late 1980s. Examples include modernized electronic networking systems linking stakeholders, global positioning system precision for reporting locust aggregations and applying insecticides to them, use of ultra-low-volume insecticide formulations and sprayers to reduce environmental contamination and quantities of insecticides used, and computerized interdisciplinary data integration for monitoring and forecasting desert locust episodes. Despite remote, rugged terrain typical of the insect’s geographic distribution, vehicles for conducting surveillance and delivering insecticides exist (but are not always available). As technical aspects of desert locust control continue to be surmounted, human-based factors remain substantial, underlying, multifaceted obstacles. Funding shortfalls, for example, are commonly identified as impediments to conducting sustainable desert locust management without elucidating upon their causes. This article examines diverse principle hurdles to desert locust management that are posed by humans. Issues relating to dogmas on fundamental concepts, many kinds of insecurity, political constraints, weak communication between some stakeholders, “donor fatigue”, classification as disaster assistance versus international development, institutional memory loss, unpreparedness, and inattention to real-time events. Human-based impediments are important because they hinder evolution toward increasingly progressive integrated desert locust management approaches and contribute toward development and duration of upsurges and plagues.