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Locust invasions: Satellite solutions to fight against this plague

03 February 2021

CLS teams are pleased to announce the renewal of their collaboration with the national locust centres for the next 5 years and bring their services to the benefit of locust-affected countries in Africa and Asia.

 

Devastating locust invasions

locusts invasions

Locust invasions, swarming at unprecedented numbers, put millions at risk of starvation across Africa and Asia. They are a result of heavy rainfall and cyclones over the past two years. In one day, they consume enough to feed thousands of people. The swarms, which are carried in part by the wind, have overwhelmed local officials in multiple countries.

Moreover, since few months, Coronavirus makes it harder to battle locusts ravaging those places.

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CLS’s HumaNav solution collects daily data for national locust centers

CLS has been working alongside organizations fighting this scourge since 2004, with a field tool used for desert locust early warning, developed several years ago to address this issue. Early warning and preventive control overnight are key strategies to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of devastating locust plagues that threaten food security and livelihoods in Africa and Asia.

By using a dedicated application on a rugged tablet, HumaNav solution allows the daily collection and reliable data transmission from the field to national locust centres for analysis. The data, collected thanks to satellite network are used to assess the current situation, forecast its development and warn locust-affected countries and the international donor community of locust invasions and plagues. Field data are recorded from some of the most remote areas and transmitted in real time to decision-makers and forecasters so that action can be taken, and alerts and warnings can be issued.

It constitutes the basis of the preventive control strategy adopted by affected countries to reduce the devastating locust plagues.

More information about HumaNav