Building resilience through Communication to safeguard livelihoods during recession and locust crisis periods

Continuous communication should be maintained during recession and locust crisis periods to increase awareness and mitigate impacts and protect livelihoods. The message was echoed at the just concluded Communication training workshop for Communication focal points from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad, and Tunisia. The countries are members of the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO).

Mohamed Rabah Hajlaoui, General Director of Plant Health and Control of Agricultural Inputs from the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Maritime Fisheries communication is important in better management of locust control campaigns.

“Periods of recession require constant awareness to maintain commitment and necessary resources. Crises, on the other hand, demand rapid, precise, and coordinated communication to mitigate impacts and protect communities,” said Mohamed Lemine Hamouny, Executive Secretary of CLCPRO.

Participants were encouraged to share knowledge, develop skills, and create concrete plans to improve communication for both periods using a range of communication tools and technologies to effectively raise awareness about the desert locust situation in the western region. Additionally, the training aimed to foster enhanced collaborative communication approach within the region by streamlining information dissemination, especially in urgent situations.

The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) of the Acrididae family is characterized by periodic swarming behavior. It is predominantly located in the deserts and arid regions of northern, western, and eastern Africa, as well as in Arabia and southwest Asia.

About the CLCPRO:

Established in 2002, under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution and in succession of the CLCPANO (Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in North-West Africa), the CLCPRO (Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region) is made up of 10 member countries from West and North-West Africa: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad, and Tunisia. Its main mission is to promote actions, research, and training at national, regional, and international level, in order to ensure preventive control and cope with Desert Locust invasions in West and Nort-West Africa. Ends