Strengthening locust information management capacities in Oman and Somalia

In its relentless commitment to bolster desert locust preventive control, the Food and agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been equipping countries in the Central Region and the Horn of Africa with knowledge and skills in innovative desert locust management tools and techniques.

At the inter-country training, desert locust and information officers (DLIO) from Somalia and Oman gained relevant skills in the use of eLocust3 digital tools suite and other reporting techniques necessary in desert locust management.

Somalia and Oman are desert locust breeding frontline countries.

A critical need for preparedness

FAO Locust and Transboundary Plant Pests and Disease Team Leader, Shoki Al-Dobai, emphasized the importance of improving locust monitoring, reporting and control at the country level. “This capacity building training is a significant step in this direction. This proactive approach ensures countries’ preparedness to tackle future locust threats effectively,” he noted.

Participants were introduced to the fundamental concepts of desert locust biology and be-haviour, along with advanced survey techniques, as well as use of eL3mBasic, eL3mPRO; eL3mG; eL3mW with the latest functions of RAMSES (Rv4.1) tools which are essential for accurate data collection, analysis, and reporting, enabling more effective locust control. The training combined theory and practical experiences in the field in survey operations.

Participants, such as Mohamed M. Farah from Puntland, Somalia, who has been working on desert locust management for nine years, was able to identify survey errors using eLo-cust3m which appear as a result of not refreshing the GPS in the device. "This training has significantly enhanced my ability to ensure accuracy in desert locust surveys," he noted.

Abdifatah Mukhtar Mohamed, another DLIO from Somalia, echoed similar sentiments. "The training content was highly informative and provided valuable insights into desert locust control. These tools will greatly improve our locust survey and  control efforts," he said.

Strengthening early warning systems

By enhancing the capacity of desert locust and information officers to effectively monitor and manage locust populations, countries can manage and control frequency, duration, and intensity of locust upsurges thus safeguarding food security and livelihoods in the affected regions, underlined Nasser Al Harthy, FAO’s Desert Locust Information Management Expert.

The training was delivered under the framework of the USAID/BHA funded project "Desert Locust risk reduction in the Central Region and the Horn of Africa (GCP/INT/1032/USA)". Ends