A brief overview of the economic impact of Desert Locust in W and NW Africa, 2003-05 compared to preventive control

1. Desert Locust
economics
A CASE STUDY: 2003-2005
Keith Cressman
Senior Locust Forecasting Officer
FAO, Rome

2. 1,100 =
35,000
20
6
a1 km2 Desert Locust swarm
eats the same food in 1 day as ...

3. 35,000
20
a 1 km2 Desert Locust swarm
eats the same food in 1 day as ... 6
8.5 million
half the
population
a swarm the size of Niamey (or Bamako) of Niger
consumes the same amount of food in 1 day as ... (or Mali)

4. PARIS
38 million/day
France/2 days
NEW YORK CITY
42 million/day
USA/1 week
SYDNEY
422 million/day
Australia/1.5 hours

5. Control ops in 23 countries
October 2003 - November 2005
Israel
Lebanon
Ethiopia
Cyprus
Cape Verde
Jordan
Guinea Bissau
13 million hectares
Gambia
Eritrea
Chad
Guinea
Burkina Faso
Sudan
Tunisia
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
Libya
Niger
Mali
Senegal
Mauritania
Algeria
Morocco
0 1,250,000 2,500,000 3,750,000 5,000,000 ha

6. Emergency funding delay
US$ million
100 FAO appeal
$74.8m
75
4 months
50
50
funds received
25
7 months
9
FAO TCP
0
Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr
2004 2005

7. $
13 - 200 control / ha
millions spent by
320 + 80 affected countries + FAO/donors
100 millions spent on food aid

8. 8.4 million
people affected in West Africa
80-100 % cereal loss
85-90 % legume loss
33-85 % pasture loss

9. Debt
household heads became indebted
60 % mauritania
45 % mali
33 % burkina faso

10. $90 million
food aid in West Africa, 2004
90 % burkina faso
75 % mali
65 % mauritania
households receiving aid

11. $1 MILLION SAVES $100 MILLION
Million $100M
$100 after
12 months
80
$50M
after
60 10 months
$10M
after
40 $5M 7 months
$1M after
4 months THE LAST PLAGUE
after
20 1 month IN WEST AFRICA
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
2003 2004

12. $ 570 MILLION CONTROL OPERATIONS
(2003-2005)
$ 3.3 MILLION ANNUAL COST
PREVENTIVE CONTROL
(10 COUNTRIES W+NW AFRICA)
170 YEARS OF PREVENTIVE CONTROL