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Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region

Surv_lutte

Surveillance and Control 

A specific approach is needed to monitor changes in the Desert Locust situation and its habitat in order to gather the maximum amount of information as quickly as possible and using the minimum number of resources. 

Surveys must be planned according to the locust situation, the ecological conditions on the ground and the risk of populations developing later, requiring further monitoring and possibly treatment. 

This requires: 

  1. Collecting information = early detection of local outbreaks  
  2. Transmitting information to the operational unit  
  3. Managing information in real time and planning short-, medium- and long-term monitoring and control operations. 

 

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[Countries] Chad receives its two surveillance drones

03/12/2024

N’Djamena, le 03/12/2024 – In collaboration with the National Locust Control Agency (ANLA), the Commission for the Control of the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO) today officially handed over two (02) locust surveillance drones to the Chadian government.

The ceremony, held in N'Djamena, was presided over by the Minister of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation, in the presence of senior government officials and the Executive Secretary of the CLCPRO, Mr. Mohamed Lemine Hamouny.

This initiative is part of the CLCPRO's regional preventive control strategy, which is based on early warning and rapid response, in particular the implementation of the recommendation made by countries at the 10th session to equip countries with drones after meeting the legislative requirements for the use of these tools. To date, the countries that have received their drones are: Algeria (03), Morocco (03), Mauritania (03) and Chad (02), for a total of 11 drones transferred by the CLCPRO.  

Chad: A strategic role in the region

Chad plays a central role in the regional locust control strategy. As a frontline country, it hosts the secondary base of the Western Region Intervention Force (FIRO), a key operational tool for the implementation of preventive control and emergency management. This base, located in a strategic area, enables a rapid and effective response to locust threats from breeding areas in the central region of East Africa.

The Director General of the National Locust Control Agency (ANLA), Mr Adoum Mahamat Tolli, expressed his gratitude to the CLCPRO for its continued support in the fight against the desert locust. He highlighted the importance of innovative technological tools used for pest surveillance as a significant advance in strengthening preventive control efforts and preserving food security.

For his part, the Executive Secretary of CLCPRO praised the ongoing commitment of the Chadian government and the efforts of ANLA teams to ensure food security and protect the livelihoods of rural communities, particularly as Chad is the first country in the western region in contact with the central region, which is currently experiencing severe locust invasions.

In his official opening speech, the Minister of Agricultural Production and Industrialisation, Mr Keda Ballah, highlighted the strategic importance of introducing drones in the fight against locusts. He stressed that these new surveillance and intervention technologies significantly strengthen the operational capabilities of the Western Region Intervention Force (FIRO), based in Chad, while helping to provide reliable data on intervention areas. The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the CLCPRO and the FAO for their commitment and assured that his department would remain available to support the Commission and ensure the proper functioning of the recently acquired equipment, in the service of food security and rural development in Chad.

Strengthened regional and international collaboration

The provision of these drones reflects the CLCPRO's commitment to equipping its member countries with innovative equipment to strengthen their response capabilities. This effort also demonstrates the importance of regional and international collaboration in the fight against this cross-border scourge.

Constant and continuous development

It should be noted that the CLCPRO has already begun the process of developing two new generations of drones, namely a more powerful model for locust surveillance, enabling real-time data processing and communication, and another model designed for spraying locust pesticides, with the first trial scheduled to take place during the second week of December 2024 in Akjoujt, Mauritania.