The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has signed a three-year USD 3 million grant with the World Bank to set up an Inter-Regional Platform for the sustainable management of desert locusts and other transboundary pests. The grant is part of the World Bank’s Emergency Locust Response Program Phase 3 (SSELRP) and is expected to run until August 2024.  

The platform’s overall goal is to strengthen synergies, sustain management and control desert locusts and other transboundary pests in the IGAD region. The platform will be extended to IGAD member states and all countries affected by desert locusts and other transboundary pests. The operationalisation of the platform will be conducted in partnership with the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO-EA) and the Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC). 

Key deliverables under the grant include:

• Guidelines for national preparedness plans for desert locust invasion to support IGAD member states;
• Support member states to finalise their national preparedness plans;
• Development of a regional preparedness plan agreed with the member states; and
• Development and dissemination of knowledge management and communication products targeting member states, donors, and other stakeholders.   

The Inter-Regional Platform will provide an effective and well-coordinated early warning system for continuous monitoring of desert locusts and other transboundary pests, such as locust breeding areas, and ground and aerial control operations to detect and neutralise hopper bands or adult swarms in time; thus, preventing more swarms from forming and ensuring the safe application of pesticides. Management and prevention measures will be implemented through the platform, rather than merely the current reactive control measures.  

Media Requests  

• Wawira Njoka: ICPAC: wawira.njoka@igad.int 
• Mahamed A. Abdillahi: IGAD Secretariat: mahamed.abdillahi@igad.int