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Title: REMOTE SENSING OF ECO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2004 DESERT LOCUST OUTBREAK IN NORTHWEST AND SAHELIAN AFRICA

Author
item ANYAMBA, ASSAF - NASA, GREENBELT, MD
item SMALL, JENNIFER - NASA, GREENBELT, MD
item TUCKER, COMPTON - NASA, GREENBELT, MD
item CRESSMAN, KEITH - FAO OF UNITED NATIONS
item LOVE, TIMOTHY - NOAA CLIMATE PREDICT. CTR
item Linthicum, Kenneth - Ken

Submitted to: Pecora 16 - Global Priorities in Land Remote Sensing
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/9/2005
Publication Date: 12/1/2005
Citation: Anyamba, A., Small, J., Tucker, C.J., Cressman, K., Love, T.B., Linthicum, K. 2005. Remote sensing of eco-climatic conditions associated with the 2004 Desert Locust Outbreak in Northwest and Sahelian Africa. In Proceedings of Pecora 16 Symposium - Global Priorities in Land Remote Sensing, September 23-27, 2005, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Interpretive Summary: A significant explosion in Desert locust populations in 2004 caused extensive destruction of agriculture across much of northern and western Africa. Rainfall, as detected by earth-orbiting satellites, along the edge of the Sahara Desert in 2003 was found to be the triggering event. Subsequent, heavy rainfall in 2004 produced conditions suitable for expansion of large numbers of Desert locust. Satellite data can be used to identify locations of locust breeding and identify geographic areas for control operations. This information is critical to target areas of developing populations of desert locust for control campaigns.

Technical Abstract: An outbreak of the Desert Locust in the spring and summer of 2004 was the worst in the last 10 years and resulted in economically significant losses to both subsistence and export agriculture across areas of northern and western Africa. An analysis of rainfall and remotely sensed vegetation index measurements shows unusual rainfall in the summer of 2003 on the margins of the Sahara Desert was the triggering event. Subsequently, unusual rains in northwest Africa during the spring of 2004 resulted in continued favorable conditions for the large-scale locust reproduction and population expansion for several generations with subsequent desert locust outbreaks or plagues that affected large areas of Northwestern and Sahelian West Africa during 2004. Satellite remote sensing of both rainfall and developing green vegetation conditions can identify locations of initial and subsequent locust breeding for targeted ground surveillance and control. This information is critical to target areas of developing populations of desert locust for control campaigns.