Locusts have been described as the “most destructive migratory pest in the world” by the United Nations.
And now, a new study has claimed that climate change will soon trigger giant ‘megaswarms’ of desert locusts. The research has been carried out by scientists from National University of Singapore and published in the journal Science Advances. It says that the swarm of these insects can expand up to 25 per cent due to climate change.
The study is the first one to shows a robust link between large locust swarms and specific weather patterns.
Locusts belong to the family of grasshoppers and are usually harmless but certain environmental conditions like monsoon and heavy cyclones make them reproduce faster. A swarm is highly mobile and covers 50 to more than 100 km in a day.
Experts have warned that these megaswarms could have devastating effects on the global food chain.
“Even under a mitigated scenario with dramatic carbon emissions cut, there will still be at least a 5% increase in locust habitat, and existing hotspots in Africa and Asia will continue to experience swarms,” author of the study Xiaogang He told Live Science.
“Given the critical roles of Africa and South Asia as global breadbaskets, concurrent locust infestations have the potential to trigger widespread crop failures, jeopardizing global food security,” he added.
The scale of these megaswarms is astounding: A single one can contain tens of millions of these insects. Every single day, if they cover 130-150 km, they can eat the food consumed by as many as thousands people.
The study is based on an analysis of a large database from UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The database contained details of locust outbreaks across 36 countries between 1985 and 2020.
The research team combined information in the FAO database with meteorological data on indicators such as temperature, wind speeds and rainfall.