Djibouti

Djibouti
Djibouti is within:
Region:	Africa
Subregion:	Sub-Saharan Africa
Intermediate region:	Eastern Africa

This page is incomplete and lacking information and resources! If you have expertise or materials on this topic that you are willing to contribute, please feel free to add it here using the Edit button above or get in touch with an administrator to help.

Djibouti is a small country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west and south, and Somalia to the southeast. Djibouti has one of the world’s hottest and driest climates. It has a coastline along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east and plays a crucial role as a major port and trade hub on the Red Sea. Djibouti is vulnerable to desert locust invasions, which threaten its agriculture and food security, making it a focal point for regional monitoring and control efforts. Approximately 29% of the population experiences chronic food insecurity in Djibouti. The most impacted regions are Obock in the North and Ali-Sabieh and Dikhil in the South, where between 20% and 30% of the rural populations face severe chronic food insecurity.

Ecology and distribution

The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is the most notorious species affecting Djibouti. Desert locusts can migrate over long distances, and during periods of infestation, swarms often move into Djibouti from neighboring countries like Ethiopia and Somalia when conditions become unfavorable in their original breeding grounds.

A large portion of Djibouti is mountainous, with much of its land covered by lava flows. Inland, there are large areas of saline or alkaline marshes prone to flooding. As a result, locust habitats are mostly restricted to limited sandy regions along the coast, particularly to the east of Djibouti near the Somali border, where they connect with Somalia's Silil area. Other locust habitats are found around Tadjoura and Obock. Also, Damerjog during the summer season and in Dorra during the winter season. The Railway Area between Djibouti and Awash, which lies along the Ethiopian Rift, is another important zone, with significant activity during both the summer breeding season (August-September) and the Long Rains breeding season (April-June).

Outbreaks

2019-2021

From 2019 to 2021, Djibouti experienced one of the most severe locust outbreaks in decades, significantly impacting the entire East African region. The outbreak began in 2019, driven by unusual climatic conditions that favored locust breeding. The situation escalated in 2020-2021, with heavy rains and cyclones creating ideal conditions for the formation of massive locust swarms. These swarms caused extensive damage to crops and pastures, threatening food security and livelihoods. In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, along with regional governments, implemented extensive control measures such as aerial and ground pesticide spraying, monitoring, and early warning systems to combat the infestation and mitigate its impacts. Read more here

2007-2008

The 2007-2008 locust infestation in Djibouti was part of a broader regional outbreak, caused by favorable weather conditions, including increased rainfall. This surge in locust population posed a threat to crops and grazing lands, endangering food security and local economies. The response to this outbreak involved collaboration between local and international agencies to implement control measures, although the strategies were less technologically advanced compared to more recent efforts. Despite these efforts, the infestation caused significant agricultural disruption.

Management and research

Djibouti's locust problems are part of a larger regional issue in the Horn of Africa, necessitating regional cooperation and coordinated efforts for effective management. Locust management in Djibouti involves a combination of monitoring, early warning systems, and control measures to mitigate the impact of infestations. The government, in collaboration with international organizations like the FAO UN employs ground and aerial spraying of pesticides to control locust populations.

Djibouti is part of the FAO Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa (DLCO EA) and the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC).

The national locust control unit operates under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fishery, Livestock and Marine Resource (Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Eau, de la Pêche et de l'Elevage chargé des Ressources Hydrauliques (MAEPE-RH)). The national locust coordinator manages survey and control matters, information management, and training. They are also the liaison officer to the FAO Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases (EMPRES) Programme. Four plant protection technicians and six assistant staff offer assistance to the coordinator.

Species of locust and grasshoppers in Djibouti represented in HopperWiki

• Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)

Organizations (4)

Name	Acronym	Type	Focus	Focus keywords	Species purview
Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region	CRC	Intergovernmental Organization	Management, Governance, Education, Information Hub	Training, Regional cooperation, Monitoring, Control, Forecasting, Natural sciences	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa	DLCO EA	Intergovernmental Organization	Education, Governance, Management, Research	Training, Regional cooperation, Monitoring, Control, Coordination	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
FAO Desert Locust Control Committee	DLCC	Intergovernmental Organization	Development, Management, Governance	Agricultural development, Community development, Control, International development, Regional cooperation, Sustainable development, Training, Natural sciences	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fishery, Livestock and Marine Resources	MAEPE-RH	Government	Governance, Management	Management, Forecasting, Monitoring, Control	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)

Resources (9)

Title	Resource link	Category	Descriptive keyword	Author	Language	Species purview
Desert locust field handbook	View URL	Guide	Species identification, Management	Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Desert locust invasion responding to a crisis within a crisis	View URL	Technical report	Presentation, Outbreaks, Emergency response	World Bank	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Desert locust technical series		Technical report	History, Management	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations	English, French, Arabic	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Emergency Locust Response Program Phase 3 The World Bank Group	View URL	Media	Media article	World Bank, Intergovernmental Authority on Development	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Greater Horn of Africa and Yemen Desert locust crisis appeal	View URL			Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Key aspects on desert locust information and reporting	View URL	Guide	Early warning, SWARMS, Geographic Information System (GIS)	Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
The World Bank Group and the Locust Crisis	View URL	Media	Media article	World Bank	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
What is DGPS?	View URL	Technical report	Aerial control operations, Agriculture, Application, Pesticides, Spraying	Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
World Bank Announces $500 Million to Fight Locusts	View URL	Media	Media article	World Bank	English	Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria)

Projects

Querying the database found no results.