Cyril presented on the desert locust infestation in eastern Africa. This is an irregular and infrequent phenomenon in this region, making it difficult to prepare for. The solution is therefore an early warning system linked with anticipatory action. FAO was able to show the effectiveness of this combination through the 2020 response timeline. 

“Through anticipatory action, we prevented a significant food security deterioration in the entire region”, said Cyril.

Trajectories of the possible spread of desert locust throughout the region is being predicted through modelling now. This is helping demonstrate where the next action needs to take place and enables neighbouring countries (such as Kenya) to prepare with a few weeks’ warning.