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Hundreds of millions of locusts have swept across Kenya Ethiopia and Somalia. The United Nations has termed this the worst outbreak in a quarter of a century. This has resulted in the organization testing drones equipped with mapping sensors and atomisers to spray pesticides and fight this locust infestation.
Drones Could Be The Solution To The Locust Infestation
Keith Cressman, senior locust forecasting officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said specially developed prototypes would be tested. He says they can detect swarms via special sensors and adapt their speed and height accordingly.
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“Nobody’s ever done this with desert locusts before. So we have no proven methodology for using drones for spraying on locusts,” said Cressman.
FAO says they will be introducing them as eyes in the sky in Kenya. They want to use the drones to check for infestations and search large arid areas for green patches (prime feeding grounds for locusts).
The upsurge of the pest is alarming and poses a huge threat to food security and livelihoods. Around 20 million people are already experiencing acute food insecurity which is also being affected by the pest.
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