CWS Issues Report to Pass on Lessons Learned from Locust Crisis Assistance to the Next Generation

28th April 2022

• Cover of CWS Report ©CWS

CWS Japan (CWS), a JPF member NGO, with support from JPF, in partnership with Community World Service Asia (CWSA), has been conducting relief activities in Sindh Province, Pakistan, in response to the damage caused by the desert locust . The report was published in March 2022 to document the challenges and solutions learned from these relief efforts and to draw lessons for similar disasters in the future.

Desert locust infestation is seen as a serious problem throughout history, and it continues to threaten agriculture and food security over large parts of Africa, the near east and southwest Asia even at present day.

Knowledge on the ecology of desert locusts and the forecasting of swarms have developed considerably over time, but understanding the species and having the technology for the forecast is not enough. Without international policy and implementation cooperation, and, more importantly, without the timely communication of the forecast, outbreaks will continue to happen. Moreover, response to locust infestation is a long process and requires much more than locust control. A more flexible, holistic approach is therefore needed, with the preparedness for compound disaster situations.

The knowledge and experience gained by one generation may not be passed on properly to the next because of the irregular and long intervals between the outbreaks. The report published by CWS is expected to play an important role in ensuring a proper transformation of knowledge between generations.

The CWS report, published in March 2022, is available here.
https://www.cwsjapan.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LocustReport.pdf

Holding a reflecting workshop

22nd February 2022

In late January, an online workshop was held to reflect on the JPF's emergency assistance for harm caused by harmful insects, and representatives from the four project implementing organizations, CWS, JEN, PWJ, and REALs, participated in the workshop. The group work was preceded by a report by the exit evaluation vendor and the sharing of findings from outside experts. A summary of this workshop will be included in the exit evaluation report.

Holding a Workshop

28th January 2022

On January 27, a workshop was held online with external experts, including a report on the results of the evaluation at the end of JPF Emergency Response to Locust Crisis and a review by the implementing organization. The content of the workshop will be posted later. In addition, we will inform you of the end-of-term evaluation report after it is posted on the website.

Support activities in South Sudan and Kenya

27th December 2021

JPF member NGOs Reach Alternatives (REALs) and Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) are currently working in South Sudan and Kenya, respectively, to help pest-affected farmers and communities recover and strengthen their resilience. The activities of the two organizations will be completed by the end of this year. After that, JPF secretariat will conduct an evaluation at the end of the program to discuss recommendations, lessons learned, problems, and concerns regarding support projects with the aim of sharing knowledge that will contribute to future humanitarian assistance.

Activities and Voices from the Field

18th November 2021

• ©CWS

Please take a look at the "Activities and Voices from the Field" tab on the program page (Japanese program page) to learn more about the support activities of JPF member NGOs. The JPF Secretariat will also conduct an evaluation project and publish the evaluation report (in English) after the completion of the project.

Towards a resilient community that can cope with pest damage

October 2021

Reach Alternatives (REALs), a JPF member NGO, provides support in South Sudan, where food shortages are serious. REALs provides support to farmers and communities by disseminating more effective pest control methods, early detection and warning of pest outbreaks and attacks, and building response systems.
REALs has distributed seeds of corn, mulukhiyah , kale, okra, and other crops to farmers, as well as farming tools such as hoes and plows. In addition, they are providing training to improve farming techniques, which contributes to strengthening the resilience of the farmers so that they can maintain a certain yield even with some pest damage.

PWJ's assistance in South Sudan is complete

September 2021

In July, Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), a JPF member NGO, completed its agricultural assistance to farmers and communities in South Sudan.

PWJ provided agricultural training to the farmers, distributed seeds and agricultural materials, helped cultivate farmland using tractors and oxen, and built grain warehouses to store the harvest. Martha, a single mother of three children, told us how the agricultural support has improved her and her family’s life: "I am very grateful for the farming tools, seeds, and boots that PWJ has given me. The boots protect us from thorns and snakes when we are farming. Also, thanks to this project, we were able to start planting seeds right away because they helped us clear the land. We hope the rains will come and we will be able to harvest more crops."

Read the article by PWJ here

REALs Help Prevent Pest Damage

August 2021

Reach Alternatives (REALs), a JPF member NGO, is conducting a project to strengthen resilience of farmers and communities in South Sudan to prevent the spread of pest damage.

In addition to conflicts and political instability, South Sudan is facing severe poverty and food shortages caused by natural disasters such as droughts. In recent years, adult locusts have attacked the country, and it is highly possible that a large number of eggs have been laid, exposing the country to the risk of further food shortages if the locusts attack again or the eggs hatch. REALs provides support to farmers to prevent damage by providing training on pest control and distributing educational leaflets.

Public Call for Evaluators on Emergency Assistance for Locust Damage

21st July 2021

JPF is inviting applications from third party evaluation providers for the Emergency Response to Locust Crisis it has provided in Pakistan.

Third Party Evaluation: Emergency Response to Locust Crisis
Application deadline (until 17:00, July 30, 2021)

Click here for details

CWS to Help Reduce Pest Damage in Pakistan

16th June 2021

JPF member NGO CWS Japan is introducing on Instagram its capacity building support for pest damage reduction in Sindh Province, Pakistan.
They are teaching sustainable technology that the affected people can implement on their own.
Click here for the CWS report.

JEN's Assistance Project in Pakistan Comes to an End

30th May 2021 21:00

• A scene from a training session for a locusts control group ©JEN

JEN, a JPF member NGO, has completed its livelihood support program for farmers in the three provinces of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where pest damage was the worst.

As for JPF Emergency Response to Locust Crisis in a wide area, CWS Japan is providing support in Pakistan, Peace Winds Japan is providing support in Kenya and South Sudan, and Reach Alternatives is continuing its support in South Sudan. We will continue to report on our activities through our website and SNS.

REALs Project to Prevent Pest Damage Spread in South Sudan

27th April 2021 23:00

JPF member NGO Reach Alternatives (REALs) is implementing a project to provide emergency support for pest damage in South Sudan, and has started the following project in April.

Resilience Enhancement Project to Prevent the Spread of Pest Damage to Farmers and Communities in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan (April 6 - October 17, 2021)

JEN’s Emergency Response to Locust Crisis Featured on Local TV in Pakistan

8th March 2021 10:36

• Selecting the locust pest control group ©JEN

JPF member NGO JEN is implementing a livelihood support project for farmers affected by the desert locust crisis in three districts of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The project is highly appreciated by the communities supported and has been featured on local TV.

JEN’s report can be read here.

Assisting Communities Affected by the Locust Pest

18th February 2021 10:53

• ©PWJ

JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) has been providing agricultural support to communities in South Sudan that have been affected by the damages caused by the massive locus pest outbreak. JPF's Emergency Response to Locus Crisis Program was launched in April 2020, and it continues to support pest-affected communities in South Sudan, Kenya, and Pakistan.

JEN’s Locust Pest Control Training in Pakistan

27th January 2020 8:00

• Locust pest control training ©JEN

As an emergency response to the locust pest crisis, JPF member NGO JEN is active in Pakistan where there have been the most damages from the locust pests. JEN has been conducting a livelihood support project focused on pest control and monitoring, including distribution of necessary supplies as well as various trainings and workshops.

Extending the Program Term to Continue Our Response

17th December 2020 7:30

• Monitoring the pest-affected farm ©JEN

As of 20 November 2020, JPF has decided to extend the program term and to increase the budget for the Emergency Response to Locust Crisis program.

Changes to the program:
Term: 1 April 2020 - 31 October 2021
Budget: 330 million yen

Currently, CWS (Pakistan), JEN (Pakistan), PWJ (South Sudan), and REALs (South Sudan) are implementing assistance projects in various regions affected by the locust crisis. We will continue to provide updates on the status of our assistance through Facebook and our website.

REALs' Relief Activity for the Locust Crisis

20th November 2020 20:00

• Residents being shown how to make homemade pesticide from natural ingredients that cause no harm to humans or livestock ©REALs

As part of the JPF program, JPF member NGO Reach Alternatives (REALs) is implementing a pest prevention and agricultural support project in the city of Juba, Central Equatoria State, in the Republic of South Sudan.

REALs is helping to prevent further food shortages caused by the desert locust pests in South Sudan, where there had already been severe food shortages due to conflict and natural disasters. In the locust-infested areas, REALs is providing training on pest control measures, distributing seeds and seedlings, and helping raise productivity on food productions to minimize food shortages caused as a result of the locust damages.

JEN Implementing Assistance in Pakistan

25th October 2020 17:00

• Market survey for supply procurement ©JEN

JPF member NGO JEN is currently implementing a livelihood support project focusing on pest control, monitoring, and management for farmers in the three districts most severely affected by the locust pests in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province.

As part of this project, a locust control group will be selected from among the affected households to control, monitor, and manage the pests. Necessary items will be distributed so that they can perform pest control. The photo shows a market survey being conducted to procure the necessary items that include chemicals, chemical spraying equipment, and protective equipment (e.g. masks, gloves, etc.).

CWS’s Assistance Activity Picked Up by a Newspaper

9th September 2020 19:01

Desert locusts are causing damages as they devour wheat and corn, and the swarms have now spread to more than 20 countries in the world. The Asahi Shimbun (5 September 2020 digital edition, 6 September 2020 morning edition) reported on CWS Japan's emergency cash distribution and assistance for farmers, which have been delivered as part of the JPF program. Please take a look at the article at the link below. (*Available to paid membership readers)
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN8W5CQZN8PUHBI03H.html

JEN’s Relief Work in Pakistan

26th August 2020 23:30

• Meeting with the local government ©JEN

JPF member NGO JEN is currently implementing a livelihood support project focusing on pest control, monitoring, and management for farmers in the three districts most severely affected by the locust pests in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province.

JEN held meetings with local government officials and local leaders to share information on the ever-changing conditions of locust pest damages due to climate and other factors. New swarms of dessert locusts have been entering Pakistan from other countries as well. JEN will continue to monitor the situation and provide support.

PWJ’s Training in Kenya

29th July 2020 23:00

• ©PWJ

The increase in the number of desert locusts is causing serious damages in many countries. It is estimated that a one-square-kilometer of locust herd consumes the same amounts of crops in a day as food for 35,000 people. Not only will this reduce food self-sufficiency in the affected countries and regions, but it will also cause food prices to skyrocket around the world, which could lead to severe starvation. Kenya, in particular, is said to be experiencing a once-in-70-years famine.

JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) conducted leadership training for 40 government officials in June in Turkana County, Kenya. After the training, these officials, in turn, will train and mentor young people who will monitor and control the locust pests in their communities. PWJ’s training was conducted by instructors trained by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and they provided practical instruction on the ecology of the locusts, monitoring and pest control methods, and community involvement. The training was conducted with thorough preventative measures against COVID-19.

For more on PWJ’s activity, please visit: https://peace-winds.org/activity/kenya/18326

New Swarms of Locusts

26th June 2020 2:00

As a JPF grant project JPF member NGO CWS Japan has been implementing its assistance project in Umerkot, Sindh Province, which has been one of the most heavily affected areas in this crisis in Pakistan.

New swarms of locusts coming from surrounding countries have now reached Pakistan, and these pests are in breeding season and eggs are hatching now, so there are concerns for greater damages to the region. CWS will continue to support the farmers affected by this crisis directly with emergency cash provision as well as indirectly with provision of insecticides to control locusts through the Pakistani government, so that the farmers can recover their livelihood and build up their capacity.

Please visit CWS Japan’s website for more on this project: https://bit.ly/3188hch

CWS’s Assistance Activity

31st May 2020 22:00

Pakistan has experienced catastrophic damages on agriculture due to the infestation of desert locusts; it is said to be the heaviest pest crisis in thirty years. JPF member NGO CWS Japan has been implementing its assistance project in Umerkot, Sindh Province, which has been one of the most heavily affected areas in this crisis in Pakistan.

Umerkot is in a drought-hit area where crops can only be harvested during limited times of the year. In combination with the high poverty rate, it is considered to be at higher risk of damages from the locust crisis worsening. With locusts entering breeding season, eggs are being laid and hatched. CWS Japan has been providing cash support to farmers affected by this crisis so that they can use the money to rent tractors. Multiple families would rent an agricultural tractor together and take turns using it to kill off locust eggs through the traditional cultivation method, where you would dig up and turn over soil with the tractor so that the locust eggs are exposed, dried, and killed.

CWS Japan will also provide the Pakistani government with insecticides to control locusts and provide trainings for farmers on crop management and pest control.

Please visit the CWS website for more details.

“CWS JAPAN Newsletter No.43” https://www.cwsjapan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Newsletter_no.-43.pdf

Emergency Response to Locust Crisis in Action

1st April 2020 23:00

On 30 March 2020, Japan Platform (JPF) decided to launch the emergency response program to regions in East Africa and South Asia affected by the desert locust outbreak, which is causing serious damages on agriculture and crops.
At JPF, we have taken into account the severity of damages caused by the locust outbreak in the agricultural nations of Pakistan and Kenya, the critical impact on their economy, and the food insecurity being exacerbated by this crisis in the already vulnerable nation of South Sudan, and have determined to implement assistance projects in partnership with our member NGOs. Activities will include distributions of seeds and seedlings, provision of pesticides, support for farmers and agricultural communities, and relevant trainings for those affected by this crisis.