The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) has announced that it has succeeded in eradicating desert locust swarms that have spread to limited areas in Al Dhafra and has prevented their access to Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE. Four days, using ground sprinklers and manual physical control. The control was carried out in four main areas of Al Dhafra, including goods, Gheithi, Bennouna and Ruwais, as well as securing and covering farm areas, nature reserves and forests.
Dr. Humaid Ali Al Kindi, Director of Emergency, Safety and Business Continuity at the Authority, said that there is no expectation of other swarms of locusts in the emirate or outside. No locusts have been detected inside the UAE to the city of Abu Dhabi and the rest of the country. In addition to that the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Commission has not monitored any locust outside the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, pointing out that the Commission is still in a state of readiness and follow-up to ensure the end of the situation, and to ensure the eradication of all locusts, and the absence of any larvae in the Region.
He told Emirates Al-Youm that swarms of locusts entered the country from the Saudi desert, coming from the north of the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. He pointed out that the locust plague has annual seasons of migration and moves on the basis of climate change. The conditions for locust swarms to multiply, and the migration process begins, where the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula are generally a conduit for locust swarms.
He added: "The estimated situation was classified as low density and did not prepare for the use of helicopters in the control, in view of the lack of large numbers of locusts covering large areas, and the early warning system and international agreements for the exchange of information on the locust movement, taking due care and preparations, The competent authority in the Emirate to activate the emergency line and activate the response methods », pointing out that after monitoring the entry of desert locust swarms to the borders of the state, immediately began spraying and control.
He stressed that the Commission, during the control operations, to ensure the health and safety of residents in residential places where there was locusts, in addition to the reserves of wildlife, and was only physical physical control, to ensure that not affected by any types of pesticides, stressing that the impact of materials The use of the control is negligible in humans, where internationally approved and locally licensed materials are used.
He stressed the Canadian not to register the Commission for any reports of the existence of damage, both physical or environmental, in areas that have seen the spread of locusts rapid, for several reasons, including early warning and full preparations, and the implementation of rapid control on more than one axis, It is not in the process of breeding, and therefore did not put larvae and needs food, in addition to the weather that has passed through the area of Dhafra during the past days and the strong winds loaded with dust in the region helped to get rid of locusts.
Warning of collecting locusts
The director of the Department of Emergency and Safety and Business Continuity at the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, Dr. Hamid Ali Al-Kindi, said that the Commission focused on the locust control operations to raise awareness of the population not to collect the locusts to avoid any harm to health that may result from that, noting that some collect and prepare For cooking, or selling it, where the price of Desert Locust Kilo, in some Gulf countries, to the equivalent of 300 dirhams. He pointed out that locusts are combated with chemicals that destroy the nervous system of the insect, and thus can be contaminated with insecticides, and cause health damage when eaten.