今年もサバクトビバッタの季節が

　やってきたぞ！と。

BBC East Africa fears second wave - of locust swarms 1 Sep 2020 By Navin Singh Khadka 18 hours ago（dec 16, 2020）

　昨シーズン、70年に一度という大規模跋扈があったわけだが、今年も結構な規模になりそうだ、という。

「New swarms of desert locusts are threatening the livelihoods of millions of people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen despite a year of control efforts, the United Nations has warned.

The UN says there have been good breeding conditions in eastern Ethiopia and Somalia, with Kenya also at risk.」

　昨年度に比すれば、そりゃあ用意はかなりマシになったのはその通りにせよ―

「FAO officials said countries in the region were now much better prepared than for the last invasion.」

　そもそもソマリア北部は乾燥気味で、バッタさんたちが育ち切らないだろうと想定されるところ、今年は二日で二年分降るくらいの大雨があって―ほどよく土が湿って卵を産みやすいだの、ほどよく植物がそだっただの―。

「Given its arid topography, northern Somalia was expected to make things difficult for the locusts.

But in November, Cyclone Gati did just the opposite when it made landfall there.

It brought two years of rainfall within two days and what could have been a hostile terrain for the locusts turned into a favourable breeding ground.」

　なにしろソマリアも、さらにはイェメンも内戦中で、こうしたことへの対策はなかなかしづらい。
　…うん…。人間の安全保障という観点からも、やっぱり、戦乱は基本的に避けるべきだよねえ…。

　ビデオ記事

BBC South Africa: Farmers battle locusts to save the country’s food crops 7 December 2020

　南アフリカでも、そんな季節。
　以下、ケニアの例、他。

BBC Preventing a plague: Fighting Kenya's locusts 24 June 2020

BBC Locusts destroying food supplies in the Horn of Africa 4 May 2020