Harnessing single polarization doppler weather radars for tracking Desert Locust Swarms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how existing single polarization doppler weather radars can be repurposed to detect and track desert locust swarms in near real-time, providing early warnings to protect agriculture.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic method to identify and monitor locust swarms using meteorological radar infrastructure, enhancing early warning capabilities.

Findings

Potential for 7-hour lead time alerts

Spatial coverage of approximately 100 km

Effective identification of locust concentrations

Abstract

Desert locusts are notorious agriculture pests prompting billions in losses and global food scarcity concerns. With billions of these locusts invading agrarian lands, this is no longer a thing of the past. This study taps into the existing doppler weather radar (DWR) infrastructure which was originally deployed for meteorological applications. This study demonstrates a systematic approach to distinctly identify and track concentrations of desert locust swarms in near real time using single polarization radars. Findings reveal the potential to establish early warning systems with lead times of around 7 hours and spatial coverage of approximately 100 kilometers. Embracing these technological advancements are crucial to safeguard agricultural landscapes and upload global food security.