Meheretu, Yonas
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar
Research article2024Peer reviewedOpen access
From problem to progress: Rodent management in agricultural settings of sub-Saharan Africa and calling for an urban perspective
Dalecky, Ambroise; Sow, Ibrahima; Danzabarma, Abdoul Aziz Ibrahim; Garba, Madougou; Etougbetche, Jonas; Badou, Sylvestre; Dossou, Henri-Joel; Niang, Cheikh Tidiane; Diene, Ousmane; Diallo, Idrissa; Saghiri, Mohamed Seyidna Ali; Sidatt, Mohamed El Hady; van Steenbergen, Frank; Bal, Amadou Bocar; Bosma, Luwieke; Houemenou, Gualbert; Atteynine, Solimane Ag; Hima, Karmadine; Dobigny, Gauthier; Meheretu, Yonas
Abstract
In sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural intensification and urbanization have increased the risk of proliferation of rodents in rural and urban habitats. Management of rodent populations is a challenge in terms of food security and public health. However, conventional efforts to manage rodents are currently reactive and based on the inadequate use of synthetic chemical rodenticides, including first- and second-generation anticoagulants and acute rodenticides. This approach carries substantial environmental and health risks and has yielded limited success in terms of reduction of rodent populations sustainably. In this paper, which is the second part of a diptych, we advocate for a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches, such as Ecologically-Based Rodent Management (EBRM), as a realistic alternative to synthetic rodenticides. This method is based on a good knowledge of habitat use, species diversity and population dynamics of major rodent pests, and involves community-based interventions aimed at reducing rodent abundance to economically and hygienically acceptable levels in the long term. We present for the first time a comprehensive compilation of published and unpublished information derived from observational field studies conducted in Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal with the aim to provide an overview of EBRM case studies in these countries of sub-Saharan Africa. This paper intends to serve as a catalyst for change, encouraging the transformation of rodent management practices towards sustainable methods. We aim at stimulating further research and interventions that promote EBRM in Africa, ultimately fostering more environmentally conscious and effective solutions.
Keywords
Africa; Agricultural intensification; Ecologically based rodent management; Pest management; Rodenticides; Rodents; Urbanization
Published in
Crop Protection
2024, volume: 181, article number: 106673
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
SLU Authors
Global goals (SDG)
SDG2 Zero hunger
SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
UKÄ Subject classification
Agricultural Science
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2024.106673
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/130199