Washington, DC — The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit* of US$60 million in support of emergency programs to reduce vulnerability to future infestations of desert locusts in seven countries of the Sahel Region of West Africa.

Countries benefiting from the credit are Burkina Faso (US$8.4 million), Chad (US9.1 million), Mali (US$10.1 million), Mauritania (US$10.1 million), Niger (US$9.9 million), Senegal (US$10.0 million), and The Gambia (US$1.9 million).

These countries received advances on this credit from the World Bank in late September 2004 to use in stepping up the fight against an invasion of desert locusts swarms and hopper bands that posed a threat on the year's harvest, livestock and livelihoods. The amounts in advance credits provided to each of the countries were: Burkina Faso (US$1.6 million), Chad (US$2.1 million), Mali (US$1.9 million), Mauritania (US$2 million), Niger (US$2 million), Senegal (US$2 million) and The Gambia (US$0.9 million).

Approval today of the project by the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank means that the Bank can retroactively fund up to 20 percent of the total credit for the expenses each country incurred - in conformity with Bank procedures - in combating desert locusts between September 2004 and the planned launching of the project in January 2005.

The Africa Emergency Locust Project, which the credit is expected to fund, aims at reducing the vulnerability of the countries concerned to future desert locust infestations by supporting improved strategies for prevention, early warning systems, reactions, and mitigation at both the national and regional levels.

The total investment for the project is US$73.4 million, of which US$60 million are IDA credits -- including the project preparation advance -- and contributions from the governments concerned for a total US$13.4 million.

"This project is unique in at least two areas: (i) the Bank facilitated advances to the countries to ensure that they deal with the locusts infestation problem even before the Board approved the project, and (ii) the project in itself invites countries concerned to work together in addressing this regional challenge", said Peter Kristensen, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project.

Thanks to the advances, the seven countries could obtain the resources necessary to fight the locusts infestation. The governments could buy chemicals to treat between three to four million hectares of infested land with the help of vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers, using leased aircraft.

Beyond the emergency aspects tackled thanks to the advances, the long-term goals of the Africa Emergency Locust Project include the need to restore agricultural productivity in areas impacted by the locust; mitigating the effects of locusts infestations on people and the environment; and helping to ensure a timely reaction to future infestations through the building or strengthening of national and sub-regional early warning systems.

In addition, the project complements investments by the concerned countries themselves, and by bilateral and multilateral development partners, notably the European Union, the Food and Agricultural Organization, and the United States Agency for International Development.

* The credit is provided on standard International Development Association (IDA) terms, with a commitment fee of 0.35 percent, a service charge of 0.75 percent over a 40 year period of maturity which includes a 10-year grace period.

For more information on the World Bank's work in Africa, visit:

http://www.worldbank.org/afr