A once-promising desert-fighting tree is now wreaking havoc across Ethiopia.
What's happening?
As reported by AFP (via Barron's), prosopis, a thorny, drought-tolerant shrub native to Latin America, was planted in Ethiopia in the 1970s with the hope that it would stabilize soil and provide shade. Instead, it has exploded uncontrollably.
Over the past few decades, the plant has spread across 20,000 square kilometers of Afar and is rapidly pushing into neighboring regions, according to environmental researchers. Its footprint increased from 2.16% of Ethiopia's land in 2003 to 8.61% by 2023, with projections showing it could cover 22% of the country by 2060.
For residents like livestock farmer Khadija Humed, the consequences have been devastating.
Cattle are being injured or killed by the plant's poisonous thorns or choke on its hard pods.
"Because of this plant, we have become poor," Humed told AFP.
Researchers from Haramaya University estimate prosopis has cost Afar communities about $602 million over the last 30 years, which is nearly four times the region's annual budget.
Why are invasive species concerning?
The spread of invasive species like prosopis can completely upend an ecosystem.
These plants outcompete native species for water, nutrients, and space. This undermines biodiversity, depleting soil resources, and reducing the land's ability to support local agriculture.
Prosopis pulls up to seven liters of water per day from already-dry soil, making farming even harder during periods of drought.
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Not enough time ⏳ The ecological imbalance has triggered cascading effects. Food supply has become unstable as crops and pastures decline. Livestock losses directly threaten family incomes, and conflict with wildlife attracted by the dense thickets means an uptick in predators in the villages.
What's being done about invasive species?
Despite its aggressive spread, prosopis can be controlled but only with sustained support.
Local communities, supported by nongovernmental organizations like CARE International, have started removing the trees and replacing them with productive plants, including fruit orchards. The initiative is funded in part by the Danish development agency Danida and helps residents take back land while restoring native ecosystems.
Other long-term solutions being explored include turning prosopis wood into charcoal or building materials, training people to identify and remove young seedlings before they spread, and replanting native vegetation to restore ecological balance.
These kinds of approaches have proven successful in the past. For example, Maryland residents have adopted catching and eating invasive blue catfish. Midwestern communities have also learned to cook with invasive Asian carp as a way to reduce populations.
"We can't tackle it alone," 76-year-old local Yusuf Mohammed told AFP. It takes a community to reverse the damage caused by these plant invaders.
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