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 We present for the first time a comprehensive compilation of published and unpublished information derived from observational field studies conducted in Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal with the aim to provide an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.

中文翻译：

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从问题到进展：撒哈拉以南非洲农业环境中的啮齿动物管理并呼吁城市视角

在撒哈拉以南非洲，农业集约化和城市化增加了农村和城市栖息地啮齿动物扩散的风险。啮齿动物种群的管理是粮食安全和公共卫生方面的一项挑战。然而，目前管理啮齿动物的传统措施是被动的，并且基于合成化学杀鼠剂（包括第一代和第二代抗凝血剂和急性杀鼠剂）的不充分使用。这种方法带来巨大的环境和健康风险，并且在可持续减少啮齿动物数量方面取得的成功有限。在本文（双联画的第二部分）中，我们主张转向更可持续和环境友好的方法，例如基于生态的啮齿动物管理（EBRM），作为合成灭鼠剂的现实替代品。该方法基于对主要啮齿动物害虫的栖息地利用、物种多样性和种群动态的充分了解，并涉及基于社区的干预措施，旨在长期将啮齿动物丰度减少到经济和卫生可接受的水平。我们首次全面汇编了在埃塞俄比亚、尼日尔、尼日利亚、贝宁、马里、毛里塔尼亚和塞内加尔进行的实地观测研究中已发表和未发表的信息，旨在概述这些亚健康国家的 EBRM 案例研究。 -撒哈拉非洲。本文旨在成为变革的催化剂，鼓励啮齿动物管理实践向可持续方法转变。我们的目标是促进进一步的研究和干预措施，以促进非洲的 EBRM，最终形成更具环保意识和更有效的解决方案。