Student’s Journal of Health Research Africa e-ISSN: 2709-9997, p-ISSN: 3006-1059 Vol. 5 No. 3 (2024): March2024 Issue https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i3.1030 Original Article Page | 1 Page | 1 IS CLIMATE CHANGE A BLESSING OR CURSE? THE CHANGING CLIMATE INFLUENCE ON PLANT DISEASES AND PESTS DEVELOPMENT: A NARRATIVE STUDY. Benson Turyasingura 1, 2 *, Shambhu Katel 3 , Dean Gabriel Chilumpha 1 , Wycliffe Tumwesigye 4 , Petros Chavula 1 1 Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University. 2 Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Kabale University, Uganda. 3 G.P. Koirala College of Agriculture and Research Centre, (GPCAR), Gothgaun, Morang, Nepal. 4 Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences, Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara, Uganda. Abstract The study investigates the impact of climate change on the development of plant diseases and the emergence of novel plant diseases, the conditions for disease development, mitigation strategies, and adaptation strategies for pest control. Climate change and variability may have indirect effects on animal diseases that are more significant than direct consequences. However, there has been little focus on the impact of climate change on agriculture, particularly concerning insect pests; because rising temperatures hasten insect life cycles, migration, and nutrition. It is concluded that it is necessary to construct and reinforce barriers that stop the arrival of exotic infections, develop tools for quick diagnosis of novel diseases, and train technical personnel to use these techniques once they are in place. Keywords: Climate, Disease and Pest, Global warming, Nutrient Management, Thresholds Submitted: 2024-02-13 Accepted: 2024 -02-24 Corresponding author: Benson Turyasingura* Email: bturyasingura@kab.ac.ug / bensonturyasingura@gmail.com 1 Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University. 2 Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Kabale University, Uganda. Introduction The shifting climate presents a double-edged sword for agriculture, rendering the study of its impact on plant diseases and pests essential. While some regions across the world may experience milder winters, longer growing seasons, and increased crop productivity (Turyasingura et al., 2023), these changes also create a hospitable environment for the proliferation of pests and diseases. Warmer temperatures can accelerate the life cycles of pathogens and pests, leading to more frequent outbreaks and heightened severity of infestations. Additionally, altered precipitation patterns can create conditions favoring certain pathogens or pests while challenging the resilience of crops. Garrett et al. (2021) report that understanding the intricate interplay between climate change and the dynamics of plant diseases and pests is crucial for agricultural sustainability and food security thus, need for the study. This knowledge enables farmers and policymakers to implement proactive strategies for disease and pest management, such as developing resistant crop varieties, optimizing pest control measures, and implementing adaptive agricultural practices (Turyasingura et al., 2023). In addition, more information on the effects of climate change on the emergence of new plant pests and diseases is needed globally, and little effort has been made up to date (Harvey et al., 2018; Garrett et al., 2021). The research delves into the impact of climate change on the development of plant diseases and the emergence of novel plant diseases (Chhogyel et al., 2020), conditions for disease development, mitigation strategies, and adaptation strategies for pest control. Numerous factors impacting factors affect plant diseases (Yáñez-López et al., 2012). The consequences of carbon dioxide and mitigation strategies, on the other hand, were not extensively addressed (Turyasingura et al., 2023). According to Turyasingura and Rogers (2022), since maize is planted during the warmer and wetter summer months, which creates an ideal home for insect pests to multiply quickly and spread to new regions, pests cause major damage to maize harvests (El-Naggar et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2021). Effective control should therefore be implemented because it is hard to avoid this pest without implementing long-term management (Chavula, 2022; Karlsson et al., 2020). Insects play an important role in pollination (Thomson & Page, 2020; Khalifa et al., 2021; Dymond et al., 2021), detritus (Tooker & Giron, 2020), nutrient cycling (Parr et al., 2019; Crespo-Pérez et al., 2020; Stepanian et al., 2020), and providing food for birds, mammals, and amphibians worldwide (Freire et al., 2021). For example, it is believed that 80% of wild plants rely on insects for pollination, while 60 percent of birds rely on insects as a primary food source. The value of ecosystem services offered by wild insects in the United States is $57 billion per year (Losey & Vaughan, 2006). As a result, any decrease in insect numbers and variety will hurt ecosystem