Western Region. Scattered adults were present in Mauritania and Niger and isolated instances of breeding were reported in a few places in southern Mauritania. Although no survey reports were received from northern Mali and eastern Chad where breeding conditions are favourable, there is no evidence so far to believe that the situation is any different from that in their neighbouring countries where surveys have been undertaken. During the forecast period, breeding is expected to continue in parts of southern Mauritania and northern Mali. Consequently, locust numbers will gradually increase and, when vegetation begins to dry out, adults may concentrate and perhaps form a few small groups. Some of these could move to northwest Mauritania where conditions are becoming favourable. Nevertheless, locust numbers should remain at non-threatening levels.

Central Region. Small-scale breeding occurred in Northern Kordofan, Sudan and probably in adjacent areas on Northern Darfur during September. This may have extended into the western lowlands of Eritrea where conditions are unusually favourable. During the forecast period, low numbers of solitarious adults are likely to appear on the Red Sea coastal plains of Sudan and Eritrea. There was one report of a few adults already present on the Eritrean coast. Scattered adults were seen on the Red Sea coastal plains of Yemen and they may be present near Jizan, Saudi Arabia. Small-scale breeding is likely to occur in both countries but numbers should remain low. A few locusts were reported in cropping areas near Lake Nasser, Egypt.

Eastern Region. Breeding conditions continue to remain favourable along the Indo-Pakistan border where only low numbers of solitarious adults were reported in India and Pakistan. By the end of September, the monsoon rains had ended and vegetation was starting dry out in a few places. No significant developments are expected.

In West Africa, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) gradually moved southwards during September, reaching about 15°N by the end of the month. Prevailing winds north of the ITCZ were from the north and northeast while south of the ITCZ they were from the south and southeast. Good rains continued to fall throughout most of the summer breeding areas although there was a steady decline in Mauritania and Niger during September. In Mauritania, light to moderate rains, heavy at times, were reported in the south where conditions remain favourable except in parts of the southeast where some vegetation began to dry out at the end of the month. During the last dekad, there was an increase in rainfall in the west, especially in Inchiri where vegetation is becoming green in some places. In Mali, light to moderate rains fell in the Adrar des Iforas and southern Tamesna. Heavy rains were reported at Tessalit (50 mm on 2-4 September). Green vegetation continues to be present in the main wadis of the Adrar des Iforas north to the Algerian border, in the Tilemsi Valley and in a few places of Timetrine near Tin Kar. In Niger, cold cloud activity declined throughout the month, moving steadily southwards, and only light rains fell in Tamesna. Vegetation was green as far north as In Abangharit and in the western Air. Light rains fell in the east at Bilma. In eastern Chad, vegetation remained green as far north as Fada (17°N).

In North-West Africa, hot and dry conditions persisted throughout the region and no significant rainfall was reported. Because of rainfall during August, vegetation was reported to be green in a few places in southwest Morocco near Dakhla. Nevertheless, ecological conditions were not favourable for breeding in the Region.

In Eastern Africa, good rains, heavy at times, continued to fall in the summer breeding areas of Sudan where green vegetation favourable for breeding was present as far north as 16°N in Northern Darfur and Northern Kordofan. In northern and eastern Sudan, conditions were also favourable along the Atbara River, the Gash near Kassala and Khor Baraka because of recent rains. In Eritrea, significant cold cloud activity most likely resulting in light to moderate rains was apparent over the western lowlands where green vegetation is already present along Khor Baraka and over the southern coastal plains of the Red Sea. There were reports of vegetation starting to green up on the northern coastal plains. In Northern Somalia, light to moderate rains fell on the northwestern escarpment and heavy rains fell at Borama.

In the Near East, significant cold cloud activity was present along the Red Sea coastal plains of Yemen extending north to Jizan, Saudi Arabia throughout September. Consequently, low to moderate rains fell in these areas and vegetation is green in the main wadis where conditions are favourable for breeding. Elsewhere, dry conditions prevailed throughout the region except for the coastal plains of Salalah, Oman where the summer monsoon was in progress until mid month.

In South-West Asia, good rains associated with the monsoon continued to fall during the first half of the month in the summer breeding areas of Rajasthan, India. During the second half of the month, less rain fell, and by the end of September, the monsoon had ended. Nevertheless, breeding conditions remained favourable in Tharparkar and Cholistan deserts in Pakistan and in most of Rajasthan, India. Conditions were less favourable in Khairpur desert, Pakistan.

No control operations were reported during September.

During September, individual mature adults were seen at a few places, primarily in the central areas of the south near Moudjeria (1751N/1228W) where some 120 ha were infested with densities of 20-53 adults per ha, to a lesser extent in the southeast near Nema (1632N/0712W), and in the southwest near Boutilimit (1740N/1446E). Isolated adults were also found west and northwest of Tidjikja (1829N1131W). So far, very little breeding has been detected; only one hopper was seen near Kiffa (1638N/1124W) on the 4th.

No reports received.

Isolated maturing solitarious adults at densities up to 10 per ha were seen in a few places of Tamesna near In Abangharit (1754N/0559E) in early September. Similar populations were reported southwest of Termit Massif near Talras (1630N/1013E).

No reports received.

No locusts were reported in the Senegal River Valley up to 30 September.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during September.

No reports received.

No reports received.

Small-scale breeding occurred during August and September in Northern Kordofan where fledglings were seen at one location west of Umm Saiyala (1426N/3112E) on 3 September. Elsewhere, immature adults at densities up to 25 per ha were reported at three places northwest of Ed Dueim (1400N/3220E) and two places southeast of Shendi (1641N/3322E) during September.

Some solitary adults were seen on the northern coastal plains of the Red Sea during September. Further details are awaited.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No reports received.

Scattered immature solitarious adults at densities up to 100 per ha were present at two locations on the northern Red Sea coast west of Suq Abs (1600N/4312E) on 4 September. No locusts were seen elsewhere during surveys carried out on the Red Sea coastal plains, the coastal plains near Aden and in the highlands near Taiz.

Isolated immature adults were seen in a few cropping areas near Tushka (2247N/3126E) and along Lake Nasser during September.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported and no surveys were carried out in September.

No reports received.

No reports received.

During September, low numbers of solitarious maturing adults at densities up to 7 per ha continued to be reported along the Indo-Pakistan border from Tharparkar in the south to Cholistan in the north. The number of reports steadily decreased during the month. Although breeding was not detected this summer, it is thought to have occurred at a very low level and the current adults probably represent a second generation.

During the second half of August, isolated adults were reported at Ghotaru (2723N/7005E) in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. No locusts were seen during surveys from 1-25 September.

No reports received.

Locust reporting. Affected countries are kindly reminded to make sure that locust situation reports are sent to FAO HQ by the 25th day of the month so the information can be included in the FAO bulletin for the current month; otherwise, it will not appear until the following month. Reports should be sent even if no locusts were found or if no surveys were conducted.

Reporting by email. Affected countries are encouraged to send completed FAO Desert Locust Survey and Control Forms with a brief interpretation of the results by email to eclo@fao.org.

Desert Locust Guidelines. The revised edition in English was issued on 24 September and is now available from FAO. Please contact the Locust Group for more information.

eLocust. Details of a new system under evaluation for recording and transmitting locust survey and control data collected in the field can be found on the Internet at:

http://www.fao.org/news/2001/010601-e.htm

Upcoming meetings. The following meetings are scheduled:

Mr. Moussa Sissoko. It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Mr. Moussa Sissoko (Chief, Plant Protection Unit and Locust Control, Mali) and seven others including PV staff in a helicopter crash near Mopti, Mali on 8 September. We would like to express our sincere condolences to the families and the government.