Western Region. Although small-scale breeding continued in western Mauritania during November, locust numbers remained low and insignificant. Breeding conditions are likely to improve in the north where unusually widespread rainfall occurred. In northern Mali, a late report indicated that nearly 19,000 ha of gregarizing hoppers and adults were treated during October. In November, there were unconfirmed reports of important residual populations that could form small groups or swarmlets. Some of these may move to northern Mauritania and southern Algeria while others remain in northern Mali. The extent of the infestations in northern Mali is not entirely clear but satellite imagery suggests that favourable habitats are limited to just a few areas. Scattered hoppers and adults were present in northern Niger where drying vegetation is expected to concentrate locusts into a few small groups.

Central Region. Very little rain fell during November in the winter breeding areas along either side of the Red Sea where conditions remain quite dry except for Sudan where good rains fell along the southern coastal plains and isolated adults appeared in a few places. A single locust was reported from Eritrea. Although no locusts were reported elsewhere in the Region, isolated adults may be present or could appear during the forecast period along the coasts of Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and northern Somalia.

Eastern Region. Mainly dry conditions prevailed in the region and no locusts were reported during November. No significant developments are expected.

In West Africa, no significant rain fell during November in the Sahel except for unusually widespread rain in northern Mauritania on the 26-28th. Light to moderate rainfall probably occurred over a large area extending from southwestern Mauritania to the northeast near Oued El Ma, roughly 300 km wide by 700 km in length. Moudjeria reported 4 mm, Ouadane and Chinguitti 7 mm each, Akjoujt and Benichab 12 mm each, Tmeimichatt 22 mm and Atar 30 mm. Additional rain may have fallen in remote areas east of Zouerate towards the southern edge of El Hank in the northwest of the country. In some places in Inchiri and Adrar, breeding conditions are already favourable while in others, including Tiris Zemmour, conditions are expected to improve because of these rains. In northern Mali, breeding conditions remain favourable in parts of Timetrine, the Tilemsi Valley and the Adrar des Iforas. In Niger, conditions are drying out in Tamesna where only small patches of green vegetation remain in a few places.

In North-West Africa, generally dry and unfavourable conditions persisted throughout the Region during November. Light showers fell on and near the Atlantic coast in Morocco between Agadir and Dakhla. Moderate rainfall was reported at Taidalt (20 mm) and Boujdour (40 mm) on the 19-20th. Breeding conditions are unfavourable except in one location in the extreme southwest at Aarech Amer (2137N/1534W). Dry conditions were reported throughout most of the Sahara in Algeria except for some small green patches southwest of the Hoggar Mountains and in the extreme south near the Malian border.

In Eastern Africa, light to heavy rains fell at times during November along the Red Sea coastal plains of Sudan between Port Sudan and Tokar. Consequently, conditions are favourable for breeding or are improving in most areas. No rain was reported along the Eritrean coastal plains where breeding conditions remain generally unfavourable. The rains in northern Somalia are late and inconsistent. Light showers were reported on the escarpment and green vegetation was present on the coast near Berbera and in adjacent interior areas between Sheikh and El Anod.

In the Near East, dry conditions prevailed throughout most of the Region and very little rainfall was reported during November. Although light showers fell at a few places along the foothills of the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia east of Qunfidah and in the northern interior, conditions are not favourable for breeding on the coastal plains. In Yemen, no rainfall was reported along the coastal plains of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Vegetation is green in some of the main wadis on the Red Sea coast between Hodeidah and Suq Abs. In Oman, light showers fell in the north along the Batinah coast and in the interior at Fahud.

In South-West Asia, no rainfall was reported and dry conditions prevailed in the summer breeding areas along the Indo-Pakistan border except for patches of green vegetation northwest of Jaisalmer, India and northeast of Chhor, Pakistan. In western Pakistan, moderate showers fell on 20 November at Panjgur where 37 mm was reported.

Mali 18,780 ha (October)

During the first two dekads of November, small-scale breeding continued near Moudjeria (1751N/1228W) and a new area of breeding was detected south of Akjoujt (1945N/1421W) where individual solitarious hoppers of all instars were present. Isolated immature and mature solitarious adults were also seen in these places as well as west of Tidjikja (1829N1131W). During the last dekad of the month, only low numbers of adults were reported near Moudjeria and Akjoujt.

A late report indicated that immature and mature solitarious adults and hoppers of all instars were present during October in the Adrar des Iforas north of Kidal (1827N/0125E), in the Tilemsi Valley west of Aguelhoc (1927N/0052E) and in the Timetrine region. Locust densities were highest in Timetrine where up to 10,000 adults per ha and up to four hoppers per sq. m. were reported. Some transiens adults and hoppers were seen in the Tilemsi Valley and Timetrine. Control teams are reported to have treated 18,780 ha of gregarizing hoppers and adults.

During November, there were unconfirmed reports from nomads of important adult and hopper populations, including hopper bands, present in the north in the Timetrine region near Tin Kar (1926N/0022W) and in the Tilemsi Valley west of Aguelhoc. Further details are awaited.

During November, solitarious hoppers, fledglings and immature adults were reported from 15 locations in Tamesna between Agadez (1700N/0756E) and In Abangharit (1754N/0559E) as a result of breeding that occurred in October. In most places, scattered hoppers of all instars and adults, at densities of less than one per ha, were present. There were a few locations where up to 500 adults per ha were seen. On 19 November, transiens hoppers were concentrating at one location (1805N/0519E) with densities of 1-3 hoppers per sq. m. in response to the drying vegetation.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during November.

No locusts were seen during surveys conducted in November along the southern side of the Atlas Mountains between Guelmine (2859N/1003W) and Erfoud (3128N/0410W) as well as in the Adrar Souttouf region of the extreme southwest near Tichla (2135N/1458W).

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during November.

Isolated mature adults were reported on the Red Sea coast at two locations in the Tokar Delta on 3 November and in Khor Gowb (1858N/3723E) on the 17^th. No locusts were seen elsewhere on the coastal plains between Tokar and Port Sudan up to the 25th. In the River Nile State, there was an unconfirmed report of first instar hoppers near Abu Sunoon (1716N/3405).

A single solitarious adult was seen in Asmara (1520N/3858E) on 15 November.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on the northwestern escarpment and coast between Djibouti and Berbera on 25-29 November.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during November.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported from the Red Sea coastal plains or in the Western Desert during November.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported in the north along the coast or in the adjacent interior of Al-Dhahira region during November.

No reports received.

No locusts were seen during surveys in Bushehr and Sistan Baluchistan on 6-7 October.

No locusts were reported during the first half of November.

During the second half of October, isolated adults were present at Gunjangarh (2631N/7020E) in Jaisalmer District on the 16th.

No locusts were reported during November.

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

Publications on the internet. A list of publications that can be downloaded from the FAO Locust webpages is now available (http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/pubslist.htm). New additions are:

• Report of the 36th session of the DLCC recently held in Rome (English and French; Arabic upon request)
• FAO Desert Locust Guidelines, revised edition, 2001 (English)
• FAO Spray Monitoring Form (English)

Upcoming meetings. The following meetings are scheduled:

• 4th EMPRES Consultative Committee Meeting, 15-17 January 2002 (Cairo)
• Contingency Planning Workshop (EMPRES), 13-21 February 2002 (Egypt)
• 23rd session of the FAO Commission for Desert Locust Control in the Central Region (CRC), 9-14 March 2002 (Damascus). Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia will participate as observers.