Western Region. No locusts were reported in the region during July although low numbers of adults are probably present in a few areas of southeastern Mauritania and in northern Mali that received some rainfall. In late June, an additional 250 ha of late instar hoppers and fledglings were treated in southeastern Morocco. Small-scale breeding is expected to occur during the forecast period in southern Mauritania, northern Mali and Niger as the rains increase in these areas.

Central Region. A few individual locust adults were reported in the summer breeding areas in Sudan and Yemen during July. Good rains fell in the Sudan interior, especially in the Eastern Region, and ecological conditions are improving in many of the summer breeding areas in Northern Kordofan and Northern Darfur. Good rains also fell in northern Oman but there are few, if any, locusts to take advantage of these. Conditions are likely to be favourable for limited breeding on the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Light rains fell on the escarpment of northwestern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia but are not sufficient to create favourable conditions.

Eastern Region. Only very low numbers of locusts were present in the summer breeding areas along the Indo-Pakistan border in Pakistan because of poor rainfall associated with the monsoon. Similar numbers are probably present in adjacent areas of Rajasthan, India, where breeding conditions are more favourable. Small-scale breeding is expected to occur during the forecast period in both areas but no significant developments are likely.

In West Africa, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) oscillated between 10-17N during July. Temporary northerly surges to 26N over northern Mali and 22N over northern Niger that lasted for a day occurred several times during the month and caused showers to fall in northern Mali in the Adrar des Iforas and Timetrine, and in Air, Niger. Apart from these rare instances, very little rain fell in the summer breeding areas in the Sahel and conditions remained hot and dry except in the above areas where vegetation was becoming green. In Mauritania, light rain fell during the first dekad of July in Hodh El Chargui and Hodh El Gharbi and unusually heavy rains fell at Nema (90 mm) at the end of the month. Breeding conditions are probably favourable in the southeast but more rain is needed before they become suitable in the southern and southwestern Mauritania. In Chad, light rain fell in the northeast along the Sudan border but conditions are likely to be unfavourable unless more rain occurs.

In North-West Africa, no significant rainfall was reported during July south of the Atlas Mountains where conditions remained hot and dry. At the end of the month, moderate rains fell in the extreme south of Algeria along the Malian border at Bordj Moktar.

In Eastern Africa, unusually dry conditions prevailed in most areas except in parts of Sudan. Significant clouds were present in the Eastern Region near Kassala during many days in July and light rain was reported at intervals throughout the month. Clouds and light rains occurred at times in parts of Northern Kordofan and Northern Darfur. Breeding conditions are expected to be favourable near Kassala and improving in many areas west of the Nile River to the Chad border, mainly in the White Nile Province and along Wadi Milk. On the Red Sea coast, light rain fell on the plains south of Suakin, Sudan and clouds were present late in the month over the southern plains in Eritrea. In Ethiopia, light rainfall was reported near Dire Dawa where conditions were becoming dry. In northwestern Somalia, light rains associated with the Kharan season fell near Hargeisa and surrounding areas on the escarpment.

In the Near East, no significant rainfall was reported during July except in Oman. During the second and third weeks of the month, light to heavy showers fell over a widespread area in the interior of northern Oman, stretching from Buraimi on the UAE border to the Sharkiya region in the northeast. Even though this area has received good rainfall every month since March, breeding conditions are less favourable due to prevailing high temperatures. Conditions are likely to be more favourable for breeding along the southern coastal plains of the Red Sea near Jizan, Saudi Arabia where moderate rains fell in late June. Significant clouds were present over the Red Sea coastal plains in Yemen during the last week of July. In the interior of Yemen, dry conditions persisted except between Ataq and Nisab where green vegetation was reported.

In South-West Asia, no significant rainfall was reported in the summer breeding areas along the Indo-Pakistan border during the first half of July. Consequently, breeding conditions were less favourable than normal except in some places in Rajasthan, India where good rains fell during the second half of June.

India 42 ha (1-15 July, mixed with grasshoppers)

Morocco 251 ha (26-27 June)

No locusts were reported and no surveys were carried out during the second half of June and first half of July.

Although no surveys were carried out during July, there were unconfirmed reports of scattered adults in the Adrar des Iforas on the 12th at Adrar Namel and on the 17th at Tin Aouanene.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in the Air during July.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No reports received.

A late report indicated that an additional 251 ha of fifth instar hoppers and fledglings were treated on 26-27 June in the same area in Oued Draa where control operations were carried out on 23-24 June.

No locusts were reported during July.

No reports received.

A single immature adult was seen in White Nile Province at Shaa El Din on 22 July. No other locusts were seen during surveys carried out in Northern Kordofan and White Nile provinces on the 23-27th.

No locusts were reported up to mid July.

No locusts were seen during surveys on the escarpment west of Hargeisa (0931N/4402E) on 9-11 July. A small group of fourth instar hoppers was seen at the Ministry of Agriculture nursery in Hargeisa on the 15th.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out near Dire Dawa on 16-18 July.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during July.

No locusts were seen during surveys in the interior of Hadhramaut and Shabwah on 23-25 July except for a single mature adult near Ataq at Thaouban (1436N/4631E) on the 23rd.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported in Musandam, Dakhliya and Dhahira regions in the north during July.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported in Kerman and Hormozgan provinces on 6-7 July.

During the second half of June, a few isolated solitarious mature adults, up to 4 per ha, persisted in the summer breeding areas at seven places along the Indo-Pakistan border in Cholistan and Tharparkar deserts and at one place in the Las Bela valley west of Karachi.

During the first half of July, the same populations were reported at eight places in Cholistan and Tharparkar.

No locusts were reported during the second half of June.

During the first half of July, grasshoppers mixed with a few Desert Locust were present on crops at two locations in Rajasthan near Jalore at Sanchore (2445N/7146E) and Bhinmal (2500N/7215E) and at one location in Gujarat near Palanpur at Tharad (2424N/7138E). So far, 42 ha have been treated.

No reports received.

Afghanistan. The control campaign against a major outbreak of Moroccan Locust (Dociostaurus maroccanus) has been completed reasonably successfully given the difficult working conditions. Surveys are currently underway to establish where laying is occurring or has occurred in order to plan for early reaction in the spring of 2003. An international consultant retuns in August 2002 for two months to carry out training and to assist with planning next year’s control campaign.

Tanzania. Funds have been approved by FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme and by Norway to carry out an emergency control campaign against Red Locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata) swarms in three outbreak areas. This will be followed up with hopper control in February/March 2003 including a large-scale application of Metarhizium.

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

Desert Locust Guidelines. The revised edition in English was issued on 24 September 2001 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: 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 (www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/pubslist.htm). New additions are:
- Report of the 23rd session of the NW Africa Commission (CLCPANO) in French and Arabic
- 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)

Desert Locust research award. The FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC) is pleased to announce a cash award for outstanding research on Desert Locust. For more details, please contact the CRC Office in Cairo (munir.butrous@fao.org).

2002 events. The following are scheduled:
- CLCPRO. First Session, FAO Rome, 18-20 September
- EMPRES/CR. ULV sprayer evaluation workshop, Cairo (Egypt), 23-25 September
- EMPRES/WR. Improved locust control application techniques regional workshop, Nouakchott (Mauritania), 5-10 October
- EMPRES/CR. Training of trainers workshop, Oman, 7-17 October
- EMPRES/CR. 10th Liaison Officers meeting, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 27-31 October
- EMPRES/WR. 1st Liaison Officers meeting, Niamey (Niger), 15-20 December
- SW Asia Commission. 23rd Session, Islamabad (Pakistan), 15-19 December

2003 events. The following are provisionally scheduled:
- DLCC Technical Group. FAO Rome, 24-26 February
- EMPRES. 6th Consultative Committee and Phase III Planning Workshop, Cairo (Egypt), 24-28 March
- CRC. 24th Session of the Executive Committee, Beirut (Lebanon), 10-15 April
- CLCPANO. 24th Session, Tripoli (Libya), 4-8 May
- DLCC. 37th Session, FAO Rome, 22-26 September