Western Region. A few individual solitarious adults were seen during surveys in western Mauritania, Morocco and in Tamesna, Niger. No significant rain fell in the region and conditions remain dry in most areas except for parts of western Mauritania where there is enough green vegetation and soil moisture to allow locusts to survive and breed on a small scale.

Central Region. Vegetation continued to dry out in the breeding areas along both sides of the Red Sea except for the coastal plains of southeastern Egypt where good rains fell in early March. The only locusts reported in the region were a few solitarious adults in the Tokar Delta, Sudan although these will decline in the coming weeks as temperatures increase and vegetation dries out. Unusually widespread rain fell over the eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula in UAE and Oman, yet there are not likely to be any locusts present to take advantage of this rainfall.

Eastern Region. Isolated solitarious adults were reported in the spring breeding areas in western Pakistan, first along the coast and, as temperatures increased, further north in the interior to nearly the Afghanistan border. Small-scale breeding is expected to occur during the forecast period causing locust numbers to increase slightly but remain well below threatening levels. No locusts were reported elsewhere in the region and no significant developments are likely.

In West Africa, no significant rainfall was reported or is thought to have occurred during March for the second consecutive month. Nevertheless, conditions remained favourable in parts of western Mauritania (southern Inchiri, Trarza, southern Adrar and Tagant) where localized green vegetation and enough soil moisture were present to allow Desert Locust survival and limited breeding. At the end of the month, significant clouds were seen over northwestern Mauritania near Bir Moghrein and traces of rain were reported at Akjoujt and south of Chinguetti. Small patches of green vegetation may be present in a few wadis in the Adrar des Iforas, Mali. In Niger, dry conditions persisted in Tamesna where blowing dust was reported during the second half of March.

In North-West Africa, isolated showers occurred at times during March in parts of the region. In Morocco, light rains fell along the Atlantic coast between Tan-Tan and Agadir. Prevailing winds were from the southwest and west, interrupted at times by hot easterly (Chergui) winds that increased temperatures to 38°C in the southwest where vegetation is mainly dry and conditions are unfavourable for breeding. In Algeria, light rains fell at Tindouf on the 30th. These may have extended into parts of southwestern Morocco. In Tunisia, light rains fell in the south on the 17-18th.

In Eastern Africa, mainly dry conditions were reported except for some localized rainfall. Although light rains may have occurred along a large portion of the Red Sea coast in Sudan on 5-6 March, most of the natural vegetation is dry on the coastal plains and the only vegetation that remains green is the few crops in the Tokar Delta that have not been harvested. In Eritrea, light to heavy showers may have fallen on the southern coastal plains on the 21st where there were significant clouds present. In Ethiopia, heavy and widespread rains were reported in the Dire Dawa area (63 mm) during the first week of March. Some of this rain may have extended to coastal and interior areas of northwestern Somalia where green vegetation was reported to be persisting along the coast. The rainy season commenced on 18 March on the escarpment in northern Somalia between Borama and Erigavo.

In the Near East, rainfall was reported in several countries but conditions remained generally dry. On 5-6 March, light to heavy rainfall, associated with a depression over the central Red Sea, fell along the coast and subcoastal areas in southeastern Egypt from Abu Ramad to Halaib where vegetation was green. This storm extended across the sea to the central coastal plains of Saudi Arabia near Jeddah and into the interior near Hail where light rains occurred. Isolated showers fell at times on the edge of the Empty Quarter at Sharurah. In Yemen, light to moderate rains fell on the central Red Sea coast in early March where vegetation was drying out, in the interior near Al-Hazm and Wadi Jawf on the 8th, and along the southern coast from Lahij to Mukalla on the 18th. In Oman, light rains fell along the dry northern Batinah coast on the 10-11th and temperatures were increasing throughout the country. Widespread light to moderate rains and strong southerly winds, associated with a depression over the Persian Gulf, occurred on the 18th over the eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula, extending from UAE to southern Oman. Most of the rain fell along the coast between Abu Dhabi and the Musandam Peninsula, but there were also reports of rainfall in the interior of Oman at Burami and Fahud.

In South-West Asia, isolated showers fell sporadically in western Pakistan where conditions are expected to be improving in some places. Light rains also fell on 2-3 March along the Indo-Pakistan border between Bahawalapur, Pakistan and Rajasthan, India where conditions are currently dry.

No control operations were reported during March.

No locusts were reported during the last dekad of February.

During March, a few individual mature adults were seen near Atar (2032N/1308W), west of Tidjikja (1829N1131W) and east of Nouakchott.

No reports received.

During surveys carried out 16-23 March, low numbers of mature adults were seen in Tamesna south of In Abangharit (1754N/0559E) at densities of 40-100 per ha and near Arlit (1843N/0721E) at densities of 5-10 per ha.

No reports received.

No reports received.

A late report indicated that no locusts were present during February.

Two immature adults were seen near the southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains east of Guelmim at Maader Ougalid (2903N/0937W) on 19 March.

No locusts were reported and no surveys were carried out during March.

No locusts were seen in the south and southwest during the third week of March.

During March, a few solitarious mature adults at densities of 13-20 per ha were present in the Tokar Delta at Galelama (1820N/3744E) and Dambeil (1818N/3744E). By the third week of the month, surveys had stopped along the Red Sea coastal plains.

No reports received.

An unconfirmed and vague report of locusts in the northwest near Borama in February was found not to be true. During March, no locusts were reported and no surveys were carried out.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on 10-12 March between Dire Dawa and the Somali/Djibouti border.

A late report indicated that no locusts were present and no surveys were carried out in February. Similarly, no locusts were reported and no surveys undertaken during March.

No locusts were reported during March.

No locusts were reported during March.

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

No reports received.

No locusts were reported in the northern interior from Burami to Muscat during March.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No reports were received during the second half of February.

During the first half of March, isolated immature adults at densities of up to 3 per ha were seen in a few places along the Baluchistan coast between Pasni (2513N/6330E) and Jiwani (2502N/6150E). New infestations were reported further inland in the Turbat Valley, southwest of Khuzdar (2749N/6639E) and north of Dalbandin (2856N/6430E) in the Chagai Hills near the Afghanistan border.

During the second half of March, similar populations at densities of up to 5 per ha persisted in coastal and interior areas of Baluchistan.

No locusts were reported during February and the first half of March.

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 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 (http://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)

EMPRES Contingency Planning Seminar. Details of the seminar recently held in Egypt are available on the Internet at: www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/0202cont/CPhome.htm

Desert Locust Control Diploma. The Graduate College of the University of Khartoum is offering a one year post-graduate diploma course in Desert Locust Control that is expected to start in August 2002. Applications should be sent before the first week of June to: Registrar of the Graduate College, University of Khartoum, POB 321, Khartoum, Sudan. For more details: Selbashir@hotmail.com

Upcoming events. The following are scheduled:

• CLCPANO. 31st session of the Executive Committee, Agadir (Morocco), 27 May – 2 June
• EMPRES/WR. DGPS regional workshop, Nouakchott (Mauritania), 5-10 October
• EMPRES/CR. 10th Liaison officers meeting, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 27-31 October
• EMPRES/DLCO-EA/CRC. 2nd Joint meeting, Cairo (Egypt), 5-6 November
• EMPRES/WR. 1st Liaison officers meeting, Niamey (Niger), 15-20 December
• SW Asia Commission. 23rd session, Islamabad (Pakistan), 15-19 December