Western Region. Isolated adults were present in central and southern Mauritania and a few adults were reported in Tamesna, Niger. There was also an unconfirmed report of locusts in northern Mali. Although good rains fell during August and conditions are favourable throughout the Sahel, no breeding has been reported yet. Consequently, small-scale breeding is expected to occur in Mauritania and parts of northern Mali, Niger and perhaps in eastern Chad. By the end of the forecast period, low numbers of adults could start to appear in northwestern Mauritania. No significant developments are expected.

Central Region. Despite good rainfall and ecological conditions, no locusts were reported in the region except for a few adults on the southern coast of Yemen. Nevertheless, low numbers of locusts may be present in western and eastern Sudan where small-scale breeding could occur during the forecast period. Because of unusually heavy rainfall during August, breeding may also occur on the Red Sea coast of Yemen and in adjacent areas of Jizan, Saudi Arabia as well as in the interior of Yemen. Regular surveys are recommended in these areas. Light rain fell in places along the northern Red Sea coast of Eritrea and on the escarpment of northwestern Somalia and eastern Ethiopia but no locusts were reported.

Eastern Region. Unusually dry conditions prevailed in the summer breeding areas along the Indo-Pakistan border where only a few adults were present in Pakistan. Despite intensive survey efforts in India, no locusts have been reported. Consequently, few if any locusts are likely to move into Pakistan from the east. No significant developments are likely in the region.

In West Africa, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) oscillated between 16-18N during the first half of August with periodic surges to 23-25N over northern Mali. During the second half of the month, it remained at 20N, occasionally reaching to 22-24N between Mauritania and Niger. Most of the rain was associated with these northward movements. Sufficient rain for breeding fell over a large portion of central and southern Mauritania, primarily in Hodhs Chargui and Gharbi, Assaba, Tagant (between Moudjeria and Tidjikja), and in parts of Brakna and southwestern Trarza. In the north, good rain fell during the first dekad in Tiris Zemmour between Bir Moghrein and El Hank. During the first and third dekads, lighter rain fell in parts of the northwest in Inchiri. In northern Mali, conditions are favourable for breeding in the central Adrar des Iforas where moderate rains fell at mid month and in the Tilemsi Valley where standing water was reported. Showers also fell in the northern Adrar des Iforas at Tilemsi and along the Algerian border as well as in the northern Tamesna. In Niger, breeding conditions were favourable in Tamesna and in central and southern Air where light to moderate rain fell during August. In Chad, heavy rain fell at times in the east near Abeche and Fada where conditions are expected to be favourable for breeding.

In North-West Africa, sporadic showers occurred south of the Atlas Mountains during August. In Morocco, light rain fell along the Atlantic coast between Tan-Tan and Sidi Ifni and in the Adrar Souttouf region of the extreme southwest during the first and third dekads. In Algeria, light rains fell mainly during the first half of the month in parts of the northern Sahara, in the west near Tindouf, in the southeast near the Hoggar Mountains and on the Malian border. Although conditions are expected to improve in the above areas, more rain is needed before they become favourable for breeding.

In Eastern Africa, good rains fell in the summer breeding areas of Sudan where conditions are favourable for breeding in Northern Darfur, Northern Kordofan, White Nile provinces and the eastern region between Kassala and Haiya. Some rain may have fallen in the northern parts of the breeding area near Wadi Howar and in the southern Baiyuda Desert where significant clouds were present at times. In Eritrea, localized moderate rains fell at mid month on the northern Red Sea coast where vegetation was becoming green in a few places and at the end of the month on the southern coastal plains. Vegetation was reported to be green in the western lowlands near Sudan. In Ethiopia, light rains fell near Dire Dawa and vegetation was green in surrounding areas. In northwestern Somalia, light rains associated with the Kharan season fell for the second consecutive month between Hargeisa and Boroma where conditions are favourable for breeding. In Djibouti, light showers fell in a few places on the northern coast of the Red Sea and in the interior.

In the Near East, moderate to heavy showers fell along the Red Sea coastal plains from Jizan, Saudi Arabia to Bait Al-Faqih, Yemen and light to moderate rains were reported in the interior desert in Yemen from the mouth of the Hadhramaut to Marib and Al Jawf during August. Breeding conditions are expected to be favourable in areas of recent rainfall along the Red Sea coast but less favourable in the interior where it was mainly dry except for a few places near Al Jawf. In Oman, light to moderate rains fell in parts of the northern interior and the Musandam Peninsula.

In South-West Asia, only a few light showers were reported in parts of the summer breeding area in Rajasthan, India during the first half of August. Consequently, breeding conditions continued to be less favourable than normal as most areas were dry except in Rajasthan between Jodhpur and Barmer and in the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan south of Bahawalpur.

No control operations were reported during August.

During the second half of July, one solitarious adult was seen northwest of Moudjeria at 1815N/1256W.

During August, isolated mature adults were first seen near Aioun El Atrous (1702N/0941W) on the 6-15th. Thereafter, scattered adults were seen during the last dekad at several places in the same area and, to a lesser extent, near Nema (1632N/0712W), Tidjikja (1829N/1131W) and in the southwest near Rkiz (1658N/1514W). The largest infestation was seen north of Aioun where mature adults were present at a density of 50 locusts per ha over 8,000 ha.

Nomads reported adult populations in Timetrine at Assamalmat (1905N/0024W) on 17 August. No further details were available.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out south of Agadez and in Tamesna from 26 July to 31 August except at one place, Anes Baraka (1831N/0552E), near In Abangharit where solitarious immature adults were present at densities of 5-10 locusts per ha on the 21st.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during August.

No locusts were reported during August.

No locusts were reported during August.

No locusts were reported during August.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out from 27 July to 27 August in the summer breeding areas in Northern Darfur (north of El Fasher), Northern Kordofan (Er Rahad to Sodiri), White Nile (north of Ed Dueim), Nahr El Nile (Shendi) states and in the Eastern Region (Kassala to Haiya). On 12 August, there was an unconfirmed report of swarms near El Fasher but this is not likely to be Desert Locust; instead, it may be grasshoppers or perhaps Tree Locust.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on the northern coastal plains of the Red Sea on 16-18 August.

No locusts were seen during surveys on the escarpment between Hargeisa (0931N/4402E) and Erigavo (1040N/4720E) on 8-12 August.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out near Dire Dawa on 17-19 August.

No surveys were conducted and no locusts were reported during August.

No locusts were reported during August.

Isolated adults were seen on 23 August at one location (1249N/4414E) on the coastal plains west of Aden. No locusts were seen during surveys in the interior desert between Al Hazm (1609N/4447E) and Bayhan (1452N/4545E) on 1-2 August and during the rest of the month on the coastal plains of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In the Western Desert, ground teams treated 400 ha of African Migratory Locust mixed with a few Desert Locust hoppers and adults in cropping areas at Sharq Oweinat (2240N/2845E) on 23-26 July.

No reports received.

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

No reports received.

No locusts were reported in Kerman and Hormozgan provinces during August.

During the second half of July, isolated immature and mature adults, at densities of up to six locusts per ha, were present at eight places in the Cholistan Desert along the Indian border east of Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalpur, at two locations in the Tharparkar Desert and at two places near Las Bela west of Karachi.

During the first half of August, the same populations persisted in Cholistan and Tharparkar, and there was no significant change in the locust situation.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in the summer breeding areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat from 15 July to the end of August.

No reports received.

Locust reporting. Affected countries are kindly reminded to make sure that all locust situation reports are sent to FAO HQ by the 28th 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. After each survey or control operation, affected countries should 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

- SW Asia Commission. 23rd Session, Islamabad (Pakistan), 16-20 December

- EMPRES/WR. 1st Liaison Officers meeting, Niamey (Niger), postponed to 2003

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, April

- CLCPANO. 24th Session, Tripoli (Libya), 4-8 May

- DLCC. 37th Session, FAO Rome, 22-26 September