Western Region. Small-scale breeding in western Mauritania, northern Mali and Niger led to a slight increase in locust numbers during November but control operations were only required in Niger where 435 ha were treated. As no rain fell in these areas in the past month, further breeding is unlikely unless additional rainfall occurs in the coming weeks. Consequently, only low numbers of adults will persist in these areas. Some adults appeared in southern Algeria that are thought to have originated from the breeding in northern Mali. No locusts were reported elsewhere in the region.

Central Region. As a result of control operations carried out in October, only scattered adults remained on the Gulf of Aden coastal plains in Yemen. Nevertheless, localized breeding continued during November giving rise to small patches of hoppers. Low numbers of adults were present on the Red Sea coastal plains in Sudan. Small-scale breeding is expected to occur over a widespread area due to unusually heavy rains that fell several times during November on the coast and in adjacent subcoastal areas. Limited breeding is also likely to occur along parts of the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia where good rains fell during November and on the coastal plains of Yemen and Eritrea. No locusts were reported elsewhere in the region.

Eastern Region. Although light rains fell in Baluchistan, Pakistan and along the Indo-Pakistan border, breeding conditions remained unfavourable and no locusts were reported in the region. No significant developments are likely during the forecast period.

In the Western Region, light to moderate rains fell in northwestern Morocco and northern Algeria during November. Most of these rains were associated with several depressions that formed over the Atlantic and moved eastward across the Mediterranean from mid month onwards. In Morocco, rainfall occurred along the Atlantic coast from Tan-Tan to Agadir and further inland from the southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains to the Oued Draa Valley. Some of these showers extended to adjacent areas of northwestern Algeria. As the depressions moved further east, light showers fell at times in parts of eastern Algeria, southern Tunisia and northwestern Libya. Small patches of green vegetation were reported near the Hoggar Mountains and Tamanrasset, Algeria. Although no significant rainfall was reported or is thought to have occurred in the Sahel between Mauritania and Chad, green vegetation was reported in a few places. In Mauritania, vegetation was green between Magta Lahjar and Tidjikja, near Akjoujt and in the Aguilal Fai. In northern Mali, vegetation was drying out in most places except for a few small spots in the Tilemsi Valley and Timetrine. In Niger, vegetation was green in the Talak region near Arlit.

In the Central Region, good rains fell in some coastal and subcoastal areas on both sides of the Red Sea in Sudan and Saudi Arabia. In Sudan, unusually heavy rains were reported several times on the coastal plains between Tokar Delta and Port Sudan as well as on the western side of the Red Sea Hills along Wadi Oko/Diib from Tomala nearly to the Egyptian border. Most of these rains occurred during the second half of November and were associated with northern surges of the Red Sea Convergence Zone (RSCZ) that are linked to depression further north in the Mediterranean. In Saudi Arabia, good rains associated with a strong depression over the eastern Mediterranean fell at the end of the month on the central and northern coastal plains between Jeddah and Yenbo. Consequently, breeding conditions should improve in these areas in the coming weeks. Elsewhere, no significant rainfall was reported during November. Nevertheless, vegetation was becoming green in a few places along the Red Sea coastal plains near Halaib, Egypt and on the Eritrean coastal plains between Massawa and the Sudanese border. In Yemen, on the other hand, vegetation was drying up in a few places along the central plains of the Red Sea coast as well as on the Gulf of Aden coastal plains. In northern Somalia, vegetation is dry on the northwestern coastal plains but green in some places further inland on the escarpment. In Oman, light rains fell in early November on the northern Batinah coast extending to the Musandam Peninsula and eastern UAE but conditions remained dry.

In the Eastern Region, the rains that fell in northern Oman were part of a larger system that extended to Baluchistan, Pakistan where widespread light rains were reported on 7-8 November on the coast between Jiwani and Pasni, and further inland near Panjgur as well as south of the Afghanistan border between Nokkundi and Nushki. Unusually heavy showers were reported on the 25th at Dalbandin. In India, light rains fell in Rajasthan at Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner during the second week. Some of these extended into the Cholistan and Tharparkar Deserts in Pakistan. Despite these showers, vegetation conditions remained dry in the Desert Locust breeding areas in both countries.

During November, solitarious immature adults from earlier breeding were scattered near Aioun El Atrous (1702N/0941W). Small-scale breeding that started in September and October continued in the west and northwest between Moudjeria (1751N/1228W) and Akjoujt (1945N/1421W). Although most of the hoppers were of all instars, some had reached fifth instar and had fledged into new adults. The largest infestation was reported near Moudjeria where third to fifth instar hoppers at densities of 5,000 per ha were seen on 2.5 ha. Some of these were transiens.

During November, solitarious hoppers and immature and mature adults mixed with some transiens were present in a few places in the Tilemsi Valley and in the Timetrine. Hopper densities were highest in the Timetrine west of Tessalit (2011N0102E) where there were up to 10 hoppers per sq. metre but no bands were reported. Adults were generally scattered in very low numbers except for one location, Bolrech (2047N/0001E), where an estimated 10,000 per ha were seen.

In early November, scattered immature and mature adults mixed with isolated first instar hoppers were reported on the Talak plains northeast of Arlit near Agaliouk (1846N/0732E). Ground control operations treated 435 ha, and, by the 21st, scattered adults at densities of 200 per ha and solitarious and transiens hoppers at densities of 10 per bush remained. Nearby, solitarious adults, up to 1,000 per ha, were reported as well as a few fourth instar hoppers. Elsewhere, an individual immature adult was seen on the 8th east of Agadez (1700N/0756E) in southeastern Air. A single hopper and adult were also seen in Tamesna north of In Abangharit (1754N/0559E) on the 22nd.

No reports received.

No reports received.

From 30 October to 2 November, isolated mature adults were seen at four places in W. Amded (2249N/0424E), W. In Chikchi (2311N/0240E) and W. Agherfenou (2318N/0230E) west of Tamanrasset. No locusts were seen during surveys carried out between Tamanrasset and In Salah as well as near Tindouf during November

No locusts were reported in the south and southeast during November.

No locusts were reported during October.

No locusts were reported during October and November.

Isolated mature adults at densities up to 16 locusts per ha were reported at four places in Tokar Delta on 29 November. Isolated mature adults were also present at two places on the coastal plains between Tokar (1827N3741E) and Suakin (1908N/3717E). No locusts were seen elsewhere on the Red Sea coastal plains south of Port Sudan or in the northern subcoastal areas along Wadi Oko/Diib between Tomala (2002N/3551E) and the Egyptian border during the last week of November.

A late report indicated that no locusts were seen on the central and southern Red Sea coastal plains between Idd (1357N/4138E) and Mersa Gulbub (1633N/3908E) on 27-30 September. No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on 16-18 November on the northern coast between Massawa (1537N/3928E) and the Sudanese border at Karora (1745N/3820E).

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on the northwestern coastal plains between Berbera (1028N/4502E) and the Djibouti border as well as on the escarpment between Hargeisa (0931N/4402E) and Boroma (0956N/4313E) on 10-13 November.

No reports received.

No locusts were seen on the coastal plains between Djibouti town and the Somali border on 14 November.

No locusts were reported during November along the Red Sea coast or in the Western Desert.

No reports received.

On 30-31 October, scattered fledglings and immature solitarious adults persisted on the coastal plains of Aden near Am Rija (1302N/4434E) where previous breeding had occurred and control operations had been carried out. Nearby, first and second instar hoppers at densities of 5-10 per sq. m. mixed with immature adults were present in an area of recent breeding northwest of Lahij (1303N/4453E). No locusts were seen elsewhere along the coastal plains to the west and east of Aden.

On the central Red Sea coast, no locusts were seen during surveys between Bajil (1458N/4314E) and Bayt Al Faqih (1430N4317E) on 18-20 November.

No locusts were reported in the Musandam and Dakhliya regions during November.

No locusts were reported on the coastal plains west of Bandar Abbas on 7 November.

No locusts were reported during November.

No locusts were reported during the second half of October and first half of November.

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:

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).

Master Trainer Course. Details and photos of a FAO training-of-trainers course on Desert Locust survey, control and training skills recently held in Oman are available at:

www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/omntot/totmain.htm

2002 events. The following are scheduled:

2003 events. The following are provisionally scheduled: