Western Region. Low numbers of adults persisted in southern Algeria and in Niger during January where they will slowly mature in the few areas that remain green. There is a slight possibility that adults may move into southern Algeria during periods of warm southerly winds from northern Mali where there were unconfirmed reports from nomads and travelers of locust adults and hoppers. No locusts were reported elsewhere in the region and the situation is expected to remain calm during the forecast period.

Central Region. Conditions continued to remain favourable for breeding in many places along both sides of the Red Sea during January but no locusts were reported. Nevertheless, small-scale breeding could occur during the forecast period on the coasts of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Eritrea. Isolated adults were reported in northwestern Somalia where they will mature and breed if conditions remain favourable. No significant developments are expected.

Eastern Region. No locusts were reported in the region. Conditions are improving in the spring breeding areas of western Pakistan and eastern I.R. Iran where light rains fell during January. Low numbers of adults are expected to appear in the spring breeding areas during the forecast period. No significant developments are expected.

In the Western Region, very little rain was reported or is thought to have occurred in the locust breeding areas during January. Light rain associated with eastward Mediterranean depressions fell at times during the first half of the month along the Atlantic coast in Morocco near Sidi Ifni and Tan-Tan, and north of the Sahara in Algeria near Ghardaia and Ouargla. Rain was heaviest in southern Tunisia. A few light showers may have fallen in northern Mauritania and southwestern Morocco where scattered clouds were present during the first, third and fourth weeks of January. Clouds were present for several days and isolated showers were reported in southeastern Mauritania (Nema), northern Mali (Aguelhoc and Tessalit) and in eastern Niger (Bilma). Despite the poor rainfall, conditions remained favourable on a localized scale for locust survival near Tamanrasset, Algeria, in parts of northern Mali and in a few wadis in the northern and central Air Mountains, Niger. Vegetation was reported to be nearly dry in Tamesna, Niger.

In the Central Region, isolated showers fell in a few places along both sides of the Red Sea. In Eritrea, light rain was reported on the northern coast. Light to moderate rains fell during the first and third weeks of January on the northern Red Sea coast in Yemen and moderate rains fell in early January in adjacent areas of Saudi Arabia in Jizan. Consequently, breeding conditions are favourable in most of these areas as well as on the Red Sea coast of Sudan from Tokar to just south of Mohamed Qol. Unfavourable conditions persisted on the coast further north to Shalatein, Egypt. Clouds were present over the Western Desert in Egypt on several days throughout January. On one occasion, these clouds extended to Jebel Uweinat and the Chad/Libya/Sudan border. This is one of the driest regions of the Sahara. Clouds were also seen on the Red Sea coast near the Sudan/Egypt border and along the Yemen/Saudi Arabia border in the Empty Quarter north of Wadi Hadhramaut. There is a low possibility that light showers may have occurred in some of these places. Light rainfall was reported in Djibouti Town and in northern Oman and. In northern Somalia, conditions were favourable for breeding on the escarpment and coastal plains west of Berbera where moderate rains fell during the first week of January.

In the Eastern Region, isolated showers fell in a few places along the coast in the spring breeding areas of I.R. Iran and Pakistan where vegetation is becoming green. The showers were reported at Jask, I.R. Iran and at Jiwani and Pasni, Pakistan. Light rain also fell in Rajasthan, India at Bikaner and Jaisalmer where temperatures were unusually cold and conditions were generally dry and unfavourable for locusts.

No control operations were reported during January.

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

There were unconfirmed reports of adult and hopper concentrations at a few places west of Tessalit (2011N0102E) in the Tilemsi Valley and Timetrine during the first three weeks of January.

On 13-24 December, scattered first to fifth instar hoppers and immature adults were seen on the Talak Plains (1826N/0746E) north of Agadez and in a few wadis in the northern Air Mountains. In two of these places, drying vegetation forced the locusts to concentrate and increase in density, reaching up to 7 hoppers per 10 sq. metres and 4,000 adults per ha.

During the first three weeks of January, scattered immature adults declined on the Talak Plains but persisted at four locations in the central Air Mountains.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during December.

A few individual immature adults were reported to be persisting in a few wadis near Tamanrasset during January.

No locusts were reported during January.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported during January.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on the Red Sea coastal plains between Tokar (1827N3741E) and Bir Salalah (2034N/3701E) in the first three weeks of January.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on 17-18 January on the Red Sea coast between Massawa (1537N/3928E) and the Sudanese border at Karora (1745N/3820E).

Isolated immature adults were seen at two locations on the coastal plains west of Berbera (1028N/4502E) at the base of the escarpment on 7 January. No other locusts were seen in nearby areas during surveys carried out on 6-9 January.

No reports received.

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

No locusts were reported during December and the first three weeks of January along the Red Sea coast or in the Western Desert.

During the first joint border survey between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, one mature adult was seen near Jizan at Wadi Al-Rubah (1649N/4255E) on 17 December.

No locusts were reported during January.

During the first joint border survey between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, one mature adult was seen south of Hodeidah at Al-Bunniah (1442N/4312E) on 15 December. No locusts were seen further north between Hodeidah and the border.

No locust surveys were carried out during January.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in the north and on the Musandam Peninsula on 8-20 January.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in Hormozgan and Kerman provinces on 26-27 January.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported up to 23 January.

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 in September 2001 and is now available from FAO. French and Arabic versions will be released later this year. 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. More reports of FAO locust-related meetings are available for downloading at www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/reports1.htm:

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 held in Oman in October 2002 are available at:

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

2003 events. The following are provisionally scheduled: