Attachments
General Situation during April 2010
Forecast until mid-June 2010
The Desert Locust situation remained calm in all countries during April because of continuing poor rainfall and ecological conditions. Ground teams in Saudi Arabia treated numerous small hopper bands that arose from local breeding in one area on the Red Sea coast. Groups of adults may form in this area and move into the interior and breed. Low numbers of solitarious adults were present in Morocco along the Algerian border where small-scale breeding is likely to occur in May. An isolated adult was seen in Niger and isolated hoppers and adults were present on the Gulf of Aden coast in southern Yemen. From mid-June onwards, low numbers of solitarious adults could start to appear in the summer breeding areas in the northern Sahel of West Africa and Sudan, in the interior of Yemen and along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border; however, breeding will not commence until the seasonal rains begin. No significant developments are expected during the forecast period.
Western Region. The locust situation remained calm during April. Isolated solitarious adults were found at an increasing number of places in Morocco south of the Atlas Mountains and along the Algerian border. Local breeding is expected to occur in some areas during May but locust numbers will remain below threatening levels and no significant developments are expected. In Niger, an isolated solitarious adult was seen near Agadez. No locusts were reported elsewhere in the Region and ecological conditions continued to be dry and unfavourable for breeding in most areas except along the Moroccan-Algerian border. By the end of the forecast period, low numbers of solitarious adults may start to appear in the summer breeding areas in southern Mauritania and, to a lesser extent, in northern Mali and Niger. Small-scale breeding will not commence until the onset of the seasonal rains in the northern Sahel.
Central Region. Local breeding occurred in one area on the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia during April, giving rise to numerous small hopper groups and bands. Although ground teams treated nearly 700 ha, there is a risk adults will form small groups that will move into the spring breeding areas of the interior and breed where good rains recently fell. Small-scale breeding occurred on the southern coast of Yemen. During the forecast period, low numbers of locusts could appear in the interior of Yemen where good rains fell during April. Elsewhere in the Region, no locusts were reported and no significant developments are expected during the forecast period.
Eastern Region. The locust situation remained calm during April. No locusts were reported in the spring breeding areas of western Pakistan and southeastern Iran due to dry conditions. No significant developments are expected during the forecast period.