ETOP UPDATE IX-11 OFDA-AELGA October 4, 2011 Emergency Transboundary continue improving and adults will likely Outbreak Pest (ETOP) Situation begin appearing and breeding in areas of Report for September with a recent rainfall in Hoggar, Algeria. Locusts Forecast till mid-November, 2011 will also start to move from the interior of Sudan and western Eritrea to the Red Sea Summary coast. In the Indo-Pakistan area breeding conditions are expected to improve once the The desert locust (SGR1) situation flood waters recede. Vigilance should be remained relatively calm in most of maintained in all outbreak and invasion Sahel West Africa and northern Africa in areas to avoid any surprises. September due to poor rainfall. Only limited breeding occurred during this Other ETOPs period and isolated adults were reported in northeast Morocco. Good Red (Nomadic) Locust (NSE): NSE rains were reported in northern Chad situation remained relatively calm in IRLCO- and western lowlands in Eritrea where CSA member-countries in September, only ecological conditions are expected to residual populations that escaped control improve and small-scale breeding will operations in May and June 2011 persisted likely begin. in the outbreak areas in Tanzania. Localized concentrations of NSE may be present in Good rains fell in September on the Red patches of unburned vegetation in Malawi, Sea coast of Yemen and in adjacent Mozambique and Zambia (IRLCO-CSA). areas of Saudi Arabia. Small-scale breeding is probably underway in Forecast: Grass burning is almost complete Yemen but surveys are being in most of the NSE outbreak areas. Locusts undermined by the ongoing situation in that concentrated on patches of unburned the country (FAO-DLIS). Low numbers vegetation will mature and begin breeding of adults persisted along both sides of with the onset of the rains. IRLCO-CSA will the Indo-Pakistan border be conducting surveys in the outbreak (CNLA/Mauritania, CNLAA/ Morocco, countries during the forecast period to DPPQS/India, FAO-DLIS, INPV/Algeria, assess locust populations and undertake PPD/Ethiopia and PPD/Sudan). control operations as necessary (IRLCO- CSA). Forecast: During the forecast period, adult are expected to start moving from Madagascar Migratory Locust (LMC): southeast Mauritania to the west and Mating, egg laying and early instar hoppers northwest (Trarza and Inchiri). In Mali and bands were observed in the Horombe and Niger, locusts are likely to towards the mid-September. A swarm was concentrate in vegetation that remains sighted in Babaria heading west to Isoanala green. Environmental conditions will during the first week of September. A 5km x 1km immature adult swarm was observed on the Belomotra and Andranovory plateau 1 Descriptions of all acronyms can be found at the end of during the second dekad of September. the report. Hoppers, immature and mature solitary and :/SITREPS 2011 /ETOP update for September.2011 YTB 1 ETOP UPDATE IX-11 OFDA-AELGA October 4, 2011 transient locusts were detected during Azerbaijan. The AELGA advisor also surveys carried out by CNA from 6-16 detected a couple of solitary adult locusts September in the transient that resembled Acrida oxycephala at the gregarization and initial multiplication archeological site. The acridids were zones (FAO-CNL). observed in grasses and no crops were threatened (AELGA). Forecast: Normal to above normal rainfall is in the forecast for October- Armyworm (AAW): AAW operations December (and will likely extend well continued in Tigrey zone of northern into the January to March), hence Ethiopia. As of the first dekad of September, breeding and hatching will continue close to 539,000 ha were reported infested progressing in Analamary, Vavalovo, and more than 120,049 ha were controlled Ianakafy, Iaborotra in the central with 94,439 l/kg of pesticides and gregarization zone and other zones traditional methods in all 8 administrative during the forecast period. Vigilance, regions. There were no reports of AAW timely field assessments and reporting outbreaks in the IRLCO-CSA region or other as well as preventive interventions are countries during this period (IRLCO-CSA, essential to avert any unexpected PPD/Ethiopia). surprises (AELGA, FAO-CNA). Forecast: AAW season is expected to come Note: During the 2010-2011 locust to an end in northern Ethiopia and some emergency campaign in Madagascar, activities will likely begin occurring in Kenya the United States Agency for and Tanzania with the onset of the seasonal International through the Office of rains in October and by the end of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) November and early December, most responded in time and favorably to the IRLCO-CSA countries will likely experience appeal issued by FAO to support the some level of AAW outbreaks (IRLCO-CSA, campaign operations spearheaded by PPD/Ethiopia). the FAO-CNA. That response was perceived crucial in assisting host- Quelea (QQU): QQU birds were reported country tackle the ETOP problem. End damaging cereal crops in several districts in note. Kenya and control operations were in progress at the time this report was Moroccan (DMA), Italian (CIT) and compiled. In Zimbabwe, the birds were Migratory (LMI) locusts in Central reported in East, Central and West Asia and the Caucasus (CAC): No Mashonaland as well as Midlands provinces update was received from CAC at the where 4,423 ha of irrigated wheat crop time this report was compiled. were sprayed (IRLCO-CSA). However, on September 9, AELGA Senior Advisor detected mixed Forecast: Quelea birds will likely continue populations of immature and mature causing problems to wheat and rice in adults and hoppers in the vicinity of an Kenya and to irrigated winter wheat crops in archeological site of an old Albanian Zimbabwe until harvest is completed in city southeast of Gabala in northeastern November (IRLCO-CSA). :/SITREPS 2011 /ETOP update for September.2011 YTB 2 ETOP UPDATE IX-11 OFDA-AELGA October 4, 2011 sub-regional PRRSNs in Eastern Africa and OFDA/AELGA (Assistance for the Horn. The Horn of Africa PRRSN Emergency Locust and Grasshopper initiative has created a sub-set Association Abatement) will continue monitoring under the rubric of Pesticide Stewardship ETOP situations in all regions and issue Association and registered in Ethiopia (PSA- updates and advices as often as E). Prospective partners have begun necessary. End summary expressing interests to dub or work with the association. PSA-E will likely serve as a blue Progress in SGR Frontline print or a guinea pig for similar structures in Countries: the future. SGR frontline countries (FCs) in Sahel Discussions that began several months West Africa, namely Chad, Mali, ago to launch similar PRR initiatives in North Mauritania and Niger have Africa and the Middle East were halted by established autonomous national locust the ongoing situation in the regions. A control units (CNLA) responsible for DL dialogue is underway in other regions. activities. OFDA continues its assistance for Funds provided by the African capacity strengthening to mitigate, prevent, Development Bank, the World Bank, respond to and reduce risks of ETOP USAID, France, FAO, host- emergencies and associated human health governments, neighboring countries threats as well as environmental pollutions. and others enabled the FCs to equip CNLAs with necessary tools, materials OFDA I supporting through FAO a and infrastructure as well as help train program to strengthen national and regional staff to prevent and respond to DL capacities to coordinate locust monitoring, outbreaks and avoid the threats they reporting, prevention and mitigation efforts pose to food security and livelihoods of to abate the threats they pose to food vulnerable communities. security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities in Central Asia and the CNLAs’ efforts to avert, mitigate or Caucasus (CAC). respond to potentially devastating DL outbreaks and invasions need to be All SITREPs can be accessed on our supported and encouraged. website at: OFDA ETOP Activities http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitari an_assistance/disaster_assistance/locust/ OFDA/TAG continues its initiatives in pesticide risk reduction through Weather and ecological conditions stewardship network (PRRSN) to ensure safety of vulnerable people as well as During second dekad of September, the ITF's protect their assets and the remained north of the climatological mean environment against pesticide pollution. position over Mali and Chad due to strong moist OFDA/TAG successfully launched two southerly winds in the Gulf of Guinea, while it advanced further south along its eastern :/SITREPS 2011 /ETOP update for September.2011 YTB 3 ETOP UPDATE IX-11 OFDA-AELGA October 4, 2011 segment over Sudan. Its mean western portion was approximated 18.1N, north of its normal mean position by 0.4 degree and at 15.6N, slightly behind the climatological mean position in the eastern portion (see map). During the first dekad of the month, the Front began its seasonal retreat to the south across Africa. It also experienced a rapid southward movement relative to its position during the third dekad of August. During the period from October to December, 2011, most of contiguous Southern African Development Community (SADC) is expected to receive normal to below-normal rainfall with the exception of northern parts of Tanzania and southern Madagascar where above-normal rainfall is predicted. The rest of the continental SADC and most of Madagascar and Mauritius are likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall (SARCOF). The mean western portion of the ITF was From January to March, 2012, the south eastern approximated at 18.2N, behind the mean continental SADC as well as the northern parts position by 0.3 degree and its eastern of Tanzania and Madagascar are expected to portion was located near 15.8N and trailed receive above-normal rainfall. The western flank the average position by only 0.3 degrees of contiguous SADC is expected to receive (see map)(NOAA 9/2011) . below normal rainfall (Note: October to March is the main rainfall season over most of The weather conditions in NSE outbreak southern Africa.