ETOP UPDATE XII-11 OFDA-AELGA January 9, 2011 Emergency Transboundary and a similar situation may occur in coastal Outbreak Pest (ETOP) Situation areas in Iran and Pakistan provided Report for December with a additional rains fall. The situation will Forecast till mid-February, 2012 remain calm in other countries during the forecast period (DDLC/Libya, DLCO-EA, Summary DPPQS/India, FAO-DLIS, and PPD/Sudan). The desert locust (SGR1) situation Other ETOPs remained calm in December. Only low numbers of adults and hoppers were Red (Nomadic) Locust (NSE): The NSE reported in coastal areas in Sudan, situation remained relatively calm in Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In the December, but breeding conditions western region where ecological continued improving and mating and egg conditions remained dry locust numbers laying may have commenced in the primary generally declined except in a few outbreak areas where good rains were places in northwest Mauritania, recorded (IRLCO-CSA). northern Mali and southern Algeria where patches of green vegetation Forecast: Hatching will continue and persisted. Small-scale breeding was in hoppers will begin appearing in Tanzania, progress in parts of the Air Mountains Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. The in Niger where good rains fell. A few International Red Locust Control isolated adults were seen near Pasni in Organization for Central and Southern Africa western Pakistan. Other countries (IRLCO-CSA) has planned surveys to locate remained calm during this period potential hopper and band sites. (DDLC/Libya, DLCO-EA, DPPQS/India, FAO-DLIS, PPD/Sudan). Madagascar Migratory Locust (LMC): No update was received at the time this report Forecast: Small-scale breeding will was compiled, but locust activities likely likely continue in areas that received continued further developing. CNA locust good rains in Air Mountains in Niger, specialists are monitoring the situation. but locust numbers are expected to remain below the threshold levels. Forecast: Good rains continued in the Small-scale breeding will also occur in locust outbreak areas and breeding and January and locust numbers will hatching are expected to progress in several increase slightly along the Red Sea places in the central gregarization and coasts, in southern Yemen and multiplication zones during the forecast northwest Somalia along the Gulf of period. Vigilance, timely assessments and Aden if more rains fall in the coming reporting as well as rapid interventions are weeks. Small-scale breeding may also essential to avert unexpected surprises occur along the eastern coast of Oman (AELGA, FAO-CNA). Note: FAO and MoA/CNA have prepared an 1 Descriptions of all acronyms can be found at the end of action plan for the 2011-12 locust campaign the report. and UN/OCHA and others have made :/SITREPS 2011 /ETOP update for December.2011 YTB 1 ETOP UPDATE XII-11 OFDA-AELGA January 9, 2011 contributions to support the campaign, late reporting hampered control in Zambia but additional resources will likely be (AELGA, DLCO-EA, IRLCO-CSA). needed to launch it effectively. During the 2010-2011 Madagascar locust Forecast: AAW will likely affect late planted emergency campaign, the United States cereal crops in Malawi, Zambia and Agency for International through the Zimbabwe during the forecast period. Trap Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance operators are advised to continue (OFDA) responded promptly and monitoring and reporting moth catches to favorably to support the campaign crop protection staff and assist with operations. That response played a interventions. Community forecasters are crucial role in address the problem. encouraged to participate in monitoring, forecasting and alerting farmers to the On December 20, 2011, FAO-MoA extent possible (AELGA, DLCO-EA, IRLCO- presented the locust situation, forecast CSA). for the coming months as well as funding needs, etc. at a meeting that Quelea (QQU): Although QQU birds usually was held in Antananarivo. Such pose a problem to irrigated rice in several meeting will continue over the coming districts in Kenya during this time of year no months. update was received at the time this report was compiled (DLCO-EA, IRLCO-CSA). According to information received from a colleague at FAO, aerial and ground Forecast: QQU birds may have began surveys will commence once a breeding in Mozambique and Zimbabwe helicopter becomes available and an where the resultant fledglings and adults international consultant will start are likely to be a problem to small grain campaign coordination during the cereal growers in the coming months second half of January, 2012. End (AELGA, DLCO-EA, IRLCO-CSA). note. OFDA/AELGA (Assistance for Emergency Moroccan (DMA), Italian (CIT) and Locust and Grasshopper Abatement) will Migratory (LMI) locusts in Central continue monitoring ETOP situations in all Asia and the Caucasus (CAC): No regions and issue updates and advices as update was received from CAC at the often as necessary. End summary time this report was compiled (AELGA). Progress in SGR Frontline Countries: African Armyworm (AAW): AAW outbreaks were reported in several SGR frontline countries (FCs) in Sahel West districts in Malawi and Zambia in Africa, namely Chad, Mali, Mauritania and December. The caterpillars were seen Niger have established autonomous feeding on maize and pasture. In national locust control units (CNLA) Malawi, control was carried out by the responsible for DL activities. affected farmers with material and technical support from the Ministries of Funds provided by the African Development Agriculture, but lack of resources and Bank, USAID, the World Bank, France, FAO, :/SITREPS 2011 /ETOP update for December.2011 YTB 2 ETOP UPDATE XII-11 OFDA-AELGA January 9, 2011 host-governments, neighboring pesticide human health threats as well as countries and others enabled the FCs to environmental pollutions. equip CNLAs with necessary tools, materials and infrastructure as well as OFDA is supporting a program to help train staff to prevent and respond strengthen national and regional capacities to SGR outbreaks and avoid the threats in Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) they pose to food security and through FAO to coordinate locust livelihoods of vulnerable communities. monitoring, reporting, prevention and mitigation efforts and abate the threats they CNLAs’ efforts to avert mitigate or pose to food security and livelihoods of respond to potentially devastating SGR vulnerable communities. outbreaks and invasions need to be supported and encouraged. All SITREPs can be accessed on our website at: OFDA ETOP Activities http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitari OFDA/TAG continues its initiatives an_assistance/disaster_assistance/locust/ in pesticide risk reduction through stewardship network (PRRSN) Weather and ecological conditions programs to ensure safety of vulnerable people and protect their assets and the Very little rain fell during December in the SGR shared environment against pesticide winter breeding areas along both sides of the pollution. OFDA/TAG successfully Red Sea. However, rain continued well into launched two sub-regional PRRSNs in December in the NSE outbreak areas in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania and improved Eastern Africa and the Horn. The Horn breeding conditions (DLCO-EA, DPPQS/India, of Africa PRRSN initiative has created a FAO-DLIS, PPD/Sudan, IRLOC-CSA). sub-set Association in Ethiopia (PSA-E). Prospective partners have begun From January to March, 2012, the south eastern expressing interests to dub or work continental SADC as well as the northern parts with the association. PSA-E will serve of Tanzania and Madagascar are expected to as a guinea pig for similar structures in receive above-normal rainfall. The western flank the future. of contiguous SADC is expected to receive below normal rainfall (Note: October to March Discussions that began several is the main rainfall season over most of months ago to launch similar PRR southern Africa. Owing to the differences in the rainfall-bearing systems, the rainy season has initiatives in North Africa and the Middle been divided into two three-month periods, i.e. East were halted by the ongoing October to December and January to March. situation in the regions. A dialogue is End note) (SARCOF). underway in other regions. Note: Changes in the weather patterns and the OFDA continues its assistance in shift in the ecology of landscape are believed to capacity strengthening to mitigate, exacerbate the risk of pest outbreaks and prevent, respond to and reduce risks of resurgence. Regular monitoring and reporting ETOP emergencies and associated are essential. End note. :/SITREPS 2011 /ETOP update for December.2011 YTB 3 ETOP UPDATE XII-11 OFDA-AELGA January 9, 2011 Detailed accounts of ETOP situation, Forecast: If more rains fall in January along activities and ecological conditions are the Red Sea coasts and Gulf of Aden, small- presented below. scale breeding will occur and locust numbers will increase slightly along the Red Sea coasts, SGR - Western Outbreak Region: The in southern Yemen and northwest Somalia, but desert locust (SGR) situation remained will remain below the economic threshold level. calm in the winter breeding areas in Sahel Small-scale breeding may also occur along the West Africa in December. Ecological eastern coast of Oman between Salalah and conditions remained unfavorable except in Sur. The situation will remain calm in other a few places in northwest Mauritania, countries during the forecast period northern Mali, northern