Summary
The Desert Locust joint survey in the spring breeding areas of the I.R. Iran and Pakistan has been undertaken on annual basis since 1995. The present survey of 2017 under report was the 23rd survey within the framework of the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in South-West Asia (SWAC).
In view of security concerns in the survey area of Baluchistan in Pakistan since 2009, two options were discussed for the joint survey in the 30th Session of SWAC held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 12–14 December 2016:
• Option A. The 2017 joint survey would be undertaken as a routine survey, i.e. the Joint Survey Team would consist of locust officers from both countries who will carry out the survey as a single joint team, first in Baluchistan, Pakistan and then in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan, Hormozgan and Kerman in I. R. Iran.
• Option B. The 2017 joint survey would be carried out by each survey team separately on its own territory, i.e. the Pakistani team would carry out survey in Baluchistan of Pakistan and the Iranian team would survey Sistan and Baluchistan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces in southeast I.R. Iran. At the end of survey, the Iranian team leader and national locust unit head will visit Karachi to discuss results, exchange information and to draft a single joint survey report with their respective counterparts.
This year, “Option B” was adopted and the joint survey was carried out simultaneously in both countries from 5 to 25 April 2017 on both sides of the common border as per the approved itinerary. At the end of survey, the Iranian team leader and national locust unit head visited Karachi on 26–29 April 2017 to finalize the draft of the joint survey report with their respective counterparts in Pakistan.
During the joint survey, a total of 376 stops were made along a 12,353 km itinerary, consisting of 6,253 km in Pakistan where 247 locations (26,550 ha) were surveyed and 6,100 km in I.R. Iran where 129 locaMons (14,760 ha) were checked. The ecological conditions on the Iranian side due to recent rainfall were favourable for locust breeding and potential increase while on the Pakistani side, scanty rainfall led to unfavourable ecological conditions for locust breeding. Consequently, the overall vegetation conditions in Pakistan were drying to dry.
In I.R. Iran, isolated mature solitarious adults with a maximum density of 100 adults/ha were observed at 14 places in northern, coastal and interior areas of southeast I.R. Iran. During the next few months, strict vigilance is required in these areas because of the recent rainfall. In Pakistan, no locusts were seen. Consequently, no significant developments are likely in the coming months because of poor ecological conditions.