Locust Watch
Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia

Technical Workshop on Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA), Astana, Kazakhstan, 14-18 November 2016

The  Agenda of the Technical Workshop was as follows:

Opening

1. Opening address

2. Election of Chairman, Vice-Chairman & Drafting Committee

3. Adoption of the Agenda

Session 1: National locust campaigns in 2016 and forecasts for 2017

4. National locust campaigns in 2016 (countries' presentations)

5. Locust forecast for 2017 and preparation of the next campaigns (countries' presentations)

Session 2: Implementation of the Programme to improve locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia

6. Overview on Programme implementation in 2016 and funding situation

7. Regional cooperation in 2016

  a) Regular information sharing: monthly bulletins in the coming years

  b) Cross-border or joint surveys (countries' presentations):

    • Armenia - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Russia, May 2016 
    • Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan, May 2016 
    • Kyrgyzstan - Tajikistan, June 2016 
    • Afghanistan - Tajikistan, July 2016
    • Tajikistan - Uzbekistan, August 2016

8. National capacities' development in 2016

  a) Internship on locust management (countries' presentations):

    • Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, February 2016

  b) Training-of-Trainers on locust management (countries' presentation):

    • Regional sessions:

     - Locust spraying and pesticide risk reduction, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, February 2016
     - Locust monitoring and information management, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, February/March 2016

    • National sessions :

     - Locust monitoring and information management, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, April/May 2016
     - Use of the Automated System for Data Collection (ASDC), Tajikistan, July 2016 (refreshing courses and national sessions)
     - Locust spraying and pesticide risk reduction, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, September/October 2016

  c) Assessment of the Asian Migratory Locust situation and on-the-job training, Uzbekistan, August 2016 (country's presentation)

  d) Update on fellowships on locust management

  e) Update on the monographs of the three locust pests

  f) Practical guidelines on the three locust pests in CCA

  g) Equipment delivery to strengthen operational capacities in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (Japanese-funded project)

9. Programme of work during Year 6 (2017)

Session 3: Developing monitoring and analysing systems (Geographical Information System)

10. Developments of the Automated System of Data Collection (ASDC)

11. Developments of the Locust Geographical Information System (GIS) in CCA

Session 4: Risk reduction for human health and the environment

12. Mitigating impact of locust control operations:

  a) Pesticide and Empty Container Management, Tajikistan, July 2016 (country's presentation)

  b) Conclusions of the E-Committee on empty pesticide container management

  c) Practical guidelines on pesticide risk reduction

  d) Minimum list of information to be included in extension material for local populations

13. Monitoring impact of locust control operations:

  a) Activities carried out by the Human Health and Environment Monitoring Team in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, lessons learnt and recommendations (country's presentation)

  b) Impact assessment of control operations and pesticide residue analysis

14. Progress made on safety and environmental precautions (countries' feedback)

15. Progress made on spraying technologies products and biopesticides (countries' feedback)

Session 5: Programme to improve locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia: results achieved and the way forward

16. Programme on locusts in CCA: results achieved (2011-2016)

17. Programme on locusts in CCA: the way forward

Closing

18. Any other business

19. Adoption of the report

20. Closure address