Publications
In this section you can find out guidelines, documents, reports and many more publications on locusts
SWAC 34th Session - Report of the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in South-West Asia (2025)
2026
The Thirty-fourth Session of the FAO Commission for Controlling Desert Locusts in South-West Asia (SWAC 34) defined regional strategies to strengthen desert locust management, enhance collaboration, and promote the adoption of innovative technologies to protect livelihoods and food security across the region. The Session brought together representatives of the SWAC Member Nations: India, Iran, and Pakistan and Locust management experts from the FAO Office in Afghanistan.
SWAC Regional workshop for Desert Locust Information Officers No. 3
2025
The 2025 SWAC workshop brought together Desert Locust Information Officers (DLIOs) from Iran and Pakistan to enhance early warning capabilities through hands-on training. Participants learned to use new tools like eLocust3K and RAMSESv4.1 for data collection, analysis, and forecasting. Sessions covered satellite imagery interpretation, locust biology, and field navigation using Locus Map. Emphasis was placed on improving technical proficiency, data visualization, and forecasting accuracy.
Practical guidelines on pesticide risk reduction for locust control in Caucasus and Central Asia
2019
These guidelines discuss the risks of insecticide handling and use during locust control campaigns, as well as measures that can be taken to minimize those risks. The guidelines follow international best practices as well as experiences of FAO with locust control in other geographical areas. The document also take into account the realities of locust control in the CCA region.
Manual for the implementation of environmental, health, and safety standards for the control of locusts
2021
The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) for the control of the Desert Locust define the procedures that should be followed in a Desert Locust control campaign to minimize the impact of the use of insecticides on human health and the environment.
Posters
FAO, in collaboration with OCHA, has developed six simple, easy to understand posters for communities that may be affected by Desert Locust. The purpose of these posters is to provide basic messages to communities on pesticide containers, safety measures, pesticide exposure, farmer advice, Desert Locust and following instructions. While the posters are in English, they can easily be modified to other local languages. In order to help strengthen the reporting of locusts, a contact number can be added at the bottom, which should be that of the national locust centre.
