Technical Workshop on Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA), 20-24 November 2023
Provisional Agenda
Opening
1. Opening of the Meeting
2. Election of Chairman, Vice-Chairman & Drafting Committee
3. Adoption of the Agenda
Session 1: National 2023 locust campaigns and forecasts for 2024
4. National locust campaigns in 2023, forecasts for 2024 and preparation of the next campaigns
Session 2: Programme implementation and capacity strengthening in 2023
5. Overview on Programme implementation in 2023
6. Regional cooperation: Cross-border surveys (Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)
7. National capacities’ development in 2023
7.1 Exposure visit on locust management in the national anti-locust center in Morocco
7.2 National training sessions and briefing sessions on locust management: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
7.3 Update on background literature on the locust pests in CCA (monthly bulletins, practical guidelines, leaflets, posters, monographs, calendars...)
7.4 Equipment delivered in 2023 to strengthen operational capacities
8. Development of a national locust contingency plan – pilot activity in Tajikistan
Session 3: Developing monitoring and analyzing systems
9. ASDC and CCALM In-depth introduction to Turkmenistan
10. Developments of ASDC in 2023 (situation update, issues encountered, lessons learnt and recommendations) and next steps for 2024
11. Developments of CCALM in 2023 (progress made, issues encountered, lessons learnt and recommendations) and next steps for 2024
12. New Human Health and Environmental Monitoring (HH&Env) Form in ASDC
Session 4: Towards the use of biopesticides in CCA
13. Sub-regional demonstration/trial on biopesticides use for Central Asia and the Russian Federation (Jizzakh, Uzbekistan)
14. Sub-regional demonstration/trial on biopesticides use for Caucasus (Kakheti, Georgia)
15. Summary and review of results of the two demonstrations
16. Post-application environmental monitoring and taxonomic identification of collected material (non-target arthropods), Uzbekistan
Session 5: Risk reduction for human health and the environment
17. Monitoring impact of locust control operations
71.1 Human Health and Environment (HH&Env.) Monitoring Teams’ work in Azerbaijan, Georgia (incl. pesticide residue analysis), Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
17.2 Country-to-country visits: participation of Uzbek Experts in the work of the Tajik HH&Env. Monitoring Team and visit of Tajik Experts to the Laboratory for Quarantine and Plant Protection, Uzbekistan
17.3 Development of a national monitoring system of the impact of locust control on human health and the environment in Turkmenistan
18. Progress made on control operations, on use of pesticides and on safety and environmental precautions
19. Further testing/use of the Locust Pesticide Management System (Locust-PMS) – pilot activity in Georgia
Session 6: Locust Programme in CCA: what is next?
20. Towards the establishment of a FAO Commission on locusts in CCA – Update
21. Programme of work during 2024
Closing
22. Any other business
Incl. updates on Moroccan Locust in Sardinia, Italy, and on Migratory Locust in Madagascar, Indonesia
Drafting Committee (preparation of the bilingual report)
23. Adoption of the draft report
24. Closure