FAO LOCUST CONTROL EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 01963 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME STATE FOR IO AND SA/PB USAID FOR AA/DCHA, AA/ANE, DCHA/FFP, DCHA/OFDA, USAID/KABUL AND USAID/ALMATY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 01963 01 OF 02 221426Z GENEVA FOR NKYLOH/USAID BRUSSELS FOR KFULLER AND KDEBLAW USUN FOR LSHESTACK NSC FOR JDWORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC EAGR AORC FAO UN EAID FAO UN SUBJECT: FAO LOCUST CONTROL EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. U.S. MISSION REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH FAO LOCUST EXPERTS ON APRIL 17 TO DISCUSS FAO LOCUST CONTROL ACTIVITIES IN AFGHANISTAN. FAO PROVIDED A STATUS REPORT ON LOCUST CONTROL BY PROVINCE AND DISCUSSED CONCERNS OVER PRESSURES, IN CERTAIN AREAS OF AFGHANISTAN, FOR FAO AND COOPERATING PARTNERS TO PROVIDE FOOD TO FARMERS AS PAYMENT FOR PARTICIPATING IN MECHANICAL LOCUST CONTROL. U.S. MISSION OPINED THAT UNDER "NORMAL" CONDITIONS FOOD IN EXCHANGE FOR LOCUST CONTROL MAY NOT BE A GOOD IDEA IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY; HOWEVER , AFGHANISTAN MAY BE A SPECIAL CASE WHERE THIS OPTION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO AVOID A SERIOUS OUTBREAK. FAO AGREED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND TO PROVIDE U.S. MISSION/USAID WITH FREQUENT UPDATES ON THE SITUATION. FAO ALSO EXPRESSED THE NEED FOR DONOR SUPPORT OF A LONGER-TERM LOCUST CONTROL EFFORT IN THE REGION. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 01963 01 OF 02 221426Z ¶2. ON APRIL 17 THE U.S. MISSION'S HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS ATTACHE, TIM LAVELLE AND PROGRAM SPECIALIST JANE STANLEY MET WITH THE FOLLOWING LOCUST EXPERTS IN FAO'S PLANT PRODUCTION AND PROTECTION DIVISION: DR. ABDERRAHMANE HAFRAOUI, HEAD OF THE LOCUST, OTHER MIGRATORY PESTS AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS GROUP; DR CLIVE ELLIOTT, SENIOR OFFICER FOR MIGRATORY PESTS, AND DR. ANNIE MONARD, LOCUST CONTROL OFFICER. DR. MONARD WAS IN AFGHANISTAN IN FEBRUARY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DESIGN OF CURRENT LOCUST CONTROL ACTIVITIES. ¶3. AS BACKGROUND, FAO ADVISED THAT THEY SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED MECHANICAL LOCUST CONTROL ACTIVITIES IN AFGHANISTAN FROM 1990 TO 2000, AND PROVIDED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING TO LOCAL FARMERS AND AFGHAN AGRICULTURE OFFICIALS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. FAO DID NOT PROVIDE LOCUST CONTROL ASSISTANCE IN 2001 AND THEREFORE THERE ARE NO RECENT SURVEYS OF THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. IN 2001, WFP DID SUPPORT SOME MECHANICAL LOCUST CONTROL ACTIVITIES UNDER A FOOD FOR WORK ACTIVITY IN BAGHLAN PROVINCE. -------------- THE CURRENT SITUATION -------------- ¶4. FAO STATED THAT A TOTAL OF 90,000 COMMUNITY MAN-DAYS HAVE BEEN MOBILIZED TO DATE FOR MECHANICAL LOCUST CONTROL EFFORTS. FAO IS NOT CURRENTLY PROVIDING FOOD AS PAYMENT FOR LOCUST CONTROL. THERE HAD BEEN SOME RESISTANCE TO THIS IN BAGHLAN PROVINCE WHERE WFP SUPPORTED LOCUST CONTROL UNDER A FOOD FOR UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 01963 01 OF 02 221426Z WORK PROGRAM. FAO'S EFFORTS CONSIST PRIMARILY OF MECHANICAL CONTROL MEASURES BY LOCAL FARMERS AND AGRICULTURE OFFICIALS, WITH SOME CHEMICAL CONTROL IN ROCKY AND INACCESSIBLE AREAS. CHEMICAL CONTROL MAY ALSO BE USED IN AREAS LIKE BAGHLAN WHERE THERE HAS BEEN RESISTANCE TO COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION. THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES, WHERE LOCUSTS ARE MOST ABUNDANT, IS AS FOLLOWS: SAMARGAN: THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IS MOBILIZED AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS FULLY SUPPORTIVE WITHOUT FOOD PAYMENT. BAGHLAN: THIS IS WHERE LOCAL FARMERS RECEIVED FOOD AS PAYMENT FOR LOCUST CONTROL IN THE PAST AND THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION. FAO'S REPRESENTATIVES IN THE FIELD NOW REPORT THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OVERCOME AND THAT THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR HAS AGREED TO MOBILIZATION IN RETURN FOR FUEL TO GET VEHICLES TO THE FIELD. FAO IS ALSO INITIATING CHEMICAL CONTROL IN THIS PROVINCE. KUNDUZ: MECHANICAL CONTROL WITHOUT FOOD FOR WORK IS UNDERWAY UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTO7660 PAGE 01 ROME 01963 02 OF 02 220554Z ACTION IO-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 USNW-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 E-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 M-00 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-01 OIC-02 OMB-01 IRM-00 STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 SA-00 ECA-00 PRM-00 SAS-00 /004W -------------- 8984E9 220559Z /38 P 220450Z APR 02 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3359 AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY ALMATY AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT AMEMBASSY TASHKENT AMEMBASSY BISHKEK USDA FAS WASHDC 2101 USEU BRUSSELS 2632 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001963 SIPDIS FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 01963 02 OF 02 220554Z STATE FOR IO AND SA/PB USAID FOR AA/DCHA, AA/ANE, DCHA/FFP, DCHA/OFDA, USAID/KABUL AND USAID/ALMATY GENEVA FOR NKYLOH/USAID BRUSSELS FOR KFULLER AND KDEBLAW USUN FOR LSHESTACK NSC FOR JDWORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAGR AORC EAGR AORC FAO UN EAID FAO UN SUBJECT: FAO LOCUST CONTROL EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL. JAWZJAN: EGG BEDS WERE DESTROYED BY SAND STORMS. FARYAB/TAKHAR/BADAKSHAN: DUE TO HIGH ALTITUDES, HATCHING OF EGGS HAS NOT BEGUN. ¶5. FAO EXPERTS FURTHER NOTED THAT WHILE THEY HOPE EARLY ACTION WITH MECHANICAL AND A LITTLE CHEMICAL CONTROL WILL BE EFFECTIVE, THESE EFFORTS ARE MERELY PALLIATIVE. WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED IS AN INITIATIVE DIRECTED AT LONG TERM PREVENTION. IN PARTICULAR, SURVEYS ARE NEEDED IN SEMI ARID AREAS TO LOCALIZE AND CONTAIN LOCUSTS BEFORE THEY BECOME A PROBLEM. ¶6. US MISSION REP STATED THAT ACHIEVING RESULTS IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE AT THIS STAGE IN THE REHABILITATION EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN. HE OPINED THAT AFGHANISTAN IS NOT A "NORMAL" SITUATION AND THAT FAO MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER OPTIONS (SUCH AS FOOD AID PAYMENT FOR MECHANICAL LOCUST CONTROL) THAT THEY WOULD NOT OTHERWISE USE IN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. FAO WAS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 01963 02 OF 02 220554Z URGED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY IN BAGHLAN. IT WAS FURTHER AGREED THAT FAO WOULD PROVIDE U.S. MISSION/USAID WITH FREQUENT UPDATES ON THE SITUATION. -------------- FUNDING FOR LOCUST CONTROL -------------- ¶7. FAO ADVISED THAT CURRENT FUNDING IS ADEQUATE FOR ITS SHORT- TERM LOCUST CONTROL EFFORTS. THE BREAKDOWN IS AS FOLLOWS: USAID/OFDA USD. 260,000 FAO USD. 300,000 DFID/UK USD. 260,000 ECHO /EC USD. 300,000 TOTAL USD. 1,120,000 ¶8. FAO REPS DID EXPRESS A NEED FOR FUNDING OF LONGER TERM LOCUST CONTROL EFFORTS, INCLUDING THE REHABILITATION OF THE AFGHAN PLANT PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SOUTHWEST ASIA REGIONAL LOCUST CONTROL COMMISSION (WHICH WOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS AND PAKISTAN), SIMILAR TO THE REGIONAL LOCUST COMMISSIONS FAO IS SUPPORTING IN AFRICA. U.S. MISSION REPS OFFERED TO PASS ALONG ANY FUNDING REQUESTS TO APPROPRIATE USAID PERSONNEL IN WASHINGTON AND THE FIELD. -------------- COMMENT -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 01963 02 OF 02 220554Z ¶9. USMISSION RELAYED THE MESSAGE THAT: (1) FAO MANAGEMENT MUST FOCUS ON "MOVING FROM PLAN TO ACTION;" AND (2) LET'S NOT LET THE "PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD." FAO IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO RATCHET UP WHEREVER APPROPRIATE ITS EFFORTS WITH LOCAL AIA AUTHORITIES, NGOS AND OTHERS IN THE UNITED NATIONS FAMILY. WE DO BELIEVE THAT, WITH FAO'S SPECIAL RELIEF OPERATIONS (TCOR) SERVICE (DR. ANNE BAUER AND RICHARD CHINA) PRESENTLY MANAGING THE OVERALL FAO RESPONSE IN AFGHANISTAN, A RENEWED SENSE OF URGENCY IS BEING INSTILLED. ¶10. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. HEILEMAN UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME01963 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED