Optimizing network for forest biosafety and health care

Forests provide products, services, jobs, and income for nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide. Moreover, forests play a crucial role in ensuring social and environmental welfare for humans and the entire planet. However, every year, insect pests alone damage approximately 35 million hectares of forest globally and are considered one of the biggest threats to forest health.

To address this danger, the Project on Building an Effective Network for Forest Biosafety and Health Care in Southeast Asia (FST/2020/123), funded by ACIAR and led by the University of Sunshine Coast (Australia), was launched in 2022 across six countries: Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

In Viet Nam, the Forest Protection Research Center (FPRC) is the main implementing unit, focusing on preventative measures against harmful alien species to forecast and protect forests from invasive threats.

Within the framework of the Project, the High-Risk Surveillance Trapping System (HRSS) program is implemented through high-risk gateways, such as airports and seaports, which handle high volumes of people and goods.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Dao Ngoc Quang, Director of FPRC, through the deployment of a trapping system, technical staff, quarantine officers, and plant protection officers will be equipped with biosafety techniques. Data is collected and compiled to establish a pest organism catalog (prioritizing the identification of key pests and significant threats that require attention). Furthermore, information on alien species will be used to develop response and management plans in case of their invasion.

This information is also shared with project network members to warn neighboring countries about pests that require vigilance and preventive measures.

“During the process of project implementation, FPRC has made significant contributions to building the catalog of key pests, based on data collected from the surveillance system. Simultaneously, FPRC plays a crucial role in consulting and supporting the development of human resources for forest health diagnosis and monitoring for its project partners.

To date, the project has completed two programs to deploy the insect-trapping system in high-risk areas. During the two trapping phases in 2023 and 2024, FPRC officers collected nearly 2,000 insect specimens belonging to 40 species, including bark beetles, ambrosia beetles, and longhorn beetles. This result adds to the number of 192 traps and 960 data points to provide information on existing pests or new pest species,” Mr. Quang stated.

According to data from Australian scientists, investing in biosafety activities yields an investment efficiency of 30:1, meaning that every 1 AUD invested brings a return valued at 30 AUD. Currently, the research team is expanding the surveillance trapping system to planted forests in the northern region of Viet Nam further to assess the risk of invasion in border areas.

“We have a core team of scientific officers with solid expertise to support our partners. The research team is developing a plan to organize training for partners from Laos and Cambodia to further enhance their capacity for diagnosing and monitoring forest health in planted forests in the North.

Forests are vital for livelihoods, the economy, and social welfare, and therefore, we wish to contribute more to forest protection efforts in Vietnam, and further, contribute at the Southeast Asian regional level through this project network,” added Associate Professor Dr. Dao Ngoc Quang.

According to Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam Gillian Bird, over the past 32 years, through ACIAR, Australia has heavily invested in agricultural research, with more than 260 research projects aimed at supporting Viet Nam's economic development.

“The Project on Building an Effective Network for Forest Biosafety and Health Care in Southeast Asia has supported Vietnamese researchers in building the necessary scientific evidence to protect the economic value and health of planted forests from the threat of alien species invasion.

We are delighted that the Project is contributing to establishing a regional forest biosafety network, where Vietnamese scientists share research results and support capacity building for colleagues in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia,” Ambassador Gillian Bird stated.