Forestry

Building an effective forest health and biosecurity network in South-East Asia

a group of researchers inspecting plants
Map-of-Cambodia-Indonesia-Laos-Malaysia-Thailand-Vietnam

Overview

This project aims to establish an effective and sustainable forest health and biosecurity network in SE Asia to improve risk management for invasive forest pests and diseases.

Biosecurity is a common thread in timber production, food and livelihood security, and forest conservation, protecting trees from invasive species that threaten ecosystem stability and decimate tree production. In SE Asia, land borders are open to biosecurity threats due to poorly regulated movement of goods and people. Weak biosecurity capacity to protect natural assets leaves smallholders particularly vulnerable.

ACIAR has a long research history in the development of germplasm for industrial and smallholder forest plantations in SE Asia. With increased trade, global movement and a changing climate, SE Asia will inevitably see an increase in new and emerging pest threats. An invasion by a single pest can result in serious negative environmental, economic, and social impacts. A better understanding of emerging pest threats is needed to guide and develop good biosecurity practices and frameworks that can reduce such risk and ensure resilience.

Expected project outcomes

  • Enhancing capacity and improving networks
  • Improving surveillance, diagnostics and reporting
  • Enhancing biosecurity
  • Building capacity
  • Enabling innovation enabled
  • Developing a biosecurity network for the region which may be applied more widely to other developing countries in other regions in future
  • Implementing an app that will integrate a field guide (regional pests and diseases in acacia, eucalypts and pines) and reporting and will be available on iOS and Android platforms to ensure maximum uptake and application
  • Evaluating multilures for cerambycid (longhorn) beetles and bark and ambrosia beetles in the pilot trapping part of the project

Related content

Forestry Administration staff conducting surveillance in an Acacia plantation, Kampong Chhnange Province, Cambodia.

Biosecurity network to protect forests in South-East Asia

A new biosecurity network will bring together research institutions from across South-East Asia to protect forests from invasive pests and diseases. Funded by ACIAR and led by the University of the Sunshine Coast, the new research initiative will see scientists across Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam create a coordinated network to share biosecurity knowledge, technologies and management strategies.
Ms Phonepakay, the youngest member in Laos team, learned procedures for pest identification from her senior colleague.

Connecting the Mekong for Healthy Forests and Prosperity

Forest biosecurity is vital for protecting the health and sustainability of forests. Unfortunately, Cambodia and Laos lack adequate funding and development in this area, making them susceptible to invasive pests and diseases that can wreak havoc on both planted and natural forests.
Three men in a eucalyptus plantation in Cambodia

Forest biosecurity protects more than just trees

An increasing number of people rely on Australian acacia and eucalypt plantations for economic and ecological needs, which makes improving forest biosecurity crucial to their livelihoods.