LANG SON – Vietnam’s forests face mounting threats from invasive pests and diseases, driven by global trade and climate change. Each year, pest outbreaks damage around 25 million hectares of forest worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for effective early detection and management systems.
The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Australian government’s specialist agricultural research for development agency, is helping Vietnam respond to these threats through a regional project spanning Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Since 1993, ACIAR has collaborated with Vietnam on more than 260 research projects, investing over A$185 million to strengthen agricultural systems, support sustainable livelihoods, and build scientific and policy capacity.
The current project focuses on forest biosecurity and is designed to improve monitoring, surveillance, and response systems to detect pests early. It also aims to enhance regional training, research, and policy capacity, supporting safer trade while protecting both livelihoods and ecosystems.
“The forest biosecurity project supports Vietnamese researchers to build the scientific evidence needed to protect Vietnam’s plantation forests’ economic value and health from invasive pests,” said Gillian Bird, Australian ambassador to Vietnam.
A highlight of the project is the high-risk surveillance (HRSS) trapping program, which establishes hands-on learning sites at critical entry points such as airports, seaports, and border areas. In northern Vietnam, the program has placed traps at three sites: Noi Bai International Airport cargo terminal, the wood log market near Dinh Vu Seaport in Haiphong City, and a pine plantation in Na Sam Ward, Lang Son Province, near the Chinese border. Between 2023 and 2024, teams collected nearly 3,000 insect samples representing around 40 species of bark beetles, ambrosia beetles, and cerambycid beetles.
Dao Ngoc Quang, director of the Forest Protection Research Center under the Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences, leads the project in Vietnam. The center develops pest lists from HRSS data, mentors project partners, and trains researchers in diagnostics and forest health surveillance. According to Quang, the project is identifying potential invasive pests before they spread, enabling authorities to act early and reduce environmental and economic impacts.
Insects entering Vietnam can arrive through multiple pathways. Some travel naturally via wind or water, while others are unintentionally carried in imported goods such as timber or packaging. Occasionally, species are introduced intentionally for research or as biological control agents. The project targets high-risk locations where pests are most likely to arrive, such as airports, seaports, and border-area plantations.
Quang emphasized the importance of early detection. “If we wait until a pest becomes established, control costs skyrocket. Early monitoring from ports, airports, and nearby forests keeps costs low and allows timely responses,” he said.
The project also strengthens regional collaboration. Researchers across Southeast Asia share information on emerging threats, such as the spread of Ceratocystis wilt disease on acacia, now present in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. This network enhances preparedness and builds the skills of participating countries’ scientists and managers.
So far, the initial results are promising. About half of the collected samples come from the northern border plantation site, and preliminary sorting has identified approximately 40 species, including potential new invasives. The center is now working on detailed identification and classification, using morphological analysis and DNA testing where necessary. These findings will feed into risk assessments and management recommendations for authorities.
The project’s cost in Vietnam remains modest. Quang reported that for the four-year period from 2022 to 2025, operations across all three northern sites cost roughly A$80,000 per year—a fraction of what would be required to respond to a full-blown pest outbreak.
ACIAR’s broader goal is to ensure that agricultural and forestry research benefits smallholder farmers and local communities, particularly those most vulnerable to environmental changes. By investing in practical, human-centered technologies and building long-term research partnerships, the agency aims to support sustainable, climate-resilient production systems in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia.
“It’s wonderful to see this project is also building a biosecurity network across the region with the Vietnamese researchers sharing their findings and building expertise in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia,” the Australian ambassador said.
As global pressures on forests continue to mount, the project illustrates how international cooperation, rigorous science, and local expertise can work together to protect both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
