ASEAN Accelerates Invasive Species Control Thru the AIM-ASEAN Project

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - ASEAN countries, through the Ministry of Forestry and the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), along with the ASEAN Secretariat and representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Timor-Leste, have agreed to establish a strategic regional project for the control of Invasive Alien Species (IAS). This agreement is the result of a workshop held from March 30 to April 1, 2026, in Jakarta.

As quoted by the official website kehutanan.go.id released on 1 April 2026, the meeting resulted in a blueprint for a project named AIM-ASEAN (Accelerating IAS Management in ASEAN). This project is designed to strengthen regional coordination, early detection systems, biosecurity, as well as technical capacity and sustainable financing.

The Director General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation of the Ministry of Forestry, Satyawan Pudyatmoko, in his speech stated that invasive species have become the main factor in 60% of recorded global extinctions.

"For island nations like Indonesia and other ASEAN countries, this threat is even greater." Our islands are not only bastions of biodiversity but also highly vulnerable to the entry and spread of invasive species," he said.

ASEAN regional connectivity thru trade, transportation, and tourism has become a major entry point for invasive species. However, the handling so far has been national and sectoral in nature and has not been able to address cross-border threats. This workshop serves as a momentum to formulate a coordinated regional response.

This project is designed with a clear Theory of Change: if ASEAN strengthens governance, aligns policies, builds capacity, integrates data systems, and mobilizes sustainable financing, then invasive species can be prevented, detected early, and managed effectively, thereby impacting biodiversity conservation and regional resilience.

The results of the workshop will be followed up with the preparation of the final Project Concept Note AIM-ASEAN, which will be submitted to funding mechanisms such as the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The ASEAN Center for Biodiversity and the Ministry of Forestry will facilitate further coordination with member countries and development partners.