An international program titled “Global Vegetation Pest and Disease Habitat Monitoring and Risk Forecasting,” led by the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been endorsed by UNESCO as one of 25 inaugural global initiatives under the United Nations’ International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development (IDSSD 2024–2033). The announcement was made during the UN’s Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on May 7, 2024, in New York, U.S.

The program addresses critical challenges in monitoring and mitigating vegetation pests and diseases that threaten global food security and biodiversity. By integrating cutting-edge remote sensing technologies, bio-ecological modeling, and artificial intelligence (AI), it aims to develop a comprehensive early warning system to predict outbreaks, assess agricultural losses, and guide efficient prevention strategies.

Key objectives include:

· Building advanced remote sensing systems to track major global pests and diseases.

· Developing open-access tools for real-time risk assessment and damage evaluation.

· Fostering international collaboration to strengthen data-driven policy making and sustainable agricultural practices.

The initiative seeks to establish a full-chain technological framework, combining big data analytic with ecological mechanisms to generate actionable insights for governments, industries, and international organizations.

“UNESCO’s recognition highlights the urgency of tackling vegetation pests and diseases as a critical global challenge,” said DONG Yingying, project leader and associate researcher at AIR. “By integrating advanced technologies with international expertise, we strive to empower vulnerable communities and safeguard ecosystems worldwide.”

The endorsement marks a significant milestone for AIR and its global partners CABI and PAS, reinforcing their commitment to science-driven solutions under the IDSSD. It also underscores the growing role of interdisciplinary innovation—bridging space technology, ecology, and AI—to address urgent environmental and agricultural threats.

As part of its mission, the program will prioritize open data sharing and capacity-building, ensuring equitable access to tools that enhance resilience against crop diseases and invasive species. Its outcomes are expected to directly advance SDGs related to zero hunger, climate action, and life on land.

********************************************************************

原稿：

Recently, the International Pest and Disease Program “Global Vegetation Pest and Disease Habitat Monitoring and Risk Forecasting”led by AIR has been selected as one of the first initiatives of the United Nations’ International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033) (IDSSD). Only 25 projects from around the world were formally endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the first round of applications, and the results were announced at the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) on 7 May in New York.

The International Program on Pests and Diseases, led by Associate Researcher Yingying Dong of AIR, focuses on the key issues of global vegetation pest and disease monitoring and early warning to guarantee ecosystem sustainability, with the aim of promoting the innovation and development of remote sensing technologies, to support the application of scientific and efficient prevention and control. The program aims to bring together big data, coupled with remote sensing mechanism, bio-ecological mechanism and AI technologies, to innovate and develop remote sensing monitoring and early warning mechanism and methodology for vegetation pests and diseases, to build a full-chain technology system of remote sensing monitoring, prediction and loss assessment covering major pests and diseases around the world, and to build an intelligent system to promote further product releases and open sharing, to support the decision-making of multinational governmental departments, international organizations, and industrial institutions, and to promote sustainable development. The selection of this program is of milestone significance, marking a key and solid step in deepening collaboration in science and technology innovation and promoting sustainable development between the scientific research team of AIR and its international partners, and promoting the high-quality development of international science and technology cooperation through innovative practices.