Attending were leaders of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment , leaders of the Hydrometeorology sector through the periods; units under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Also attending the meeting were Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan; representatives of Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation; National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue; Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention; Border Guard Command; Vietnam Coast Guard Staff; Water Resources University; Vietnam Red Cross Society; Office of the National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention; Water Resources Department; experts and international organizations; representatives of a number of enterprises in the field of hydrometeorology; representatives of local authorities in Hanoi.
The hydrometeorological sector has gradually improved, with many great contributions and dedications.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Director General of the General Department of Hydrometeorology Tran Hong Thai said: Hydrometeorology activities have been present in Vietnam since 1891. However, the history of the revolutionary Vietnamese hydrometeorology sector was determined to begin on October 3, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 41 to bring the Department of Astronomy and Phu Lien Observatory under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport under the name of the Department of Meteorology, marking the merger of the hydrometeorology agency belonging to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
With a tradition of 78 years of construction and development in parallel with the development of the country, under the leadership of the Party, the management of the Government, and the direct guidance of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Vietnam Hydrometeorological Industry has gradually improved, made great contributions to the glorious historical tradition of the country and the Vietnamese people, and increasingly received the attention of leaders at all levels and the trust of the masses.
On April 24, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 10 stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the General Department of Hydrometeorology in the context that all organizations are implementing and streamlining their apparatus; this is a recognition of the efforts and affirmation of the importance of hydrometeorology as well as the contribution of the Industry to socio-economic development; at the same time, it also requires the Industry to make greater efforts to contribute to realizing the country's aspirations for sustainable and prosperous development, strengthening international cooperation, and protecting national sovereignty and territory.
According to Prof. Dr. Tran Hong Thai, practice shows that hydrometeorological activities play an important role in mitigating natural disaster risks, protecting security, safety, life and property of humanity, contributing to socio-economic development and implementing the United Nations sustainable development goals. According to the World Bank's 2021 report, if low- and middle-income countries had modern hydrometeorological systems like European countries, annual damage caused by hydrometeorological disasters could be reduced by up to 23,000 people and billions of US dollars due to timely reception and use of hydrometeorological information to effectively serve the management, prevention and control of natural disasters.
Along with the development of science and technology in the world, over the past 20 years, the hydrometeorological sector has applied advances in science and technology to serve its operations such as applying remote monitoring technology via cameras, remote sensing, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) to serve monitoring, forecasting, and information activities on a large scale to improve capacity, increase the reliability of forecasts and warnings, contributing significantly to the prevention, mitigation, and mitigation of natural disasters and sustainable development of the country's socio-economy, defense, and security.
Director General Tran Hong Thai said that in the coming time, the Hydrometeorological sector needs to continue to promote the tradition of solidarity, the spirit of innovation and creativity; strive to contribute intelligence and strength, join hands and unite to overcome all difficulties, hardships and dangers to excellently complete all tasks entrusted by the Party, State and People with the slogan of action: "Unity - Accuracy - Continuity - Trust - Timeliness".
Proposing solutions to enhance cooperation between international organizations and Vietnam's hydrometeorological sector
At the meeting, Ms. Ramla Khalidi - Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam shared that in the context of the global climate crisis, the hydrometeorological sector plays an important role in reducing natural disaster risks in Vietnam: Accurate forecasting and timely communication of extreme phenomena such as storms and floods help the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, authorities and people prepare, minimize risks or urgently evacuate from dangerous areas to protect lives and property.
The hydrometeorological sector plays an increasingly important role in socio-economic development: early warning of water shortages in reservoirs and irrigation dams due to lack of rainfall contributes to electricity production and reservoir water regulation. In addition, timely warnings of droughts and extreme salinity intrusion during El Nino years create favorable conditions for production and agricultural plans; or warnings of urban heat waves better protect people's health.
To enhance the cooperation between UNDP and the Vietnam Hydrometeorology Department, Ms. Ramla Khalidi proposed the development and implementation of a national framework for climate services that meets the requirements of each sector. According to her, early warning services and accurate information can support different sectors to avoid damage and loss, and make more efficient production plans. In this regard, UNDP and the Hydrometeorology Department have jointly made a proposal and are awaiting approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
In addition, investment in green energy transition is needed. Vietnam has huge potential for solar and wind energy. In particular, offshore wind power has advantages that need to be assessed, deployed and enhanced in the energy mix. Ms. Ramla Khalidi emphasized: “UNDP is proud to work closely with the General Department of Hydrometeorology to develop projects and assess the potential to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind power in Vietnam”.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh stated that in the current climate change conditions, extreme weather phenomena are becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. With the requirements of natural disaster prevention and control, ensuring security and national defense, preserving the achievements of national construction and development, and the increasing needs of people and businesses; with the good tradition over the past 78 years, the Vietnam Hydrometeorological Industry in the coming time still has many heavy tasks and responsibilities to shoulder in order to successfully complete the assigned tasks.
The Deputy Minister hopes that in the coming time, the Party Committee, the Leaders and all cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers in the whole Industry will continue to promote the pioneering, creative and dedicated role of the KTTV staff, meeting the development requirements of the KTTV sector in the new period, the digital transformation period of the country; continuing the long history that previous generations have built to contribute even greater achievements to the Industry, achieving the goals set out in the KTTV sector development strategy in particular and the natural resources and environment sector development strategy in general.
Also on this occasion, the General Department of Hydrometeorology and the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation signed a cooperation agreement with key contents on: Strengthening exchanges and coordination in the development, completion and implementation of laws on hydrometeorological activities; Coordinating to improve the quality of weather forecasts and warnings in the area of flight exploitation and management; Establishing a communication and emergency support mechanism in case of dangerous natural disasters (storms, tropical depressions, strong winds, tornadoes, lightning, hail, etc.) or disasters related to meteorology; Coordinating and cooperating to participate in relevant international organizations to promote information exchange, experience sharing and seeking international support resources and some other contents.
At the meeting, the General Department of Hydrometeorology also launched the "System to enhance the capacity of weather forecasting and early warning of thunderstorms, rain and floods" with the expectation of continuing to increase the reliability and timeliness of forecasting and warning bulletins; especially early warning of thunderstorms, rain and floods in the context of increasingly abnormal natural disasters. The launch of the "System to enhance the capacity of weather forecasting and early warning of rain and floods" in particular and the application of advanced science and technology in professional activities in general is a demonstration of the spirit of solidarity, unity, international integration and demonstrating the qualities, creativity and eagerness to learn of the staff, civil servants, public employees and workers in the hydrometeorology sector in recent times.
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