Vietnam does not yet have a comprehensive legal framework for the field of remote sensing.

To date, Vietnam still lacks a comprehensive legal framework for remote sensing activities and remote sensing data, "even the concept and understanding of remote sensing are not yet comprehensive or systematic like in the international arena."

On the morning of December 3rd, at the Government Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to discuss the draft Decree replacing Decree No. 03/2019/ND-CP on remote sensing activities.

Proposed classification of remote sensing data management mechanisms

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , Decree No. 03/2019/ND-CP has initially created a legal framework to manage and promote the development of remote sensing technology and the exploitation and use of outer space for monitoring, supervision, and management of agriculture, the environment, socio-economic development, and national defense and security.

However, in practice, the management of remote sensing activities still reveals some major limitations. Some concepts of remote sensing, such as remote sensing data and remote sensing products, are no longer relevant to current practices and are inconsistent with the definitions of remote sensing in international literature. Remote sensing databases lack connectivity due to the absence of mandatory regulations on data connection and sharing.

The new decree needs to include specific regulations on the practical application of remote sensing; it should also guide, encourage, and promote the application of remote sensing technology in agricultural monitoring, resource and environmental management, and in serving socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security; maximizing the potential of data and technology; and adding regulations on prioritized scientific and technological activities in the field of remote sensing...

The new decree on remote sensing activities also stipulates that various organizations and individuals participate in remote sensing activities, including: building remote sensing data acquisition infrastructure, providing remote sensing data, and applying remote sensing.

At the meeting, representatives from several ministries and agencies assessed that amending and replacing Decree No. 03/2019/ND-CP is necessary to keep pace with the rapid development of remote sensing technology and expand the application space of remote sensing data in state management, socio-economic development, and national security and defense.

Some argue that the concept of "remote sensing" encompasses not only satellite imagery but also data acquired from various means such as aircraft, UAVs, and ground-based equipment. Therefore, if the Decree regulates remote sensing activities, its content must cover all aspects of this activity. If it only regulates remote sensing activities based on satellite imagery data collection, the terminology should be carefully considered to ensure appropriateness.

In addition, some delegates suggested that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment should review and ensure consistency between the draft Decree and the Law on Surveying and Mapping, as well as the Decree on digital data management, which stipulates that remote sensing data is "shared data." The revised Decree should ensure uniformity in management models and connection-sharing mechanisms, avoid creating additional procedural layers, prevent scattered and overlapping investments, and overcome the situation where each unit holds its own data with limited connectivity.

Leaders of the Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group (Viettel) proposed that the remote sensing data management mechanism should be categorized into groups: data invested by the State, especially satellite data serving national defense, security, and disaster prevention strategies; and data collected by private enterprises, which can be deployed using UAVs, aircraft, or sensor-equipped vehicles. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue to lead the state management of surveying, mapping, and remote sensing, including satellite data and other acquisition methods.

Agreeing with this opinion, the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) requested the addition of regulations on ensuring information security for remote sensing data – an "extremely important" factor, especially for high-level, sensitive data; and the addition of application areas for remote sensing data such as monitoring land use status, land changes, serving national digital transformation and spatial data infrastructure.

Full awareness, consistent investment

According to Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, remote sensing has become an important means and tool for studying the universe, especially Earth, and is applied in almost all fields. Therefore, when drafting the Law on Surveying and Mapping, Vietnam established a legal basis for this activity for the first time.

Remote sensing activities in Vietnam need to be fully understood and consistently invested in, not only in equipment but also in human resources and research institutions, in order to create secondary products that serve socio-economic development and national defense and security.

To date, Vietnam still lacks a comprehensive legal framework for remote sensing activities and remote sensing data, "even the concept and understanding of remote sensing are not yet comprehensive or systematic like in the international arena."

The draft Decree currently only regulates surveying and mapping activities using remote sensing imagery from satellites, while current technology has expanded remote sensing data collection using various types of sensors, from radar waves, electronic signals, and gravity-shifting signals… to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aircraft, and camera-equipped cars…

Based on that reality, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to incorporate the opinions from the meeting and continue reviewing and refining the draft Decree on remote sensing activities in two directions.

The decree only regulates remote sensing activities using remote sensing image data acquired from satellites, according to Articles 14 and 16 of the Law on Surveying and Mapping; thus, the scope of regulation will be very narrow.

A new decree should be drafted to regulate remote sensing activities on a broad scale, not yet regulated in the Law on Surveying and Mapping, but encompassing the entire process from collection, exploitation, use, and management of remote sensing data and infrastructure, including receiving stations, satellite stations, receiving devices from aircraft and UAVs to ground equipment.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to take the lead, with the participation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and businesses such as VNPT, Viettel, and other relevant units, in drafting the decree.

This will be a preparatory step for the future development of a law on remote sensing activities, which may include regulations on security, safety, confidentiality, and prohibited acts, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-chua-co-khung-phap-ly-day-du-cho-linh-vuc-hoai-dong-vien-tham-post1080722.vnp