Vietnam and Finland boost meteorology cooperation

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh emphasized that effective cooperation projects between Vietnam and Finland have significantly contributed to weather forecasting, early warning of natural disasters, and the modernization of Vietnam’s meteorological and hydrological sector. In addition, meteorological staff have been trained by Finnish experts, gaining proficiency in modern technologies.

Thanh expressed his confidence that the Finnish side would provide continued support to Vietnam in the upcoming time, making it safer from natural disasters, cleaner in terms of the environment, and more integrated into the world while effectively responding to climate change.

Sami Kiesiläinen, from the Finnish Meteorological Institute, stated that the Promoting Modernization of Meteorological and Hydrological Services in Vietnam project has effectively enhanced the capacity of the Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting in early warning capabilities regarding tropical storms, strong winds, and heavy rainfall.

Long-term cooperation between the meteorological agencies of Finland and Vietnam has greatly contributed to modernizing Vietnam’s meteorological observation systems and weather forecasting, enabling the country to better cope with the growing risks related to climate change, said Kiesiläinen.

With regard to the Promoting Modernization of the Air Quality Monitoring and Management System in Urban Areas of Vietnam project, Katja Lovén from the Finnish Meteorological Institute shared that the project is progressing effectively, with workshops on air quality organized to provide support and share best practices from Finland on designing air quality monitoring networks.

Dr. Pham Thi Thanh Hoa from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting shared information about the meteorological forecasting system used for daily weather analysis and forecasting hazardous weather. This system allows the visualization of observational and forecast data in various formats (images, charts, graphs) to create reference products that assist in forecasting storms, tropical depressions, heavy rain, thunderstorms, cold air, drizzle, fog, heat waves, and strong winds at sea, helping forecasters issue final weather forecast and warning reports.

At the workshop, participants also shared research results on the characteristics of thunderstorms in Vietnam, as well as solutions from the private sector on weather, air quality, and future cooperation.