Strengthening cross-sectoral data sharing in forestry, remote sensing and hydrometeorology

The development and signing of the coordination mechanism among the three agencies is considered significant in optimizing sectoral data resources, enhancing forest resource monitoring capacity and strengthening proactive disaster response efforts amid increasingly complex climate change impacts.

In recent years, the three agencies have regularly exchanged information, shared data and provided technical support in monitoring forest changes, supervising natural resources, forecasting disaster risks and preventing and fighting forest fires. The application of digital technologies, Big Data, GIS and artificial intelligence (AI) has initially produced positive results, laying a solid foundation for further advancing digital transformation efforts among the parties involved.

According to Mr. Tran Quang Bao, the signing ceremony marks the start of a more substantive coordination mechanism, enabling the effective use of shared data resources and serving as a milestone in strengthening cooperation among the three agencies. In the coming period, the administration will further clarify practical needs in order to proactively commission the Department of National Remote Sensing and the Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration to provide specialized data.

At the ceremony, leaders of the three agencies signed the coordination regulations between the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, the Department of National Remote Sensing and the Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. The regulations will serve as a basis for the agencies to proactively handle and resolve issues arising during coordination activities, while ensuring data sharing, connectivity and common use among the parties, avoiding duplication and overlap in management and creating favorable conditions for specialized operations in each sector.

Specifically, in the development of legal normative documents, the three agencies will coordinate in drafting, revising and supplementing state management regulations related to forestry, forest protection, remote sensing and hydrometeorology.

The provision and exchange of documents and information will be carried out on an equivalent-agency basis. The Vietnam Administration of Forestry will provide legal normative documents and management materials related to forestry and forest protection; overall forestry planning documents; data and information on forest management and protection, forest fire prevention and control; annual forest status data, forest inventory and forest change monitoring; information on forest ecosystems, special-use forests, protection forests and other matters within its authority.

The Department of National Remote Sensing will provide legal documents and national remote sensing master plans; data on infrastructure facilities, receiving systems and the national remote sensing database; as well as information and data related to remote sensing infrastructure, remote sensing data acquisition systems and the national remote sensing database. In addition, the department will provide remote sensing data and products serving forest management and protection, forest fire prevention and control, national forest monitoring, downstream flood warnings, flash flood warnings and landslide alerts.

The Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration will provide legal documents and master plans for the hydrometeorological network; hydrometeorological data and statistics nationwide, including temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind speed; forecasts and warnings on extreme weather events and natural disasters; along with other related information serving integrated hydrometeorological management.

When urgent tasks arise, the parties will prioritize rapid communication through phone calls, email, Zalo and other channels to ensure timely handling. The agency receiving the request will be responsible for responding in writing or assigning representatives to coordinate directly, ensuring compliance with assigned functions and authority, information security and state secret protection.

The three departments also agreed on focal points for implementation, including the Forest Protection and Forest Fire Prevention Division under the Vietnam Administration of Forestry; the Remote Sensing Infrastructure Division under the Department of National Remote Sensing; and the Forecast Management and Hydrometeorological Data Information Division under the Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. In accordance with the coordination regulations, these focal units will develop detailed implementation action plans.

Mr. Tran Tuan Ngoc, Director General of the Department of National Remote Sensing, said that clearly defined coordination responsibilities provide a foundation for agencies to share professional expertise and operational solutions, as well as data and information, as previously practiced. Based on actual information demands from the forestry, forest protection and hydrometeorology sectors, the department can invest in technical infrastructure to ensure that provided information is always timely and accurate, thereby creating stronger and more synchronized links among data resources, professional capacity and overall work efficiency.

Deputy Director General Hoang Duc Cuong said the coordination regulations among the three agencies represent an important step forward and demonstrate a higher level of responsibility. For the hydrometeorology sector, remote sensing data is an extremely effective tool for rapidly assessing storms, floods, natural disasters, flash floods and landslides in order to provide timely response measures. In addition, data on forest cover and forest quality managed by the forestry and forest protection sectors serve as indispensable input for accurately analyzing and assessing landslide risks on slopes. Information on forest fire developments is also an important source for hydrometeorological authorities to comprehensively assess the impacts of severe heatwaves and the El Nino phenomenon.

To ensure the coordination regulations are implemented substantively and effectively, the agencies agreed on a working mechanism that includes annual rotating review meetings beginning in 2026, along with comprehensive five-year review conferences.