Viet Nam, Laos partner on mapping infrastructure modernization

From April 21–25, a delegation from Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa, had a working visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The visit aims to promote exchanges and advance cooperation in surveying, mapping, and geographic information.

The working visit not only deepens the longstanding and close cooperation between the two countries but also opens up new directions for collaboration in modernizing geospatial data infrastructure. This serves as an important foundation for agricultural development, natural resource management, environmental protection, and strengthening climate change response capacity, thereby contributing to the sustainable socio-economic development of each country.

The delegation included leaders and officials from relevant units such as the Department of International Cooperation, the Department of Survey, Mapping and Geographic Information of Viet Nam (DOSM), the Department of Land Administration, and the Ministry Office.

Cooperation in building a national height network in Laos

Within the framework of the visit, on April 22, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa held a working session with Deputy Head of the Lao Government Office Vikeo Bupphavan to discuss orientations for bilateral cooperation in surveying and mapping.

At the working session, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa affirmed that the special solidarity and close friendship between Viet Nam and Laos have been nurtured over generations and continuously strengthened and developed. On that foundation, the Deputy Minister proposed that the Lao side continue to closely coordinate in surveying, developing, and finalizing the document for the "Restoration and Upgrading of the Lao National Height Network" project, aiming to submit it to the two Governments for approval in 2026 and implementation from 2027.

Viet Nam and Laos are jointly developing the "Restoration and Upgrading of the Lao National Height Network" project. This is a significant project aimed at modernizing the elevation benchmark system, serving planning, socio-economic development, disaster prevention, and climate change response.

In addition to this key project, Viet Nam proposed that both sides continue to strengthen long-term cooperation in modernizing surveying infrastructure; building national geographic databases; applying remote sensing technologies; and developing geospatial data infrastructure to support resource management, environmental protection, and socio-economic development.

At the same time, Viet Nam will continue to support Laos in human resource training, particularly in the application of new technologies such as GNSS satellite positioning systems, geospatial data, and digital transformation in the surveying and mapping sector.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Head of the Lao Government Office Vikeo Bupphavan expressed appreciation for the Vietnamese delegation's visit and highly valued the support of Viet Nam's surveying and mapping sector to Laos' National Geographic Department throughout its development. He also welcomed the inclusion of the project "Restoration and Upgrading of the Lao National Height Network" in the cooperation agreement between the two Governments.

Following Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa's remarks, Deputy Head Vikeo Bupphavan assigned Laos' National Geographic Department to closely coordinate with Viet Nam in surveying and developing the project documentation to ensure timely submission to both Governments as proposed.

According to the plan, the two sides will conduct surveys, collect data, and prepare the project documentation in the coming period, then finalize the dossier for appraisal, aiming to submit it to both Governments by November 2026.

Following the working session, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa also paid a courtesy call on Head of the Lao Government Office Buakhong Nammavong. Mr. Buakhong Nammavong affirmed that he would direct relevant agencies decisively to facilitate the development and submission of the project document to the Governments of both countries. He also highly appreciated the importance of the project for Laos' socio-economic development and the protection of natural resources and the environment.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa expressed her appreciation for the attention of the Lao Government Office to Viet Nam–Laos cooperation in surveying and mapping.

Enhancing comprehensive cooperation in agriculture and environment

As part of the working visit, on the afternoon of April 22, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa worked with Ms. Chanthakhon Bualaphanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Laos.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa thanked the Lao side for its warm reception and reviewed the history of cooperation between the two countries in surveying and mapping, from earlier collaboration with the Lao Ministry of Home Affairs to the current cooperation with the Lao Prime Minister's Office.

In the land sector, Viet Nam has supported Laos in improving management policies, contributing to more efficient use of resources. Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa affirmed that the close relationship between the two countries in general and in the fields of agriculture and environment in particular continues to be strengthened and developed.

Both sides noted that Viet Nam and Laos share many similarities in natural conditions and climate, facilitating cooperation in agricultural development, particularly in fruit cultivation and high-tech agriculture. At the same time, human resource training in the agriculture and environment sector has achieved positive results and will continue to be strengthened in the coming period.

On the Lao side, Deputy Minister Chanthakhon Bualaphanh expressed appreciation for Viet Nam's support in improving land policies, including the deployment of experts to assist since 2020.

The Lao Deputy Minister expressed hope that the two countries will continue to promote comprehensive cooperation toward sustainable development in the coming years. The Deputy Minister also proposed that Viet Nam continue to support the improvement of agricultural land planning at the district level, share experience in land management, and assist in developing mapping systems at a scale of 1:50,000.

At the same time, further strengthen cooperation in irrigation, including support for the construction of infrastructure in border provinces, as well as enhancing human resource training and cooperation between localities sharing a common border.

Within the framework of the working visit, the Vietnamese delegation also held a working session with the Lao National Geographic Department and surveyed northern elevation routes to support the development of the "Restoration and Upgrading of the Lao National Height Network" project.

Viet Nam- Laos cooperation in the surveying and mapping sectors was established early on, closely linked to the special friendship between the two countries. Since the 1970s, Viet Nam has supported Laos in building the initial foundation of its surveying and mapping sector, from human resource training to technology transfer.

From the 1990s to 2014, cooperation continued to expand with many key projects, including the establishment of a national coordinate system using GPS technology, the development of a national height system, and the enhancement of technical capacity for Laos' mapping sector.

Notably, the "Development of the Basic Topographic Information Database at a scale of 1:50,000" project, supported by Viet Nam, was completed and handed over in 2018, providing a critical data foundation for planning, resource management, disaster prevention, and environmental protection in Laos.

Based on cooperation agreements between the two Governments for the 2024–2025 period, the two sides are currently coordinating to develop the "Restoration and Upgrading of the Lao National Height Network" project