Strengthening agro-climatic information systems to enhance drought monitoring and early warning
The workshop was co-chaired by the Viet Nam Academy for Water Resources and FAO Viet Nam, with participants including representatives Departments and agencies under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) such as Water Resources Directorate, Vietnam Disaster Management Authority, International Cooperation Department; relevant Departments and agencies under Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment such as Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, Viet Nam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, universities and research institutes, international organizations, key development partners and representatives from Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces; professional associations and experts.
FAO provided two year’s technical assistance to the project TCP/VIE/3603 “Strengthening the agro-climatic information system to improve the agriculture drought monitoring and early warning system in Viet Nam” (2017-2018), with an initial pilot in Ninh Thuan province that featured IWE working collaboratively with FAO to identify drought indices applied to drought monitoring and early warning in Viet Nam. The FAO-developed Agriculture Stress Index System (ASIS) was selected to be rolled out at country-level.
The ASIS has great potential to strengthen the existing agro-climatic information system in Viet Nam to improve the agricultural drought monitoring and early warning system.
During the workshop, a number of key issues were discussed, including the requirements for prediction and early warning for drought response activities in agriculture and rural development and the application of ASIS in Ninh Thuan province and nationwide.
"This project brings together the global FAO initiative on Agricultural Drought Monitoring Systems (ASIS) and MARD’s efforts to strengthen monitoring and supervision on food security and drought management. With the success of the pilot project in Ninh Thuan province, we expect this model and best practises to be applied nationwide to strengthen the existing agro-climatic information system in Viet Nam and improve the agricultural drought monitoring and early warning system,” said Albert T. Lieberg, FAO Representative in Viet Nam.