Project “Process studies on air-sea-mainland interactions and environmental variations of Bien Dong in the context of climate change within the framework of IOC/WESTPAC" was funded by Vietnam Ministry of Science and Technology, implemented by the Institute of Oceanography for 5 years from 2017 to 2022.

It focused on ermerging problems in Vietnamese seawaters, based on IOC/WESTPAC priority programs and the needs of Viet Nam. Recently, on 11 March 2022, its final workshop was conducted virtually in the Institute of Oceanography, Nha Trang with the participation of about 70 managers and scientists from all participating agencies: the Institute of Marine Environment and Resources, Research Institute for Marine Fisheries, Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate change, and the South Central Hydrometeorological Center.

IO scientists at the workshop

7 reports on the project research results on air-sea-mainland interactions and environmental variations of Bien Dong under the impact of climate change and human activities, southern upwelling and its interactions with fisheries and environment, and ocean acidification were presented at the workshop, which show clearly the results’s significant scientific as well as practical values. Participants also discussed the exchange of oceanographic data within WESTPAC, the way to exploit and use it for management and sustainable development, and international cooperation to improve human capacity in marine science.

In the project framework, the Vietnamese scientists haved collaborated with WESTPAC research groups on ocean acidification study, upgraded the ocean acidification laboratory of the Institute of Oceanography to meet WESTPAC standards and criteria. Project ocean acidification data was added and uploaded to IOC-UNESCO Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network.

Results on ocean acidification indicators in Southern Bien Dong

After the project end, the Institute of Oceanography will conduct IOC/WESTPAC training course on ocean acidification, which plans to take time in May 2022. Further collaboration with WESTPAC countries and research groups will be boosted to build and submit new voluntary commitments as contributions to UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

(Source IOC Viet Nam)