Investing in technology is essential to increase the quality of hydro-meteorological anticipation to prevent natural disasters and mitigate their damages, heard a seminar in Hanoi on February 27.

Deputy Director General of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Thai highlighted the role of hydro-meteorology in sustainable development.

He suggested increasing information and experience exchanges and communications in the field to reduce losses from natural disasters.

Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Petteri Taalas, who is visiting Vietnam, said climate change threatens sustainable development.

Established in 1950, WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology, which is able to provide the latest information on weather patterns and their influences to improve the capability of national weather forecast organisations.

This allows management agencies to build plans for climate change adaptation in fields such as agriculture, health care, tourism, forestry, industry and infrastructure building.

Deputy head of the consultancy board for Vietnam’s National Committee on Climate Change Tran Thuc said natural disasters have caused huge human and material losses across the globe.

Hydro-meteorological forecasting should receive further investment to provide more accurate and timely warnings, he recommended.

Vietnam is one of the countries hardest hit by natural disasters, climate change and sea level rise. The Southeast Asian country experienced severe natural disasters in 2017, resulting in 386 dead and missing and some 60 trillion VND (2.6 billion USD) worth of damage.

Source: VNA