ĐIỆN BIÊN — The third phase of a project on upgrading Việt Nam’s capability to measure rain and detect storms and lightning has been launched at the Pha Đin Radar Station in northern Điện Biên Province.

This was stated by the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The project will be implemented in the 2016-18 period, using 20.2 million euros (US$21,447) of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Finnish government and reciprocal capital from Việt Nam worth VNĐ168.3 billion ($7.4 million).

One of the key objectives of the project is to improve Việt Nam’s weather radar system, for which a Finnish company will install five new radar stations and upgrade three old ones, in addition to providing the country with new supporting equipment to ensure synchronisation among all the stations.

It will also help Việt Nam build new, synchronised meteorological systems across the country, Panu Partanen, representative of Vaisala, the Finnish company, said.

Another important objective of the project is to build a lightning detection system to respond to major convective storms, which will be made up of 18 lightning detection venues across the countries. It is expected to be completed within a year.

Vaisala will also offer training courses on the usage and maintenance of the radar stations and lightning detection system to officials at the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, along with offering instructions on how to utilise the information retrieved from the radars to make accurate weather forecasts.

The project is aimed at upgrading Việt Nam’s capability to manage natural disaster risks in these times of climate change and help protect people’s lives and the community from natural disasters, according to Trần Hồng Thái, vice director of the centre.

It will also help complete a larger proposal on modernising forecasting technologies and meteorological observation network, proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in 2010, he said. — VNS