Japan to pilot an early disaster warning system in Hanoi

Cooperation in developing policies, monitoring mechanisms, and  Implementing of e-waste management

During the meeting, Minister Do Duc Duy emphasized that Japan has always been one of Vietnam’s most important partners in terms of Official Development Assistance (ODA), investment, trade, and particularly in the areas of agriculture cooperation, environmental protection, and climate change response.

Vietnam and Japan have had productive exchanges in implementing the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). In the coming period, MAE proposes signing a cooperation agreement on the implementation of the JCM under the Law on International Treaties. This would provide a legal foundation for implementation and help promote the domestic integration of the Paris Agreement’s provisions on climate change.

Minister Do Duc Duy shared that on October 31, 2024, senior representatives from both sides co-chaired the 9th Meeting of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the JCM between Vietnam and Japan. At the meeting, both parties agreed to issue carbon credits for nine JCM projects registered and implemented during the 2013-2020 period, and held fruitful discussions on the implementation of the JCM for the 2021-2030 period.

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan also highly appreciated the JCM cooperation between Japan and Vietnam since 2013, which has so far resulted in the establishment of 50 carbon credit projects, contributing significantly to efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Under the JCM framework, cooperation has not only taken place between the two governments but also extended to businesses and enterprises from both countries.

Through the Working Group of the Joint Committee between the two ministries, Minister Do Duc Duy proposed that Japan continue to support Vietnam in developing legal documents and technical guidance related to waste management and monitoring mechanisms for non-biodegradable waste.

Furthermore, the two ministries will have favorable conditions to promote deeper, more substantive, and effective cooperation through bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the annual Vietnam-Japan Environmental Policy Dialogue and the Memorandum of Cooperation on Environment signed by the two ministries in January 2024 during the 8th Vietnam-Japan Environmental Policy Dialogue.

Currently, the waste-to-energy plant investment project in Bac Ninh Province, developed in cooperation with Japan’s JFE Group, has completed construction and is now officially operational with positive results.

Enhancing national meteorological and hydrological forecasting capacity

According to Minister Do Duc Duy, MAE is closely coordinating with Japanese partners in the area of early warning, particularly in the exchange and sharing of operational forecasting data through institutions such as the Tokyo Typhoon Center, the Regional Observation System Center (WIGOS), and the Tokyo Climate Center.

The Minister further noted, “I highly appreciate the Japanese Government's initiative in establishing the ASEAN Public-Private Sector Engagement (PPE), which helps Vietnam narrow the technological gap and strengthens our ability to detect and respond promptly to natural disasters.”

Deputy Minister Katsume Yasushi affirmed that disaster forecasting and early warning technologies developed by Spectee have produced positive results and are expected to be piloted for application in Hanoi in the near future.

The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment expressed hope for the integration of Vietnam’s meteorological monitoring system with Japan’s Spectee technology. For such cooperation to be effective, he noted, it is essential to establish a reasonable financial mechanism to support additional investments. He proposed that Japan consider providing ODA funding to pilot and evaluate the initial effectiveness of such projects.

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan stated that the country places particular emphasis on training human resources in disaster warning, prevention, and management.

"We are also committed to strengthening cooperation in developing comprehensive solutions for service provision, technology transfer, human resource training, early disaster warning, and enhancing state management capacity through public-private partnership models," said Mr. Katsume Yasushi.

During the working session, Minister Do Duc Duy welcomed the collaboration between the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources in developing training materials to improve the capacity of disaster prevention and control personnel. The Minister noted that relevant agencies would soon formulate a plan to disseminate these materials to specialized units at both central and local levels. He also proposed that both sides jointly develop a roadmap for continuous technology transfer and training, to ensure the early warning system operates in a stable and sustainable manner.