On the afternoon of December 2, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha hosted a meeting with a Japanese delegation of meteorological and hydrological forecasting experts led by former Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam , Hiroshi Fukada.
During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister proposed that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Weathernews Inc. to pilot the installation of additional radar systems in Viet Nam . This initiative would allow for technical research and the development of a cooperative mechanism to enhance meteorological and hydrological collaboration between the two nations.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that Viet Nam -Japan relations have made significant qualitative progress, reaching their most favorable stage with high political trust. The two countries have engaged in extensive bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in initiatives such as the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), which promotes carbon neutrality. Numerous collaborative goals and initiatives have been set, actively pursued, and achieved positive results.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed Viet Nam 's desire for Japan to transfer technology and adaptive solutions for addressing climate change, particularly in meteorology, landslides, flash floods, and related areas. He also encouraged former Ambassador Fukada and Japanese experts and enterprises to research and implement specific cooperative projects that the two governments could prioritize.
Viet Nam 's meteorological and hydrological sector has established a strong regional position, as evidenced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) designating it as the Regional Forecast Support Center (RFSC Hanoi) for Southeast Asia in hazardous weather forecasting and flash flood warnings, shared the Deputy Prime Minister.
Agreeing with the Deputy Prime Minister's remarks and proposals, Hiroshi Fukada highlighted the shared challenges faced by both Viet Nam and Japan in dealing with natural disasters annually. He underscored the importance of developing a robust infrastructure while implementing measures to address climate change, particularly by ensuring the rapid and accurate capture and forecasting of information to provide timely warnings.
A representative from Weathernews Inc. shared that under the voluntary cooperation program of the WMO, the Japanese government and the company have supported Viet Nam with X-band eagle radar equipment. This technology enhances Viet Nam 's capabilities in observation, forecasting, and early warning for natural disasters such as storms, heavy rain, floods, and flash floods, thereby reducing risks to its people's lives and economic activities.
Looking ahead, Weathernews Inc. committed to further strengthening cooperation with Viet Nam by advancing radar-based data applications, contributing to more accurate forecasting and disaster preparedness.