Geneva (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long has called on the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to support Vietnam in investing in and upgrading its hydrometeorological infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas, through mobilising and connecting global climate finance sources.
Long made the proposal at his meeting with WMO Secretary-General Professor Celeste Saulo on July 30 in Geneva. The meeting took place as part of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man's attendance at the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and his participation in bilateral activities in Switzerland.
The Deputy PM praised WMO’s pivotal role in advancing global cooperation in meteorology and hydrology, enhancing early warning capabilities, and mitigating disaster risks, especially amid the growing impacts of climate change on countries and people’s livelihoods.
He affirmed that Vietnam remains an active and responsible member in implementing WMO-led strategic initiatives and global policies. Located at the downstream of two major river systems, Vietnam is highly vulnerable to climate change-induced risks, he noted.
Long proposed WMO establish a regional training centre in Vietnam to provide in-depth training and capacity building for national meteorological personnel. He also called for the deployment of international experts to support key technical areas, such as forecasting storms, flash floods, landslides, and climate change impact assessment, as well as data connectivity and information sharing with regional and global centres.
Professor Saulo recognised Vietnam’s vulnerability to climate change and expressed his appreciation for the country’s significant achievements in the hydrometeorological sector. She highlighted Vietnam’s active role in both WMO Southeast Asia and WMO-wide initiatives, particularly its contributions to the 2021–2023 global agenda.
The WMO Secretary-General pledged continued support for Vietnam’s operation of the Southeast Asia Flash Flood Guidance System and the Regional Meteorological Centre for Severe Weather Forecasting, which will improve early warning and disaster preparedness capacities across the region.
She affirmed WMO’s readiness to support Vietnam in deeper engagement with WMO-coordinated global initiatives, such as the Global Observing System and Global Climate Information System. WMO will also offer assistance through capacity-building projects, long-term training for high-quality personnel, and efforts to improve the quality of meteorological and hydrological services.
Vietnam was encouraged to enhance cooperation with the two specialised WMO centres located in the country to improve its forecasting capabilities and promote scholarly exchanges.
Both sides agreed on the importance of promoting the transfer of advanced technologies in weather, climate, flood, and landslide forecasting, and supporting developing nations in accessing modern monitoring equipment for more accurate observation and prediction, especially as natural disasters become more frequent and complex.
On this occasion, the two sides also discussed the development of a National Framework for Climate Services for Vietnam, aimed at providing effective and practical climate information for climate-sensitive sectors. They also touched on the development of specialised meteorological and hydrological products and services for agriculture, irrigation, aviation, tourism, and disaster prevention.
While in Geneva, Deputy PM Le Thanh Long held a working session with Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
At the meeting, Long highlighted key areas of cooperation between Vietnam and IOM, such as joint efforts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organise annual meetings to review the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), and projects aimed at building capacity for the GCM implementation in the 2023–2025 period.
He also acknowledged IOM’s support in establishing and maintaining the Migration Resource Centre (MRC), which provides vital information to potential labour migrants on safe migration.
For her part, Pope noted the great potential for Vietnam and IOM to enhance cooperation, particularly in international mechanisms focused on labour migration, aligning migration challenges with development goals and strengthening resilience to climate change./.
