Japan willing to support Viet Nam in modernizing technologies for disaster risk management

This message was delivered at the thematic discussion session titled “Enhancing resilience and smart climate adaptation”, held within the framework of the Viet Nam-Japan local cooperation forum on November 25.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh stressed that climate change is evolving in an increasingly complex and unpredictable manner, causing damage that far exceeds the capacity of traditional forecasting methods. Meanwhile, Japan has accumulated valuable lessons and experience that could strongly support Viet Nam, particularly in developing disaster risk management systems, effective disaster response models, and highly climate-resilient infrastructure.

Representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology noted that natural disasters in 2025 caused severe damage, posing an urgent challenge to modernize disaster risk governance technologies.

To address these challenges, the Ministry proposed cooperation with Japan to develop a suite of digital tools built on four key pillars. The Digital Twin pillar enables disaster simulation to support risk assessment. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is applied for analysis, forecasting, and early warning. Satellite technology provides large-scale observation, environmental monitoring, and damage assessment. The final pillar is data governance, emphasizing system integration, data sharing, and effective use of digital data platforms.

One major focus of cooperation is the development and simulation of urban disaster scenarios, with pilot implementation planned for coastal cities. Simulation technologies will help build scenarios of flooding and strong storms to anticipate risks, optimize drainage planning, and design effective evacuation strategies. These tools also support testing the load-bearing capacity of infrastructure under extreme climate impacts.

The Ministry of Science and Technology also emphasized that both countries have strong potential for cooperation in AI-based research and development for meteorological and seismic data analysis. AI is expected to improve both the speed and accuracy of forecasting through machine-learning models for floods and landslides, while also supporting faster and more precise warning dissemination and emergency response planning based on real-time data.

In satellite applications, Viet Nam proposed that Japan support large-scale, real-time monitoring of environmental changes. Satellite data would serve coastal monitoring, landslide and erosion detection, forest and flood resource observation, and sea-level rise tracking - especially in the Mekong Delta region. This data would also underpin post-disaster damage mapping, contributing to faster recovery efforts.

On this cooperative foundation, Viet Nam plans to develop a national disaster data management platform operating in a unified and seamless manner. Core areas of cooperation include promoting inter-agency data exchange based on Japan’s experience, expanding open data to foster innovation within the community, and strengthening collaboration with the private sector to develop more effective forecasting, response, and disaster recovery solutions.

Acknowledging Viet Nam’s proposals, Japanese local authorities and enterprises introduced a range of climate adaptation solutions currently being implemented. Shiga Prefecture shared its experience in water environment management, circular economy development, emission reduction, and green growth. Yamanashi Prefecture presented advanced perspectives on green hydrogen production technologies and clean energy production–consumption models with strong potential for application in many Vietnamese localities.

Pacific Consultants introduced modern solutions for rainwater storage, flood control, and early warning systems - technologies highly suited to Viet Nam’s increasingly complex disaster risks. JBIC Bank shared its orientation on green finance support, energy transition, and public-private partnerships under the AZEC/GX framework, opening important cooperation opportunities for localities in both countries.

Delegates from both sides agreed that climate change response is a high-potential field and a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Viet Nam and Japan. This cooperation is expected to soon translate into concrete local-level projects and initiatives, delivering direct benefits to communities-especially those most severely affected by climate change.

Khanh Ly