Vietnam applies remote sensor to monitor marine environment resources

Hanoi, January 7 (VNA) - A project on using remote sensing technology for monitoring sea and island environment resources is nearing the goal of compiling a basic database on the country’s marine resources and environment. The project is being carried out by the National Remote Sensing Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands as part of a master plan on surveying and managing marine environment resources until 2010 and with a vision to 2020. According to head of the National Remote Sensing Department Nguyen Xuan Lam, the department has established a system of topographical maps of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos and building a database to serve the compilation of a map collection on a 1:50,000 scale of the land cover of coastal areas and emerging islets. The department has also drawn a collection of specialized maps on the 1:1,000,000 scale accompanied by data on the physical, chemical and biological factors as well as sea and island environment for the entire territorial waters of Vietnam ; and setting up a multi-temporal monitoring system using remote sensing and geo-information technologies. The initial results have opened up prospects for the country to enhance its capacity in the future application of remote sensing technology in the exploration and monitoring of its maritime and island resources and environment./.