A delegation from the "Space Technology Institute" (STI) of the "Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology" (VAST) paid a visit to EOC on 16 November to inform itself about remote sensing technologies and applications for earth observation in Germany. The focus of the visit was on detecting and coping with natural disasters and on the information technologies developed at DFD to process, archive and distribute massive amounts of data.
Vietnam particularly requires up-to-date remote sensing information to protect its land and coastal areas. In 2013 the country launched its first earth observation satellite, VNREDSat-1, which is equipped with an optical sensor. Additional optical and radar satellites will follow. Prof. Doan Ninh Chung, the director of STI, was impressed by the long-term archiving being undertaken at the German Satellite Data Archive DSDA, which has a current capacity of 50 petabytes. The data stored here have to be safeguarded for decades and nevertheless be always available at short notice.
DFD is already carrying out research and development work in Vietnam. In the WISDOM project an information system for the Mekong delta came into being under DFD leadership. Satellites provide it with important data for flood maps, for time series showing land cover, and for monitoring mangrove stands. Together with extensive hydrological and socio-economic information from the project partners this information will be made available to Vietnamese decision makers concerned with sustainable management of the land surface and water resources.
The sharing of information between DLR-DFD and VAST-STI is to be intensified in the coming year and formalized in a cooperation agreement.