Application of meteorological satellite data for sustainable development and natural disaster monitoring
Dr. Hoang Minh Hien
Satellite Meteorology Division, Hydrometeorological Service, Hanoi, Vietnam, 4 Dang Thai Than, Hanoi, Vietnam. Tel: 84 4 8261187. Fax: 84 4 8254278. Email: hmh@netnam.vn.
Abstract of paper presented at the conference Environmental Change and Vulnerability: Lessons from Vietnam and the Indochina Region, Hanoi, Vietnam, April 4-5th 1998.
A high-resolution meteorological satellite receiving and processing system was installed in the Hydrometeorological Service of Vietnam in May 1997. The system can receive raw data from the GMS and NOAA satellites. This new and important source of remote sensing data brings to us theopportunity to undertake many applications in support of sustainable development and natural disaster monitoring. In this paper, we describe some possible applications of meteorological satellite data today and in the future.
During the past ten months, we have, in the Hydrometeorological Service, created a number of different products:
- promotion of accuracy of weather forecasting;
- estimation of heavy rainfall;
- fully automatic process of flood monitoring by using NOAA data; and
- analysis of typhoon activities.
For example, we have started developing a program for fully automatic monitoring of floods in the Mekong River delta (in southern Vietnam). The Mekong River delta is one of the most important agricultural areas in Vietnam. Every year, it usually has to cope with the flood and water logging causing a lot of problem and damages.
The NOAA/AVHRR data have been used to monitor floods in this area. The method of Sheng Yongwei has been modified, using different channels of NOAA data, including visible and infrared split window channels, to remove cloud influences and cloud shadows when cloud contamination is not very serious.
The focus of research and development in the near future will be forest and grassland fire monitoring, vegetation index application, and ocean environment monitoring.
Finally, it is noted that high-resolution meteorological satellite data would be very useful in a variety of applications relevant to sustainable development and natural disaster monitoring in Vietnam.