Vietnamese, Belgian institutes sign MoU on climate change response cooperation

The signing ceremony of the IMH and VITO's MoU in Hanoi on March 31. (Photo: imh.ac.vn)

The two sides had a meeting in Hanoi on March 31 as part of the ongoing state visit to Vietnam by Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

IMH Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Thanh Nga stressed that climate change is a global challenge, particularly for Vietnam – one of the most vulnerable countries. In this context, the signing of the MoU with VITO – a leading research institution in Europe – holds strategic importance.

Nga stated that from a scientific and technological perspective, this collaboration provides an opportunity for the two sides to jointly develop breakthrough solutions in four key areas, namely urban climate research, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, water resources management, and circular economy development.

In practical terms, the cooperation will bring about concrete benefits, including developing high-resolution urban climate change scenarios, studies on extreme urban phenomena, and urban pollution management. It will also help with building pilot models for climate-adaptive smart cities and smart agriculture; enhancing disaster forecasting and warning capabilities; developing climate adaptation solutions for key economic sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and energy; and promoting the application of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data to environmental and climate monitoring.

The partnership also supports the training of high-quality human resources through expert exchanges, short-term training courses on advanced technologies, and the transfer of knowledge and management expertise, she added.

Leen Govaerts, Director of Water and Energy Transition under VITO, thanked the IMH for this collaboration, noting that VITO is currently implementing a flood management project in Vietnam. She pledged transparent technology transfer to Vietnam to strengthen local capacities in sustainable development and climate change response.

In addition to the key areas of cooperation mentioned, the two sides will flexibly expand their ties into new areas based on practical demand and their respective strengths. They will also work together to seek and mobilise international funding sources.

The two sides will establish a close working mechanism, including maintaining regular communications between their leaders and experts, and develop specific agreements for each project.

Since 2024, scientists from the IMH and VITO have engaged in technical discussions to develop a joint research project on urban climate services in Vietnam. As part of this cooperation, the Belgian institute is supporting scientists from the Vietnamese side in researching and applying a high-resolution urban climate model to assess urban climate risks and build climate change scenarios for cities./.