Vietnam-France Marine Science Cooperation: Strengthening Marine Environmental Monitoring and Sustainable Research between VAST and IRD
Also attending the meeting were Dr. Le Quynh Lien, Director of VAST’s International Cooperation Department; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Manh, Director of Institute of Energy Science and Environmental Technology (ISTEE); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Quan, Deputy Director of ISTEE; and Prof. Jean-Marc Lavest, Rector of USTH.
The working session laid the foundation for new advances in monitoring, supervising, and researching marine environmental factors in Vietnam, with financial and scientific support from the French Embassy and French scientific partners (IRD, CNRS, MNHN, CNES), led by IRD.
Panoramic view of the working session
During the working session, both sides exchanged and discussed in detail the significance and importance of the project for Vietnam’s marine science and technology sector, as well as the project’s contributions to enhancing capacity, training, research, and promoting sustainable blue economic development in Vietnam. Once implemented, this will be the first automated marine environmental monitoring buoy system in Vietnam.
The system will provide real-time measurements of meteorological, oceanographic, and marine environmental conditions (oxygen, pH, Chla, nutrients, dissolved organic matter, SPM, POC, plankton, pollutants, etc.). This will enhance Vietnam’s capability to monitor and warn against marine environmental impacts caused by human activities and climate change. It will also support better climate impact management, ecosystem monitoring, forecasting of extreme natural events and environmental incidents, and create new economic opportunities (such as fisheries, renewable energy, marine biotechnology), while ensuring long-term health and productivity of marine resources. These are key issues currently prioritized by the European community when using related products and cooperating with Vietnamese partners.
Based on the discussions, the two sides agreed on key points and the implementation roadmap for the automated marine environmental monitoring buoy system. The system will first be deployed in the Do Son and Quy Nhon and/or Nha Trang regions, before being expanded to other marine areas of Vietnam. Both sides also agreed to designate VAST units to coordinate with IRD in developing a detailed project implementation plan and discussing the initial project phase until March 2026, with financial support of USD 100,000 from the French Embassy and IRD. This demonstrates France’s strong commitment to Vietnam’s marine science.
Prof. Chau Van Minh speaking at the working session
Prof. Sylvain Ouillon, Head of the Vietnam Representative Office of IRD, presenting the project
Foundation for long-term cooperation between VAST and IRD
The cooperative relationship between VAST and IRD in the field of marine science and technology has a history of over 20 years, beginning in 1999. Both parties have jointly established and implemented numerous programs and research projects on climate change, marine ecology and environment, and the relationship between humans and their living environment in Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region, serving the goal of sustainable development.
From 2008 to the present, through the cooperation between VAST and IRD, numerous joint research topics and projects at various levels have been carried out in the seas of Vietnam, especially in areas with characteristic dynamics, environmental, and ecological features such as Cat Ba-Ha Long, Bach Dang estuary, the coastal areas of the Red River Delta, and the Mekong River. This cooperation has significantly strengthened the research capacity, training, and joint publication efforts of scientific staff at IMER and USTH (nearly 60 articles published, 10 PhDs trained).
Notably, in 2024, VAST and IRD successfully coordinated and implemented the joint French-Vietnamese survey using the French research vessel ANTEA (from 28/05 to 10/07/2025) along the Vietnamese coastline, with the participation of 60 Vietnamese and French scientists from leading marine research institutions in Vietnam such as IMER, ISTEE, NIO, USTH, and in France such as LEGOS, MIO, IGE, LOG, MARBEC. The results of this survey have positively impacted the cooperative relationship between the two parties. Currently, Vietnamese and French scientists are processing and analyzing the results obtained from this survey. This promises to bring significant new scientific discoveries in the field of marine science and technology in Vietnam.
Context and necessity of the Marine Environmental Monitoring Project: establishing a system of automatic marine environmental monitoring buoys
In recent years, the rapid socio-economic development in Vietnam has increased the amount of pollutants discharged into rivers and coastal seas. At the same time, the demand for the exploitation of natural resources, particularly in coastal areas, has also grown significantly. In addition, the impacts of climate change have become increasingly evident, with coastal sea levels rising faster than the global average.
The current system of coastal hydro-meteorological stations in Vietnam consists of 27 stations with basic measured parameters such as wind, air temperature, surface water temperature, sea level, and waves. However, there are still many limitations, including: sparse measurement intervals (once every 6 hours); lack of measured parameters on the marine environment; station locations too close to the shore, which do not reflect the dynamics of marine processes; and data collected only at the surface layer.
The network of marine environmental monitoring stations in Vietnam (operating from 1998 to 2022) comprises five regions managed by VAST, the Navy Command, and the Institute of Fisheries Research. However, marine environmental monitoring at these stations has only been conducted quarterly (once every three months), leading to the omission of environmental variations occurring between measurement periods. The levels of pollution and the dynamics of these processes have not been systematically studied due to the lack of data. Therefore, the establishment and operation of a system of automatic marine environmental monitoring buoys is extremely necessary.
Main components of the marine environmental monitoring buoy system
The buoy station and its main components
The buoy station will include the following main components: the buoy and anchor, meteorological sensors (measuring wind, temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.), water environment sensors (measuring temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, currents, waves, sea level, Chl-a, turbidity), systems for collecting water samples for laboratory analysis, as well as data transmission and storage systems. The measured data will provide reliable, objective, and continuous information, serving as a basis for assessing marine environmental fluctuations, supporting environmental management and policy-making, and providing a valuable data source for research and training.
Once the buoy station system is operational, the collected data will include: direct measurements from the system (unprocessed data); and data processed for specific purposes (reports, articles, research results, etc.). Data sharing will comply with Vietnamese regulations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Chau Van Minh emphasized that VAST and IRD maintain a long-standing traditional cooperative relationship. President Chau Van Minh and the leaders of relevant project units, including University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, the Institute of Energy and Environmental Science and Technology, and the International Cooperation Department, all expressed support for the implementation of the Project. The meeting concluded successfully, contributing to the reaffirmation of the shared commitment of VAST and IRD to promoting marine scientific research, protecting the environment, and advancing sustainable development in Vietnam.
Translated by Phuong Ha
Link to Vietnamese version
