To address the growing drought challenges in the Central Highlands, FAO, in collaboration with the Department of Irrigation Management and Construction (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), has implemented the project ‘Assessing the Impacts of Drought in the Central Highlands’ in Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông provinces (now part of Lâm Đồng Province). A key outcome of the project is the development of the WaPOR database – an open-access remote sensing portal on water productivity – for pilot areas, enabling the assessment and monitoring of drought and water scarcity in agricultural production.

Building on the project’s outcomes, from September 15 to 18, 2025, FAO in collaboration with the Department of Water Works Management and Construction, the Institute for Water Resources Planning, organized the training course “Application of WaPOR Data in Water Resources Management”with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In his opening remarks, Dr. Hà Thanh Lân – Head of the Training and International Cooperation Department at the Institute of Water Resources Planning highlighted the importance of applying remote sensing data—particularly WaPOR— in water resources management, particularly for drought forecasting, efficient water allocation, and sustainable irrigation planning, with a particular focus on the Central Highlands region.

The training course was conducted by Mr. Bert Coerver, an international FAO expert in remote sensing technology, with the participation of staff from the Institute for Water Resources Planning, the Department of Water Works Management and Construction, the University of Natural Resources and Environment and the Water Resources University, and the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation. The training sessions introduced the WaPOR system, methods for analyzing remote sensing data, the pyWaPOR tool, and practical exercises related to water balance calculations, water productivity, and data visualization.

According to the training program, participants were provided with an overview of the WaPOR system, including how to create and utilize data, as well as hands-on exercises for processing and analyzing information using GIS software. Group discussion sessions also generated numerous practical insights on the potential application of this tool in water resources management and planning in Vietnam. The course runs until September 18, 2025, featuring advanced practical exercises such as running pyWaPOR for the area of interest (AOI) and analyzing water productivity. These activities are expected to deliver significant practical value for the efficient management and use of water resources in the context of climate change and increasing demand.

Source: Division for Training and International Cooperation, IWRP