The 31 st Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) kicked off at the National Conventional Centre in Hanoi on November 1, drawing the participation of over 600 scientists and managers from the region and North America.

The five-day event is being organised by the Vietnam Association of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing (VGCR), and the Institute of Geography , in conjunction with the Asian Association on Remote Sensing (AARS).

The annual event is aimed at helping scientists and managers exchange the most updated information regarding remote sensing, space, geographic information systems (GIS) and other applications; and discuss the development of technology and the expansion of the infrastructure for geographic information, contributing to sustainable regional development.

The conference also aims to find ways to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change and natural disasters while enhancing cooperation between countries, managing agencies, organisations and scientists.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Permanent Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Van Duc said natural disasters such as the floods, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunami recently hit many countries in the Asian region, including Vietnam , Thailand and Indonesia and caused serious damages to both people and the environment.

Being aware of the issues, all scientists desire to contribute to the provision of forecasting and warning for natural disasters, he added.

With over 400 reports presented, the conference is expected to touch upon applications of remote sensing, geographic information system ( GIS), global positioning system (GPS) and other applications related to geospatial technologies.

An exhibition on remote sensing technologies is taking place within the framework of the event with the participation of 16 businesses, from countries including Malaysia , Singapore , China and Japan./.