German organisations launched a geospatial database and a paper titled“Shoreline Management Guidelines: Coastal Protection in the LowerMekong Delta” in Ho Chi Minh City on November 18.
The database was built by the Vietnamese – German technicalcooperation project on management of natural resources in the coastalzone of Soc Trang province and the German International Cooperation(GIZ).
German experts said that the geospatialdatabase is compiled using information from various sources in Vietnamand contains maps dating back to 1904, which are stored in France .
Shoreline changes can only be recognised after along period of time, therefore this database will provide policy makersand planners with an insight into the changes that have taken place overmany years. This knowledge will allow them to propose site-specificmeasures to protect the shoreline.
Deputy GeneralDirector of Water Resource Directorate Nguyen Van Tinh spoke highly ofthe German partners’ efforts, saying that the documents will helpimprove shoreline management in Vietnam and the Mekong Delta region inparticular.-VNA