Experts involving geographic information of Vietnam and France gathered in Hanoi on April 5 for a workshop on challenges and prospect for the field’s development in Vietnam.

The workshop aimed to create conditions for French businesses to inquire into prospect for development of geographic information system (GIS) in Vietnam, particularly in the areas of housing, transport, agriculture, environmental management, risk prevention, crisis governance and topography. The application of geographic information is expected to help Vietnam in economic development, sustainable growth and prevention of environmental risks and natural disasters.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Manh Hien said the GIS has been applied in Vietnam in agriculture-forestry planning, forest management, archives of geology, topographic and land survey, urban management.

He stressed the workshop’s importance, describing it as a promising start between the French Trade Mission UBIFRANCE of the French Embassy in Vietnam and Vietnam ’s agencies and organisations in developing bilateral cooperation in the topographic surveying field.

French Ambassador Jean-Francois Girault said that the presence of French firms in GIS at the workshop is a signal for France ’s desire to work closely with Vietnam in ensuring the country’s sustainable development and self-reliance.

He said he wished the workshop would be an opportunity to develop sustainable partnerships, creating long-term cooperation on earth observation and topography between France and Vietnam. /.