Grantee Profile: Nguyen Xuan Lam- "Application of Satellite Data to Strengthen the Capacity of Reservoir Operation and Management for Increasing Resilience to Drought and Ensuring Water and Food Security for Ninh Thuan Province"

Name: Nguyen Xuan Lam
Organization: Institute for Water and Environment (IWE)
Grant Title: Application of Satellite Data to Strengthen the Capacity of Reservoir Operation and Management for Increasing Resilience to Drought and Ensuring Water and Food Security for Ninh Thuan Province

The purpose of the award was to utilize satellite data to strengthen the capacity of reservoir operation and management for increasing resilience to drought and ensuring water and food security for Ninh Thuan province, which is the driest province in Vietnam. Activities included conducting field surveys to collect data, developing a data system to support reservoir operation, conducting field surveys to assess the accuracy of the system, and stakeholder engagement.

What inspires you most about working on this project? 
We received great support and guidance from SERVIR and expanded our network outreach. 

What has your project achieved in the past year?  
We developed a real-time and decision-making support system for reservoir operator, and increased involvement of stakeholders in water resources planning.  This resulted in better understanding of drought situation in Ninh Thuan province. 

How has the SERVIR network benefitted you in the past year? What do you see as the potential benefits of continuing this relationship in the future? 
IWE's  network was expanded through engagement with SERVIR and the tool could be considered as co-developed product which will have a positive impact in disaster preparedness efforts in Vietnam. 

How does your project have direct impact to beneficiaries (communities or local government agencies)? Provide 1-2 concrete examples. 
The system has been accepted by Ninh Thuan's irrigation management company, a state agency who controls most of the water resources system in Ninh Thuan. The web-based system uses GIS technology and is free for use by everyone, including provincial, district and community levels.