The AQUAM project delivers mangrove environment monitoring stations in critical water points in Ca Mau province.
The monitoring stations operate on solar energy. Data gathered by the stations in combination with satellite images will be the input of environmental reports for all stakeholders.
The project, funded by Australia’s Aus4Innovation program, was wrapped up on Tuesday in a workshop attended by local provincial authorities and representatives from the Australian Embassy.
The AQUAM project, jointly developed and implemented by the University of Queensland and Green Field Consulting & Development Company, in close collaboration with Nam Song Hau Fishery Research Sub-Institute and Ca Mau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has installed 15 wireless environmental monitoring stations using IoT (Internet of Things) technology to monitor the health of the mangrove ecosystem. This will help farmers and local authorities access real-time data on the water quality and respond quickly to environmental hazards.
Sharing about the project, the Australian Embassy’s interim Deputy Head of Mission Kate Wallace noted that this was a great example of how innovation can help address environmental challenges and improve people’s lives.
"I appreciate the role of the Ca Mau provincial leaders in supporting these kinds of activities, as we work in collaboration to deliver sustainable development for the region, and for the whole country,” she said.
Vice Chairman Le Van Su of Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee added, “We welcome climate-smart innovations that can help communities thrive in harmony with the environment. These monitoring stations can make a significant impact, and there is potential to introduce this technology across the Mekong Delta, where local communities are facing similar environmental challenges. We hope to see further collaboration between Vietnamese and Australian institutes to take this idea to the next level”.
AQUAM is one of 12 projects funded by Aus4Innovation’s Partnership Grants, which provide funding to scale already tested activities to address emerging challenges or opportunities in a variety of sectors across Vietnam. The projects are mainly focused on the agriculture and food, healthcare, and natural disaster and environment management sectors. Learn more about these projects here: https://research.csiro.au/aus4innovation/activities/grants/
Aus4Innovation, launched in 2018, is a A$16.5 million flagship program funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, co-funded and managed by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam. It aims to strengthen Vietnam’s innovation system, prepare for and embrace opportunities associated with Industry 4.0 and help shape Vietnam’s innovation agenda in science and technology.
