RS/GIS Application for community-based disaster prevention and environmental management in the Central Vietnam

The central coast of Vietnam is frequently and heavily suffered from typhoon and monsoon flooding. In order to diminish the human and economic damages under limited inputs, community-based efforts are expected to play an important role. Paying respects to the residents' own initiatives, effectual activities for disaster prevention and recovery should be designed and implemented in cooperation with scientific analysis and technical supports. A research project toward the formation of "disaster resilient communities" was launched this year under a cooperation between Kyoto University and Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. The study team consists of experts from various fields, e.g. disaster and environmental management, architecture, agriculture and forestry. Expected products of the project include hazard mapping and resource assessment at village scale, community learning resources for disaster prevention and environmental management, and further measures toward the enhancement of social and economic capabilities through proper use of local resources. Remote sensing and GIS applications are expected to make great contributions in i) providing basic information of the study area and compiling findings from field studies into maps and databases, ii) analyzing spatial characteristics of physical and social resources and their interrelations, and iii) making visual presentation of problems, analysis and solutions to be shared by community members. Setting focus on a study site located in mountainous area in Thua Thien Hue province, the team is currently working on detailed activity design and data collection.