AI has important role to play in hydrometeorology: official

Hanoi (VNA) – An official highlighted the important role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of hydrometeorology, while speaking at a webinar held by the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (VNMHA) on March 28.

Hoang Duc Cuong, Deputy General Director of the VNMHA under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said the sector has applied information technology, digital technology, and AI for a long time, and that AI plays a very important role in its activities.

About the application of Big Data and AI to hydrometeorology, Vu Hoang Long, an advisor from Viettel Solutions of the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, said the sector should collect and standardise information and data to serve as a basis for applying Industry 4.0 technology to make precise forecasts. It also needs to gather data from different sources in a concentrated database system.

The sector should build a data architecture matching its specific features, use the Big Data technology for handling monitoring and specialised data, and coordinate with international experts and organisations such as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in AI research and application, he suggested.

Pointing out some difficulties in AI application, Pham Hoang Hung, Deputy Director of the VNMHA’s forecasting management department, said the sector’s database hasn’t been big enough while existing tools are not strong enough either to analyse, assess, organise, and standardise data. A shortage of personnel for AI application and infrastructure upgrade also need attention.

At the seminar, participants discussed measures for promoting AI research and application to hydrometeorology, especially to information and data management, and learn experts’ experience and viewpoints in this regard./.