Thai hotpot :P

Eating Thai hotpot the first time at the vegetarian hotspot near the pagoda.

Celebrating one month of AD's baby

The WISDOM project

Water Related Information System for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong Delta (WISDOM) is a bilateral (Germany and Vietnam), multidisciplinary research project to design and implement a comprehensive information system, which supports governmental agencies in the Mekong Delta in their planning processes to develop the region and adapt to climate change. The Information System is planned for operation in 2012 and in 2013 it will be transferred to local authorities. More project information can be found on the WISDOM websites:

• The WISDOM project: www.wisdom.caf.dlr.de and www.wisdom-vn.org

Introductory workshops on the WISDOM project to provide capacity building for local authorities were organized at DOSTs of 5 Mekong Delta provinces from 19th to 23rd September, (and in Can Tho city on 23rd September). 

One interesting characteristic of the project is that it is a web-based information system (GIS), which means almost all of the information and tasks can be accessed and conducted online thus, increasing the system's interactiveness and updatability. 

The information system can be applied for daily tasks of DONRE, DARD and DOST, such as it is able to show the current flood extent in combination with land cover information, social consensus data and  it can provide several other geographical tasks online. Reports and customized maps can also be created, printed and used for monitoring.

Florian presenting the WISDOM project. 
I'm very grateful to him that he arranged the seat for me on the minibus back to Saigon (it had been full before, piled up with laptops and stuffs). The world is small as Florian knows Harry too. :)

Group photo

2 American friends

At the vegetarian restaurant near the pagoda

Cafe Minh Quan

They are English teachers at Soc Trang community college.

Meeting in Vinh Hai commune

Meeting in Trà Sết community house on clam cooperative issues:

Meeting in group 1 - Mr.Miêng's home

Lunch at Mr. Mieng's home

Meeting in group 3 - Mr. Biển's home

Monitoring along the sea dyke

Trần Đề district:

What is it??

The sea dyke in Vinh Chau was so wet and muddy that we could not continue.

Clean up the World Day

Vinh Chau (17th September 2011) – The GIZ Project ‘Management of Natural Resources in the Coastal Zone of Soc Trang Province’ supported an event in Vinh Chau town to celebrate the Clean up the World Day and the International Year of the Forests 2011.

500 people including leaders of the Provincial People’s Committee, representatives from relevant local authorities, students, youth union,farmer’s association, women’s union and local people attended the event.

The theme of this year’s Clean up the World Day, "Our Place… Our Planet… Our Responsibility”,emphasizes the important role that every single person can play, and isplaying, in conserving our environment. It is our responsibility to take care of our world and to make sure that we keep it safe and clean for us and our children and the future generations.

The Clean up the World Day 2011 is a special event within the United Nation’s year of the Forests. Forests play an important role in the health and wellbeing of our planet and therefore in our personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of our children.This also emphasizes the importance of protecting the health of our forests and understanding our dependence upon it.

Mangrove forests here in Soc Trang Province, including Vinh Chau,provide important ecosystem services and goods like protection from strong winds and waves, firewood, medicines, fibres, dyes, food, charcoal, construction materials,soil stabilisation and erosion protection, flood mitigation, etc.

A well-managed mangrove belt protects the coast from erosion, and the impact of strong winds and waves. It saves significant costs for dyke maintenance and mitigates the conflict between economic development and sustainable management of natural resources.But to protect the forests includes stopping the pollution of the environment.

A clean-up like it was carried out in Vinh Chau helps to reduce the pollution, but it is not enough to do a clean-up just on one day per year – we need to stop polluting the environment. And according to this year’s theme Our Place… Our Planet… Our Responsibility!it is within our own responsibility to care for a less polluted environment. We must therefore change our everyday behavior from polluters to protectors, to people who protect the environment, conserve the forests and reduce their waste.

A good relationship between nature and people is essential, for the wellbeing of us human beings. Nature can do without us, but we cannot do without nature and its services.

Building first part of the bamboo walkway

Communicating in different languages ;)

Ms. Thuy's birthday gift

 

AD and Max preparing the gift

And here is the result of a creative process...

The final product ;)

Ms. Thuy and all of us were really enjoying the cookies. We were happy seeing her smile. ;)

Moe Java

With Ms. Thao and her children