Vietnam advances weather forecasting via int’l cooperation 2017 was an eventful year for international cooperation at the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), helping the centre improve its severe weather forecasting capacity and heighten its role in natural disaster prevention and mitigation globally.    A weather station of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting's chapter in northern Tuyen Quang province  Being a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has opened up opportunities for Vietnam to enhance cooperation with other member countries and get support and information from them. It has also helped the centre improve personnel capacity, forecasting technology and automatic weather stations, according to NCHMF deputy director-general Tran Hong Thai. One of the WMO’s Regional Forecast Support Centres has been based in Vietnam since 2014, paving the way for improved severe weather forecasting in Vietnam and Southeast Asia and preparing for the country’s greater international role in natural disaster prevention and mitigation. The centre has carried out a number of projects with the United National Development Programme, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other partners from Italy, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Japan and China. The projects have aided Vietnam’s efforts to expand monitoring and information networks and use advanced forecasting technologies to improve quality of weather forecasts. Last year, Thai was elected Vice Chairman of the WMO’s Typhoon Committee for 2017-2018. The NCHMF partnered with the APEC Climate Centre to hold a symposium on “Building resilient agro-food systems from production to consumption: Interdisciplinary approaches for sustainable food security using climate information” in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho from August 18-21. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre and the NCHMF held the 9th ASEAN Climate Outlook Forum (ASEANCOF-9) in Hanoi from November 15-17 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. The NCHMF also hosted four WMO events in Hanoi on November 20-23, 2017. VNA