On August 19, 2020, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) had a virtual meeting with the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) of Lao PDR to sign a MoU for an ODA project to establish typhoon monitoring and forecasting platform in Lao PDR.

This MoU was developed to conduct an ODA project titled “Enhanced Severe Weather Response Utilizing and Integrated Typhoon Monitoring and Forecasting Platform in Lao PDR” from 2020 to 2023, with a budget of approximately 3.6 billion won, with an aim of strengthening the country’s capability in responding to typhoons.

The project activities mainly focus on implementing operational typhoon systems collecting and analyzing various meteorological data to predict typhoon tracks; establishing GK2A data reception and analysis system; and providing education and training on system operation and data application.

As the project is expected to directly contribute to improving the quality of the lives of people in Lao PDR, the two leaders from Korea and Lao PDR at the Korea-Lao PDR Summit, which was held in November 2019 during the 2019 Korea-ASEAN Summit, noted the importance of the project, as well as mutual cooperation for the project’s successful implementation.

As part of the project, the Korea Meteorological Institute (KMI) of the KMA, the project implementing agency, is holding a real-time online course for high-level officials of DMH from August 17 to 21.

The online course provides the participants with information about Korea’s ODA policies and project development process, and the status of meteorological technologies in Korea.

 “We hope that this ODA project for Lao PDR will serve as a good opportunity to expand Korea’s meteorological technology to the Asian region,” said KMA Administrator KIM Jong-seok. “KMA will focus more on supporting Korean meteorological industry and technologies in advancing into foreign markets,” he added.