Preliminary results of remote sensing applications for sustainable development in the mekong delta

The Mekong Delta is one of the most endangered regions in the world under the effects of global warming. Such effects include ocean warming, a rise in sea level, heat waves and periods of unusually warm weather, intense precipitations, typhoons, high tides and storm surges. Those effects result in coastal flooding, river flooding, inland flooding, salt water intrusion, coastal erosion, coastal sedimentation and cause degradation of biodiversity, spread of disease, changes in the population and habitat of plants and animals (e.g. birds and fish). Studies need to be conducted to quantify the changes observed by satellites in land use / land cover, in coastline, river bank, in flood extent and duration, and in cultural practices. The role of Earth Observation data is significant to provide both large view on the Mekong delta and high resolution observations in the regions where significant impacts of global change are being observed. Several sources of remote sensing data dating back from few decades can be used to quantify the changes. The paper presents the preliminary results of remote sensing applications in the Mekong Delta for change detection such as land use / land cover and inundation (WISDOM project); mangrove and rice/agriculture (Planet Action project); coastal line and river bank erosion and the further research works (WISDOM and RICEMAN projects).