VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) - The government can now promptly provide information on seismic activity to the public following the opening of a new earthquake monitoring centre.
The Lao National Earthquake Data Centre is now operational after construction was completed in one year by the Shanxisecond Construction Group Ltd. (Shanxi CIG) with funding assistance from the People’s Republic of China.
A ceremony to hand over the centre took place in Vientiane on Friday, with Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Dr Xaynakhone Inthavong, representing the Lao government, and the Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Laos, Mr Wang Qihui, representing the Chinese government.
Speaking at the ceremony, Director General of the ministry’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Mr Khanmany Khounphon, noted the benefits of the modern facility.
“This centre is necessary and important for preventing and reducing losses from geological disasters. It enhances capacity in data analysis through the timely reporting and dissemination of earthquake information,” he said.
The centre can provide information about earthquakes that have a magnitude of 3 or more on the Richter scale.
The two-storey building, which is 12 metres high, 14 metres wide and 33 metres long, houses modern equipment in 12 workrooms to monitor seismic data.
“Enhanced capacity building for the related expert team and the rapid distribution of seismic information will ensure the safety of people living in at-risk earthquake areas and around large-scale development projects,” the director general said.
“Laos, China and other countries in the region will benefit from this centre through the sharing of information on earthquakes,” he added.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Wang Qihui highlighted the economic and trade cooperation between China and Laos, especially following the Belt and Road Initiative, with China ranked first among the countries investing in and providing grant aid to Laos.
“This project is a milestone in the cooperative ties and traditional amity between the Chinese and Lao nations, which have constantly strengthened,” the Chinese diplomat said through an interpreter.
According to an official from Shanxi CIG, the facility is linked to network stations around the country, enhancing the effective collection, monitoring and dissemination of data.
The company has prepared a manual on facility maintenance and its team guarantees construction quality for two years to ensure the facility operates according to the design.
To assist Laos’ meteorological and hydrological sector, China has also built an Early Warning Centre, which is located in the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.
