Central Provinces Of Vietnam Research Articles

Modelling the circulation on the continental shelf of the province Khanh Hoa in Vietnam

A model simulation of the circulation on the continental shelf of the Khanh Hoa province in central Vietnam during the year 2004 is presented. The model, a three-dimensional baroclinic z-coordinate model (the Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model), is implemented with a horizontal resolution of about 1 km. It is initialised with temperature and salinity fields taken from the Levitus data, and by the two main tidal constituents. The model is forced by daily fields of wind stress, air temperature, wind speed, and cloudiness taken from NCEP, and by monthly mean river runoff values. At the open boundary sea surface displacements are prescribed by the tidal variation and by the steric height determined from the density anomalies determined from climatological values of temperature and salinity. The modelled circulation reflects the monsoonal forcing fields, and reveals downwelling during winter and upwelling during summer. The modelled hydrography is compared with measured profiles, and some biases are found. The flushing times of three bays along the Khanh Hoa coast are calculated. The relative influence of river runoff, tides, and weather on the flushing times is discussed.

Future scenarios as a tool for collaboration in forest communities

Forest devolution is meant to provide communities with greater decision-making power over the use and future of tropical forests. However, devolution policies have not always had the intended e ect; in some cases they have caused or furthered the disenfranchisement of the poor, the creation of open access con- ditions, resource conflict and forest degradation. These problems are likely to arise when forest communities are at a disadvantage when interacting with other local players and are unprepared for their new opportunities and responsibilities due to their physical remoteness, cultural isolation, low literacy rates or lack of experience in formal planning and negotiation. This paper discusses how a participatory method to facilitate thinking about the future - called future scenarios - can help change the way forest communities and local governments interact. The paper reviews a growing body of literature on future scenarios and shares first-hand experiences with future scenarios in forest communities in the northern Bolivian Amazon and the central provinces of Vietnam. It finds that under the right conditions, the use of future scenarios allows forest communities to collaborate more e ectively with local government, better assume responsibilities when given control over forests under devolution schemes and self-organize to benefit from the opportunities that communal control over forests o ers. Future scenarios help communities think about dependency, vulnerabilities and ways to prepare for the future; the methods develop organizational capacity and encourage internal democratic pro- cesses and planning. Community leaders become more vocal and assertive in meetings with local government, and marginalized groups within communities, such as women or the poorest segments, make their voices heard. However, the methods are less e ective when facilitation skills are not available or where government or other interests are threatened by local constituents. Future scenarios are not without their pitfalls and do not work in all situations, but given the appropriate context they can create break-through moments that improve collaboration between communities and local o cials.

The diversity of a snake community in a karst forest ecosystem in the central Truong Son, Vietnam, with an identification key

A review of the snake diversity of Phong Nha Ke Bang, central Truong Son, Vietnam is given. As the result of recent field work, we add nine species to the region's karst forest snake fauna: Amphiesma sp., Calamaria thanhi, Gonyosoma prasinum, Liopeltis frenatus, Lycodon cf. ruhstrati, Lycodon sp., Pareas hamptoni, P. macularius, and Pseudoxenodon macrops. The evidence of Calamaria thanhi from within the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park's borders in addition represents the second finding of this recently described and barely known species as well as the first male recorded. A topical list of the 59 snake species recorded from the area is presented (two Typhlopidae, two Xenopeltidae, two Pythonidae, five Elapidae, five Crotalidae, and 43 colubrid snakes) and compared with the snake fauna known from Tam Dao mountain ridge in northern Vietnam. Species being expected in the future to be recorded within the Phong Nha Ke Bang region are introduced and zoogeographical aspects of the regional snake's fauna composition are discussed. Besides an overview of the spatial and temporal niche segregation of the Phong Nha Ke Bang snake community we show the snake species abundances based on own field surveys in the period between 1998 and 2006. Finally, we provide an identification key to the snake species recorded from Phong Nha Ke Bang and adjacent provinces in central Vietnam.

Another new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, central Truong Son, Vietnam

A new species of Cyrtodactylus is described from the Truong Son (Annamite mountain range) of Quang Binh Province in central Vietnam. It is characterized by 3–5 transversal dorsal bands between the limb insertions, a neckband reaching the posterior margin of eye, 19–20 irregular longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles, forelimbs with tubercles, 47–50 longitudinal rows of ventrals at midbody, 9–11 precloacal pores in an angular series in males and 16–27 enlarged precloacal scales in both sexes, 20–23 lamellae below the 4th toe, a segmented tail, and lacking of a distinct ventrolateral fold, a precloacal groove and femoral pores, as well as transversally enlarged subcaudal plates. The new species is known only from the karst forests of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. Preliminary data on its natural history are provided.

A new natricine snake of the genus Amphiesma (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from the central Truong Son, Vietnam

A new species of Amphiesma is described from the Truong Son (Annamite mountain range) of Quang Binh Province in central Vietnam. This new species is characterized by the combination of the distinct coloration and pattern, the slender body and tail (tail/total length ratio 0.31), the large eye diameter, a single loreal and preocular, three postoculars, a single anterior and posterior temporal, nine supralabials (fourth to sixth reach the eye), nine infralabials, 179 ventrals (plus two preventrals), anal plate divided, 99 divided subcaudals, dorsal scales in 19-19-17 keeled rows, 34 maxillary teeth (the two posteriormost enlarged), hemipenis simple, with undivided sperm groove, covered with small spines except for a single, strongly enlarged spine next to the sperm groove at the hemipenis base and except for irregularly arranged medium-sized spines that encircle the organ horizontally at the trunco-pedicel area. The new taxon is known only from a single male specimen that was collected in a limestone forest valley.

A new species of reed snake, Calamaria (Squamata: Colubridae), from the Central Truong Son (Annamite mountain range), Vietnam

A new species of Calamaria is described from the Truong Son (Annamite mountain range) of Quang Binh province in central Vietnam. The new species is characterized by its dark, iridescent body with four yellowish to beige zigzag shaped bands, light dorsal markings on base and tip of tail, light venter, modified maxillary teeth, large size (455 mm total length), tail tapering gradually to a point, reduction to five dorsal scale rows on tail, 198 ventral scales, 21 divided subcaudals, four supralabials (second and third entering orbit), five infralabials, mental not touching anterior chin shields, three gular scales in midline between posterior chin shields and first ventral, rostral being wider than high, paraparietal being surrounded by six shields and scales, and by the absence of a preocular scale. The new taxon is known only from a single adult female specimen that was collected in a primary limestone forest cave. It is the fifth species of Calamaria recorded from Vietnam.

The vaccine data link in Nha Trang, Vietnam: a progress report on the implementation of a database to detect adverse events related to vaccinations

Real, perceived and unknown adverse events secondary to vaccinations are a source of concern for care providers of children. In the USA large linked databases have provided helpful information regarding the safety of vaccines. Very little prospectively collected data on vaccine safety is available from resource poor countries, but safety concerns may be even more relevant in such settings. Vaccine manufacturers do not have to pass the same rigorous safety standards as vaccine manufacturers in rich countries. Vaccines, which protect against cholera, Japanese encephalitis, rabies or typhoid fever are predominantly used in resource poor, tropical countries and frequently do not undergo vigorous post marketing surveillance. New vaccines specifically suited for resource poor countries are sometimes marketed without the scrutiny of vigilant, independent regulatory authorities. We describe here the design and implementation of a large linked database for a semi-rural province in central Vietnam. The design overcomes several problems inherent in data bases of medical events and vaccinations in developing countries. Assigning a permanent identification (ID) number to each resident avoids the ambiguities of ID numbers based on the address. The distribution and use of medical identification cards with a permanent ID number assists in the unambiguous identification of vaccinees and patients. Medical records of all admissions are coded according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and transcribed into a computer system. Because these processes are novel the data collected by the study will be validated. Project staff will check records on vaccinations and hospital admissions through household visits at regular intervals. Data describing vaccinations and medical events are linked to the data collected by the project staff in a computer system. Based on the validation of the data we hope to optimize this model. Once we find the model working it is planned export this vaccine data safety link to other settings of similar economic status.

Irrigation operation and maintenance in Vietnam under economic restructuring

Vietnam's policies to establish a market economy are reshaping the state organizations and agricultural cooperatives that have operated and maintained irrigation systems. The new policies emphasize financial autonomy for state enterprises, and a shift in the responsibilities of the agricultural cooperatives away from collective production activities. Specific policies and institutional arrangements vary considerably among the provinces. In Quang Nam-Da Nang province in central Vietnam, the agricultural cooperatives generally still play an important role in irrigation OM however they are lower than typically paid by farmers in the small pump irrigation schemes operated by the agricultural cooperatives.