Tram Chim National Park (a Ramsar site), located in Dong Thap Muoi in Dong Thap Province (Vietnam), is one of the last remnants of the threatened Plain of Reeds wetland ecosystem. Tram Chim has significant biodiversity and tourism value, providing habitat for over 230 bird species and 130 fish species, including the iconic Sarus Crane listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Current environmental management and research at Tram Chim are hampered by insufficient and irregular survey data, due to lack of digital resources, extreme weather conditions and complex, large environments. These present serious challenges for making informed decisions and deploying intervention management strategies for the Park’s ecosystem on a daily basis. It is also highly difficult to demonstrate, evaluate, and track the impact of certain management interventions on the Park’s ecosystem health.

This project brings together leading experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), Environmental Engineering, and Conservation Biology from the University of Wollongong in Australia and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology in Vietnam to transform the environmental management of Tram Chim National Park. Other project partners include technology giant Microsoft, Tram Chim National Park and Dong Thap Province. Our solution will utilise a diverse range of IoT devices to allow regular surveys of large areas in Tram Chim. AI/ML technologies will be leveraged to process, analyse and classify large volumes of data into metrics that give real-time insights into the Park’s ecosystem health. This project is funded under the competive grant of Aus4Innovation, a flagship partnership program designed to help strengthen the Vietnamese innovation system and prepare for Vietnams economic and digital future.