Previously (on March 11), the responding monitoring delegation of the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had a working session with Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces, with the participation of Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province Nguyen Thi Hanh and Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hai Phong City Hoang Minh Cuong.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province Nguyen Thi Hanh said that since being recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage 30 years ago, Quang Ninh province has always paid special attention to and made efforts to preserve and sustainably promote the value of Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay with more than 1,500km2 of water surface and 2,500 large and small rocky islands is always protected in its original state.
Quang Ninh province has implemented many synchronous solutions to preserve and promote the value of Ha Long Bay, ensuring a balance between heritage protection and socio-economic development.
To protect the ecosystem of the heritage area, the province has strictly banned the transportation of cement clinkers in the bay; relocated coal mining activities and handicrafts from the core area as well as the heritage buffer zone; completely banned fishing activities in the heritage area; replace foam buoys at floating works on the bay with more durable floating materials; relocate residents living in the heritage core area to shore; ban the use of disposable plastic products in Ha Long Bay...
Quang Ninh is also the first locality in the country to evaluate the tourism capacity of Ha Long Bay. This result has been used by specialized agencies in issuing policy mechanisms, developing heritage management plans and tourism activities...
The response monitoring delegation of the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature highly appreciated the efforts and effectiveness of the solutions implemented by Quang Ninh province as well as Hai Phong city in protecting Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago.
The delegation also requested the two localities to report and supplement a number of issues on heritage management coordination activities between the two localities; how to improve the effectiveness of management coordination; apply reality in management based on heritage assessment; regulations on environmental protection as well as planning and construction of projects in the area....
Today (March 12), the delegation continues to assess the field of the buffer zone of Ha Long Bay. On the morning of March 13, the delegation will work with tourism and environmental experts on the Sustainable Ha Long Bay Tourism Development Plan and environmental management and protection of Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago. Next, the delegation will work in Cat Ba archipelago, assessing the field of Lan Ha Bay. The working program will last until March 14, 2025.
Previously, in a report released at a conference in India, UNESCO expressed concern about a number of issues in Ha Long Bay and proposed sending a team of experts to assess the situation.
One of those concerns is related to coastal construction projects in Ha Long City that are at risk of affecting the outstanding global value of the landscape of Ha Long Bay.
