Mr. Vu Kien Cuong - Head of Ha Long Bay Management Board - affirmed that the information that UNESCO is considering revoking the World Natural Heritage title for Ha Long Bay is fake.
According to Mr. Cuong, the above fake information appeared after an article by a foreign press agency said that UNESCO would send a team of experts to assess the management situation of the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago.
However, in the article of the foreign press agency above, there is no line saying that UNESCO will consider revoking the title of Ha Long Bay, but only honest information about a group of experts going to Ha Long Bay.
According to Mr. Cuong, a heritage site must be at least on the list of endangered and threatened heritage sites before its title can be revoked, but Ha Long Bay is not on this list. Vietnam has sent an invitation to the delegation and according to the latest information, the delegation will visit Vietnam around March 2025, instead of January 2025 as originally planned.
Responding to Lao Dong Newspaper about the concerns of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for Ha Long Bay, Head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board Vu Kien Cuong said that at many meetings, the World Heritage Committee has expressed opinions about construction works along the shore of Ha Long Bay in Ha Long City that risk affecting the landscape value of the heritage.
Regarding this issue, the Ha Long Bay Management Board is currently coordinating with relevant units to prepare a report for the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee to review and approve. However, these projects are all in line with the planning and ensure the processes and procedures, while creating a highlight for the space on the bay's shore, creating more attractive products for tourists.
Regarding the issue of pollution in the coastal waters of Ha Long Bay, Mr. Cuong said that according to reports, about 60% of wastewater has been treated before being discharged into the bay. Previously, Quang Ninh province relied on ODA loans to build a system to treat all coastal wastewater, but due to many procedures, it is now switching to using the provincial budget.
