A Vietnam Coast Guard ship on patrol around the Ly Son Island in the central province of Quang Ngai.(Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Experts discussed plans for Vietnam’s integratedcoastal zone management (ICZM) by 2020 during a conference in Hanoi on July 31.
The conference, organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,saw representatives from 28 provinces and cities along the coast.
Assessing ICZM in Vietnam in the period 2016-18, director of the VietnamAdministration of Seas and Islands Ta Dinh Thi highly appreciated provinces andcities for actively conducting programmes and projects on ICZM.
Several provinces and cities recorded good results such as Nam Dinh, ThuaThien-Hue, Da Nang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau and can be good examples for others tolearn from.
A system of policies and laws on natural resources, seas and islands protectionwere compiled giving a suitable legal framework for localities, said Thi.
Seas and islands sub-departments were founded in provinces and cities helpinglocal people’s committees in the work.
Financial and technical support from international organisations, especiallythe Partnerships in Environmental Management in the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)has helped Vietnam better manage coastal areas at central and provinciallevels.
However, he said, Vietnam’s ICZM strategy in the period 2016-18 still hadlimitations at different levels.
The State budget for the work was limited, as priority must be given to urgentprojects.
In 2017, several environmental organisations were merged thus training andconducting duties related to ICZM was interrupted.
Localities met difficulties in setting up and conducting programmes of coastalnatural resources management.
Talking at the conference, experts proposed measures to be taken for betterICZM.
Their proposals included giving more technical guidance related to sustainableexploitation and use of natural resources, and more technical guidance forcoastal management.
They urged for international cooperation in coastal management, and call formore funding from official direct assistance.
The Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands said it was necessary toimplement the East Asian seas sustainable development strategy in the period 2015-19.The strategy has been implemented in 14 provinces and cities. The project setup a foundation for coastal management in the country.
Vietnam has more than 3,260km of coast running across 28 of the 63 provincesand cities. Coastal localities are home to nearly half of the country’spopulation. – VNS/VNA
VNA
