VietNamNet Bridge - A road, which would ‘poke at the heart of Con Dao Island’, which faced strong opposition from the public 10 years ago, is about to be built.

 

The road, connecting the Ben Dam Port and Co Ong Airport, would go through the primitive forest in the Con Dao National Park. 

With the total length of 14 kilometers, it would affect 40 hectares of special-use forests. To build the road, about 6,500 trees would be felled, including the old and big trees with the height of 20 meters and trunk diameter of 100-150 cm.  This means that thousands of cubic meters of wood would be lost. 

More harm than good

According to the Ba Ria-Vung Tau provincial authorities, the project would help improve the transport network in Con Dao, lay the infrastructure foundation for developing tourism and help national defence.

However, environmentalists have warned that the project would do more harm than good. They said it is not worth it to exchange the ecosystem for transport development, because there are not many people living on the island, and the traffic capacity is not high. 

Meanwhile, it is not imperative to build this road to attract tourists.

The road, once it is built, would cause serious consequences: damaging the landscapes and affecting the ecological fauna, while the large areas of forests would be lost forever. 

An expert in urban development programming said that the natural beauty should be seen as an asset to be left for the next generations, that it must not be damaged.

“Building a road that goes through the heart of the forest means acting against the rule of conservation and development. The road will damage the ecosystem which has existed for thousands of years,” an expert

“Building a road that goes through the heart of the forest means acting against the rule of conservation and development. The road will damage the ecosystem which has existed for thousands of years,” he said.

“The road won’t bring any benefits, except land for houses and construction works,” he said.

“What will tourists want to see in Con Dao, a virgin island or houses and construction works?” he asked.

Vu Ngoc Long from the Vietnam Science & Technology Academy also said in principle, the building of roads and other works through special-use forest is not recommended.

“It would be better not to damage the local rich ecosystem,” he said. “The beauty of the island lies in the originality.”

Long was one of the scientists who were against many construction projects in the past. 

“It is necessary to think carefully when exchanging the ecosystem for economic development,” he said.

However, ignoring the protests from environmentalists, the local authorities decided that the road must be built.

Nguyen Thanh Chinh, chair of Con Dao district People’s Committee, has affirmed that project implementation is being accelerated, though the road design will be adjusted. 


NLD