VietNamNet Bridge - Though Vietnam has a long coastline, the country is still struggling with how to best exploit its advantages to create a more developed maritime economy. 

The 10th Party Central Committee issued a Resolution on Vietnam Marine Strategy to 2020 with the goal of turning Vietnam into a prosperous country from the sea. VietNamNet talks with experts about the strategy.

The experts who joined VietNamNet talks were Mr. Ngo Luc Tai, Vice Chair of HCM City Marine Science and Technology Association, Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, lecturer of the Vietnam National University, former Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Agency, and architect Tran Ngoc Chinh, former Deputy Minister of Construction, Chair of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association. 

Q: How has the Resolution on Vietnam's marine strategy to 2020 been implemented, Dr. Chu Hoi?

Mr. Nguyen Chu Hoi (left) and Mr. Tran Ngoc Chinh

Nguyen Chu Hoi: In the spirit of this marine strategy, by 2020 Vietnam will strive to become a strong and rich country based on marine economy. This is the overarching and long-term goal. 

We do not think of becoming an ocean power, but primarily only strive to become a strong maritime nation, a rich country based on the sea. Besides this general objective, the strategy has also set many specific goals by 2020, for example:

- Contribution of the marine economy to GDP from 53% to 56%. 
- Building 15 coastal economic parks. Maritime will be the leading economic sector, followed by oil and gas, seafood and tourism industries.
- The standard of living of coastal residents will increase 2.5 times compared to the general living standards of the people who do not live in coastal areas and islands.

Ngo Luc Tai: We plan to have 15 coastal economic parks but they have been operating weakly so in 2012 the government had to readjust and focus investment in only five zones: Dinh Vu-Cat Hai, Nghi Son, Vung Ang, Chu Lai - Dung Quat and Phu Quoc.

For example, at the Quang Ninh Steel Economic Zone, HCM City, most related factories are abandoned. Marine economics is a science and technology-based field, but they applied agricultural models, causing many technical difficulties.

We dissolved the Ministry of Fisheries and merged the Aquaculture General Department with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It was an ineffective and incorrect way. We had good results but in fact it was a failure to apply an agricultural model on the beach or in marine economic zones.

Q: Why has Vietnam not yet developed real coastal economic parks?

Ngo Luc Tai: We have opened the door for learning from and integrating with the world, but we are still not interested in and don’t have the right attitude to the sea, so our policies are not appropriate.

Q: It is said that we have just brought a model of inland industrial zone to the sea, and attached it to a seaport. We do not have a specialized plan for sea-mouth economics. What do you think about this comment?

Tran Ngoc Chinh: Planning of coastal economic zones must rely on efficient exploitation of seaports. Only locations with seaports can be have a marine economy. Then these zones must be connected with land, railway and even air transport systems.

Seaports play a major role. Other important things are land, factories and urban infrastructure because the construction of industrial parks must go with urbanization. It is wrong to apply the model of industrial parks in the mainland to coastal economic zones. Everything must be based on seaports. Dung Quat is a good example.

Dung Quat is an industrial park named after the first oil refinery in Vietnam. To develop the petrochemical factory, we must have a seaport to welcome oil tanks. After refining oil we have to transport oil by sea, rail and road. Then Dung Quat has the oil refinery, petrochemical factory, and a shipyard. These plants are built to use products of the oil refinery and they are grouped to become a special coastal industrial park.

Mr. Ngo Luc Tai

Currently we have five coastal economic zones: Dinh Vu - Cat Hai (Hai Phong), Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa); Vung Ang (Ha Tinh), Chu Lai-Dung Quat (Quang Nam - Quang Ngai) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).

These coastal economic zones are very important. Currently Chu Lai - Dung Quat work together very well. Dung Quat Port is available for large vessels and it has an oil port for oil tankers. We can say that this is a successful model. We have to add a number of mechanisms and policies to attract investment in the infrastructure to better connect Chu Lai - Dung Quat with rail and road to turn Chu Lai - Dung Quat into a typical marine economic zone in Central Vietnam.

Q: What conditions are needed to expand this model?

Tran Ngoc Chinh: In addition to the ports, we have to create enough land to build factories which are linked together. Together with that are facilities and services to create the best life for workers, as well as to attract foreign investment.

In particular, transportation must go first, then the power supply, water supply and environment. At present all coastal industrial parks lack waste water treatment facilities. 

Q: In recent talks, experts said that Vietnam built coal-fueled power plants but did not have a good plan to deal with waste discharged by these plants so the waste went directly to the sea and rivers. How does this affect the development of Vietnam’s marine economy?

Nguyen Chu Hoi: According to statistics of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the General Department of Vietnam Sea and Islands, in 2010 30% to 70% of emissions from the continent polluted estuaries and coastal areas. As Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Da Nang develop, the environmental issues will become more serious. 

Moreover, natural resources, global and national values are all concentrated in coastal areas. Uncontrolled pollution is obviously a problem. We can see a destroyed forest but we can’t see how the sea bed is harmed, except for scientists.

Q: How do the Cultural Heritage Act and the Construction Act cover these issues? 

Tran Ngoc Chinh: The Cultural Heritage Act and the Construction Act have many articles covering the protection of marine resources. Vietnam’s sea is beautiful, with gorgeous landscapes and many impressive bays like Nha Trang, Van Phong, Vung Tau and particularly Ha Long – a world heritage site.

However, the way we protect our heritage is improperly done. When people think of Ha Long Bay, they think about its magnificent beauty but their behavior to the bay and the waters around it is unacceptable.

In 2014, I went to South Africa. I had a very special feeling when they introduced a world map of the new seven natural wonders of the world, including Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. Looking back, what have we done? We only advertised this heritage in the media and did not take much action to protect and promote it.

To be continued…

VietNamNet