Cua Viet estuary. (Photo: VNA) The article was publishedrecently in Vietnam News Agency’s Vietnam Law magazine. The following is thefull text of the article.
Sustainable development ofmarine economy is an aspiration, a dream and goal of Vietnam’s socio-economicdevelopment policies which suits the world’s trend of development of bluemarine economy. The Vietnam Marine Strategy for the 2007-20 period and theStrategy for sustainable development of marine economy for the 1993-2022 periodimplemented over the past 30 years have contributed to realizing such goal.
Strategic vision
Vietnam has been acutely aware of the importanceof the seas to the economy, security and national defense and socialdevelopment through its specific policy instruments enacted since the 1990s
.
Resolution 03-NQ/TW issued in 1993 by the PartyCentral Committee’s Political Bureau sets the goal of turning Vietnam into astrong marine economy. Then, Resolution 09-NQ/TW on the Vietnam Marine Strategythrough 2020 (the Marine Strategy) was adopted in 2007, placing a focus onmaking Vietnam a “strong marine economy” through “bringing into play allpotentials from the seas”. It is aimed that by 2020, contributions from themarine and coastal economy to the country’s GDP would reach 53-55 percent andper-capita GDP in marine and coastal communities would double the country’saverage growth level.
Later, Resolution 36-NQ/TW of 2018 on the Strategy forsustainable development of marine economy through 2030, with a vision toward 2045(the Strategy for sustainable development of marine economy), reasserts thegoal of turning Vietnam into a country that is strong and rich from the seas onthe basis of sustainable development, prosperity, safety and security, layingan emphasis on sustainable development of marine economy based on green growth.Indicators related to sea and ocean governance and coastal zone management arerequired to meet international standards so as to lift Vietnam at least intothe group of upper-middle income countries in the world. Contributions of its28 coastal provinces and cities are set to account for 65-70 percent of thecountry’s GDP while per-capita income in these localities will be 1.2 times orhigher the national average income.
Specifically, the Marine Strategy underlines thesignificance of the modernization of marine economy and environmentalprotection while giving priority to petroleum and ocean shipping development.Meanwhile, it places a focus on marine tourism, paying more attention to marineenvironmental protection and economic development.
Moreover, Vietnam has fully acceded to a raft ofenvironmental and sea treaties and proactively built up a legal system on seamanagement. It has also promoted negotiations for settlement of sea disputesand signed three agreements on delimitation of and two others on jointexploitation in maritime zones, thus facilitating the establishment of maritimezones under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) forimplementation of its Marine Strategy. The state apparatus in charge of marineeconomy management has been reorganized, with priority given to the ministriesengaged in sea-related activities according to an integrated approach.
Certain policies have been proposed and enforced,such as the policy on support for and development of offshore fishing, and the2010 Strategies for fisheries, tourism, and transport development. At the sametime, importance has been attached to public communication for raising theawareness and creating consensus among ministries, sectors, localities,businesses and the people.
Vietnam’sefforts and initial achievements
Over the past time, Vietnam has allocatedsignificant finance, science and technology and human resources for marineindustries like oil and gas, construction of seaports and fishing ports, andshipbuilding. It has formed the Coast Guard forces since 1998 and the FisheriesResources Surveillance forces since 2014. The regimes of reporting andenvironmental impact assessment have been put in place under the Law onEnvironmental Protection.
The country has succeeded in applying theintegrated management approach to its maritime zones and actively participatedin programs of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas ofEast Asia (PEMSEA), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP),the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and otherregional organizations. So far, 14 out of the 28 coastal provinces and citieshave developed their strategies for integrated coastal zone management.
For marine economic sectors, relevant master plansand plans have been adopted as suitable to the characteristics of each localitytoward sustainable development and protection of marine resources andenvironment.
The implementation of the Marine Strategy and theStrategy for sustainable development of marine economy over the past 30 yearshas produced initial outcomes with certain economic achievements, having setnew orientations for economic development based on potentials and advantages ofthe seas.
In the 2011-20 period, marine economic sectorshave made great contributions to the country’s GDP. In this period, the averageannual growth rate of coastal localities rose to 6.4 percent.
In 2020 alone, GRDP (calculated at current price)of the 28 coastal provinces and cities surpassed 4,040 trillion VND, making upmore than half of the country’s GDP. Meanwhile, per-capita GDP of theseprovinces reached 84.4 million VND compared to the country’s average level of 82.7million VND. Some of these localities took the lead nationwide like Ba Ria-VungTau ranked first with 263 million VND, Quang Ninh ranked second with 164million VND, Ho Chi Minh City ranked fourth with 148 million VND, and Hai Phongranked sixth with 134.6 million VND.
Up to now, the country has 19 coastal economiczones and 241 coastal industrial parks and some modern ports like Cai Mep-ThiVai in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Lach Huyen in Hai Phong city that arecapable of accommodating large-tonnage ships.
The infrastructure systems in coastal areas and onislands have received due investment, thus having created fundamental changesin economic development and serving as a solid ground for advancing to the seasand, at the same time, can become defensive zones for protecting sovereignty,sovereign rights and national jurisdiction in the maritime zones and on theislands of the country.
Solutions foraccelerating development of blue marine economy
Despite of having built a strategic vision andadopted the Resolution on the Strategy for sustainable development of marineeconomy early, Vietnam still confronts numerous challenges during theirimplementation. The limitations include the non-availability of a master planon national marine space; and the lack of implementing regulations, a nationaldatabase on the seas, and specific guidance for some contents of orientations,e.g., the definition of “blue marine economy”, “blue economy” or “purely marineeconomy”. Moreover, no full-time multidisciplinary administration agency has reallybeen formed so far. Marine resources have been overexploited and ecosystems arein danger of degradation. Activities in response to climate change and sealevel rise and combat against illegal fishing still see shortcomings.
The South China Sea (known as East Sea in Vietnam)dispute has affected the delimitation of boundaries and planning of the wholemarine space. Weaknesses are seen in marine scientific research while resourcesfor implementation are lacking and allocated in a thinned-out manner. Therefore,to ensure successful implementation of blue marine economy, Vietnam should takeinto account the following solutions:
Firstly, the country needs to promote negotiations for settlement ofdisputes in maritime zones so as to facilitate the delimitation of marineboundaries and serve the planning of marine space and sustainable economicdevelopment.
Secondly, it is necessary to complete institutions for sustainabledevelopment of marine economy, giving priority to improvement of the legalcorridor, innovation and development of the model of green growth,environmental protection, and raising of productivity, quality andinternational competitiveness of marine economic sectors, maritime zones andcoastal zones. It is also required to improve the mechanism for integrated andunified sea management, in addition to scrutinizing, modifying or formulatingsea-related master plans, ensuring connectivity and synchronicity among sectorsand localities (applying the integrated interdisciplinary approach).
Thirdly, Vietnam should proceed with science and technologydevelopment and training of high-quality human resources for marine economicsectors in tandem with promoting innovation, making use of scientific andtechnological advances as well as new sciences and technologies, and attractingleading experts and scientists and high-quality human resources.
Fourthly, it is a must to develop multi-purpose and synchronousinfrastructure facilities with transport networks connecting major economiccenters, industrial parks and urban centers around the country and maritimezones with seaports based on economic and natural ecosystems, ensuring theNorth-South and East-West strategic connectivity among different regions in thecountry and between Vietnam and other countries in the world.
Last but notleast, the country should attach importance toattracting international investment, technology and finance to servedevelopment of blue marine economy and, at the same time, accede to treaties onprotection of marine resources and environment. As a first step in this path,Vietnam and Norway are expected to co-finance the initiative to formulate aninternational agreement on marine plastic litter./.
Specifically, the Marine Strategy underlines thesignificance of the modernization of marine economy and environmentalprotection while giving priority to petroleum and ocean shipping development.Meanwhile, it places a focus on marine tourism, paying more attention to marineenvironmental protection and economic development.
Moreover, Vietnam has fully acceded to a raft ofenvironmental and sea treaties and proactively built up a legal system on seamanagement. It has also promoted negotiations for settlement of sea disputesand signed three agreements on delimitation of and two others on jointexploitation in maritime zones, thus facilitating the establishment of maritimezones under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) forimplementation of its Marine Strategy. The state apparatus in charge of marineeconomy management has been reorganized, with priority given to the ministriesengaged in sea-related activities according to an integrated approach.
Certain policies have been proposed and enforced,such as the policy on support for and development of offshore fishing, and the2010 Strategies for fisheries, tourism, and transport development. At the sametime, importance has been attached to public communication for raising theawareness and creating consensus among ministries, sectors, localities,businesses and the people.
Vietnam’sefforts and initial achievements
Over the past time, Vietnam has allocatedsignificant finance, science and technology and human resources for marineindustries like oil and gas, construction of seaports and fishing ports, andshipbuilding. It has formed the Coast Guard forces since 1998 and the FisheriesResources Surveillance forces since 2014. The regimes of reporting andenvironmental impact assessment have been put in place under the Law onEnvironmental Protection.
The country has succeeded in applying theintegrated management approach to its maritime zones and actively participatedin programs of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas ofEast Asia (PEMSEA), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP),the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and otherregional organizations. So far, 14 out of the 28 coastal provinces and citieshave developed their strategies for integrated coastal zone management.
For marine economic sectors, relevant master plansand plans have been adopted as suitable to the characteristics of each localitytoward sustainable development and protection of marine resources andenvironment.
The implementation of the Marine Strategy and theStrategy for sustainable development of marine economy over the past 30 yearshas produced initial outcomes with certain economic achievements, having setnew orientations for economic development based on potentials and advantages ofthe seas.
In the 2011-20 period, marine economic sectorshave made great contributions to the country’s GDP. In this period, the averageannual growth rate of coastal localities rose to 6.4 percent.
In 2020 alone, GRDP (calculated at current price)of the 28 coastal provinces and cities surpassed 4,040 trillion VND, making upmore than half of the country’s GDP. Meanwhile, per-capita GDP of theseprovinces reached 84.4 million VND compared to the country’s average level of 82.7million VND. Some of these localities took the lead nationwide like Ba Ria-VungTau ranked first with 263 million VND, Quang Ninh ranked second with 164million VND, Ho Chi Minh City ranked fourth with 148 million VND, and Hai Phongranked sixth with 134.6 million VND.
Up to now, the country has 19 coastal economiczones and 241 coastal industrial parks and some modern ports like Cai Mep-ThiVai in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Lach Huyen in Hai Phong city that arecapable of accommodating large-tonnage ships.
The infrastructure systems in coastal areas and onislands have received due investment, thus having created fundamental changesin economic development and serving as a solid ground for advancing to the seasand, at the same time, can become defensive zones for protecting sovereignty,sovereign rights and national jurisdiction in the maritime zones and on theislands of the country.
Solutions foraccelerating development of blue marine economy
Despite of having built a strategic vision andadopted the Resolution on the Strategy for sustainable development of marineeconomy early, Vietnam still confronts numerous challenges during theirimplementation. The limitations include the non-availability of a master planon national marine space; and the lack of implementing regulations, a nationaldatabase on the seas, and specific guidance for some contents of orientations,e.g., the definition of “blue marine economy”, “blue economy” or “purely marineeconomy”. Moreover, no full-time multidisciplinary administration agency has reallybeen formed so far. Marine resources have been overexploited and ecosystems arein danger of degradation. Activities in response to climate change and sealevel rise and combat against illegal fishing still see shortcomings.
The South China Sea (known as East Sea in Vietnam)dispute has affected the delimitation of boundaries and planning of the wholemarine space. Weaknesses are seen in marine scientific research while resourcesfor implementation are lacking and allocated in a thinned-out manner. Therefore,to ensure successful implementation of blue marine economy, Vietnam should takeinto account the following solutions:
Firstly, the country needs to promote negotiations for settlement ofdisputes in maritime zones so as to facilitate the delimitation of marineboundaries and serve the planning of marine space and sustainable economicdevelopment.
Secondly, it is necessary to complete institutions for sustainabledevelopment of marine economy, giving priority to improvement of the legalcorridor, innovation and development of the model of green growth,environmental protection, and raising of productivity, quality andinternational competitiveness of marine economic sectors, maritime zones andcoastal zones. It is also required to improve the mechanism for integrated andunified sea management, in addition to scrutinizing, modifying or formulatingsea-related master plans, ensuring connectivity and synchronicity among sectorsand localities (applying the integrated interdisciplinary approach).
Thirdly, Vietnam should proceed with science and technologydevelopment and training of high-quality human resources for marine economicsectors in tandem with promoting innovation, making use of scientific andtechnological advances as well as new sciences and technologies, and attractingleading experts and scientists and high-quality human resources.
Fourthly, it is a must to develop multi-purpose and synchronousinfrastructure facilities with transport networks connecting major economiccenters, industrial parks and urban centers around the country and maritimezones with seaports based on economic and natural ecosystems, ensuring theNorth-South and East-West strategic connectivity among different regions in thecountry and between Vietnam and other countries in the world.
Last but notleast, the country should attach importance toattracting international investment, technology and finance to servedevelopment of blue marine economy and, at the same time, accede to treaties onprotection of marine resources and environment. As a first step in this path,Vietnam and Norway are expected to co-finance the initiative to formulate aninternational agreement on marine plastic litter./.
VNA
