Quang Ninh (VNA) – Businesses wereurged to increase their involvement in addressing environmental challenges causedby the operation of cruise ships in Ha Long Bay during the fifth leadershipcommittee meeting of Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance in northern Quang Ninh provinceon March 13.

The meeting, organised by the InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and funded by theUS Agency for International Development (USAID), included discussions about theextension of Ha Long Bay to include Cat Ba Archipelago in the northern portcity of Hai Phong.

Nearly 90 representatives from UNESCO, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, officialsfrom Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city, as well as from USAID,non-governmental organisations and businesses, attended the event.

Director of the Environment and SocialDevelopment Office of the USAID Christopher Abrams said USAID continuedproviding financial support for IUCN in 2017 to encourage businesses to preserveand protect the heritage site.

Businesses discussed measures to promote privateinvestment in improving wastewater treatment for more than 500 cruise vesselsoperating in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba archipelago.

A report on the alliance’s initiatives todevelop a wastewater treatment system was presented at the meeting, based onthe results of interviews and research with large cruise companies in Ha Longon the need for a wastewater system in Tuan Chau Port and the feasibility ofapplying the environmentally-friendly Green Lotus label on cruise boats. Research from IUCN showed that about 502 cubic metres ofwastewater was daily discharged from cruise boats in Ha Long Bay. Thiswastewater was estimated to originate from different sources, including about250 litres from each tourist staying overnight on a boat. The meeting also heard solutions to solve wastewatermanagement issues in the bay, including the diversification of financial supportand promotion of policy making dialogue. At the meeting, the Cat Ba Heritage Management Commissionprovided an update on the Ha Long Bay’s latest nomination for UNESCO WorldHeritage Site to include Cat Ba Archipelago and plans for management of theexpanded world heritage site between Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province. At the request of Vice Chairman of the Ha Long City’sPeople’s Committee Ho Quang Huy, the IUCN and UNESCO will organise an advisorymission of specialists from the two organisations to help address the site’sdevelopment challenges. With USAID support, the Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance wasestablished in 2014 as a partnership between Government, business and communityleaders to encourage action to preserve and protect Hạ Long Bay and Cat Baarchipelago.-VNA