Scenes from the working session.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hanh also emphasized: Since being recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site 30 years ago, Quang Ninh province has always paid special attention to and strived to preserve and sustainably promote the value of Ha Long Bay. With the consistent principle of "not sacrificing the environment for economic development," to date, Ha Long Bay, with more than 1,500 square kilometers of water surface and 2,500 large and small islands, has always been protected in its original state.
Quang Ninh province has implemented many comprehensive solutions to preserve and promote the value of Ha Long Bay, ensuring a balance between heritage protection and socio-economic development. This includes focusing on building and continuously improving overall management plans, regulations, and strategies to protect and promote the outstanding global values of the heritage site. Important documents such as: the Plan for the Preservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation of Ha Long Bay Scenic Landscapes; the Ha Long Bay Heritage Management Plan; and the Regulations on the Management, Protection, and Promotion of Heritage Values have been issued and effectively implemented. To ensure maximum management efficiency, Quang Ninh has also updated the detailed zoning of management areas on the Ha Long Bay World Heritage map; developed a Sustainable Tourism Development Plan; and established an Integrated Tourist Management System.
Comrade Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairperson of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, delivered a speech at the working session.
To protect the ecosystem of the heritage area, the province has strictly prohibited the transfer of cement clinker in the bay; relocated coal mining and other small-scale industrial activities out of the core and buffer zones of the heritage area; completely banned fishing in the heritage area; replaced styrofoam buoys at floating structures in the bay with more sustainable floating materials; relocated residents living in the core heritage zone to the shore; and banned the use of single-use plastic products in Ha Long Bay...
Quang Ninh is also the first locality nationwide to conduct an assessment of Ha Long Bay's tourism carrying capacity. The results have been used by specialized agencies in formulating policies, developing heritage management plans, and promoting tourism activities.
Following the recognition of Cat Ba Archipelago as a World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago became the first inter-regional World Heritage Site in the country. Based on a commitment to continue close cooperation in managing and protecting the integrity and outstanding universal value of the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site, Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city have proactively coordinated and signed agreements to establish a Management Council, finalize the Coordination Regulations, and sign the Regulations on the management, protection, and promotion of the value of the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site; and the Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site Management Plan for the period 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045, which have been submitted to competent authorities for approval as prescribed, thus promoting the sustainable development of the heritage values of both localities.
Representatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Monitoring and Response Team spoke at the meeting.
During the working session on March 11th, the Monitoring and Feedback Team from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) highly appreciated the efforts and effectiveness of the solutions implemented by Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city in protecting Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago. In particular, the team highly praised Quang Ninh's efforts in relocating residents from the core area of Ha Long Bay to the mainland, as well as its assessment of the Bay's carrying capacity to develop a sustainable tourism development plan.
The delegation also requested that the two localities provide additional reports on several issues regarding coordinated heritage management activities between the two localities; how to improve the effectiveness of coordinated management; practical application in management based on heritage carrying capacity assessment; regulations on environmental protection as well as planning and construction of projects in the area….
Regarding coastal construction projects, Quang Ninh province also affirmed that all projects are implemented in the buffer zone and have no impact on the core heritage area. All approved projects must undergo environmental impact assessments and comply with the general planning and construction standards according to current regulations. During implementation, they are strictly managed and monitored, and any negative impacts must be addressed immediately. The projects are implemented to ensure quality, achieve socio-economic efficiency, while protecting the natural values of the heritage area and creating tangible benefits for the local community.
On March 12th, the delegation will continue its field assessment of the Ha Long Bay buffer zone. On the morning of March 13th, the delegation will work with tourism and environmental experts on the sustainable tourism development plan for Ha Long Bay and the management and protection of the environment in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago. Following this, the delegation will work in Cat Ba Archipelago, conducting a field assessment of Lan Ha Bay. The work program will last until March 14th.
Thirty years after being recognized as a World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay has always been preserved in its original state.
According to UNESCO Vietnam representatives, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago have been recognized by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage sites thanks to their unique natural beauty and ecological value. This inter-provincial heritage management cooperation model is also an important reference model for the development of the Law on Cultural Heritage, which was recently passed by the National Assembly at the end of 2024. By inviting the Monitoring and Response Team from the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago, as requested by the World Heritage Committee, Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city hope this will be an opportunity to continue receiving advice and suggestions from international experts on the conservation and sustainable development of the heritage site's value. The recommendations from the Monitoring Team will be an important basis for continuing to implement measures to protect and develop the heritage site in the future.
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