Turn Con Dao into an international green island symbol, earning hundreds of billions each year

The content was presented at the scientific workshop "Launching green transformation programs in Con Dao Special Zone" organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies this morning (August 7).

Mr. Le Anh Tu, Secretary of the Party Committee of Con Dao Special Zone, Ho Chi Minh City, spoke at the conference. PHOTO: Organizing Committee

'Green Gem' needs different development models

According to experts, Con Dao is a special zone of Ho Chi Minh City, famous for its diverse ecological values and is home to many rare species such as green sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins and coastal primary forests. With an area of over 15,000 hectares protected as a national park, Con Dao plays a key role in biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia and is recognized as one of the most important sites in Vietnam for sea turtle conservation programs.

In recent years, the number of tourists to Con Dao has increased rapidly, reaching nearly 400,000 in 2019, far exceeding the average of previous years. The "hot" growth in tourism brings revenue and job opportunities, but at the same time puts great pressure on the ecological environment, urban infrastructure, wastewater and waste treatment, as well as risks affecting mangrove areas, sea turtle nesting grounds and groundwater sources.

To cope with these challenges, the Government has identified the goal of developing Con Dao into a unique ecological island, aiming for green growth, nature conservation and sustainable development in the development plan until 2045. The current Con Dao development strategy focuses on preserving the natural environment, developing ecotourism, improving environmental management capacity, encouraging investment in green sectors and applying new environmentally friendly technologies.

The experts from VinUni University believe that Con Dao and Can Gio form a “double green belt”, in which Can Gio is the “green lung” of the mainland with a mangrove ecosystem, and Con Dao is a “green pearl” in the middle of the vast ocean - a place to experiment with green living, a space to implement specific policies, especially those that can inspire and replicate in other localities.

Con Dao is facing a very special crossroads, on the one hand there are significant challenges such as environmental pressure, a vulnerable ecosystem, and isolated location, which require every decision to be carefully considered. On the other hand, looking deeper, these very things pose great opportunities to shape a different, more substantial, and sustainable development model for Con Dao special zone.

In the green transformation project in Con Dao Special Economic Zone, the motto is to develop in harmony with nature, taking conservation as the driving force. Conservation not only maintains a green Con Dao, but also becomes an economic resource with a value that can reach hundreds of billions of VND each year. Using green technology as a tool, taking circular economy as the foundation.

“Only by pursuing these long-term values as a guiding principle can we develop sustainably, not only for today, but also for future generations. I believe that Con Dao can completely become a pioneering model in Vietnam, and even internationally, for developing green, circular and heritage-rich islands. We believe that we can do it, from now until 2030 if we do it right and resolutely, Con Dao can completely become a model of green development. By 2045, Con Dao will not only be a beautiful island, but also a heritage island, low carbon, an international symbol of sustainable development”, Associate Professor, Dr. Phan Thi Thuc Anh, representative of the expert group of VinUni University, emphasized.

Con Dao tourist wharf, next to Ton Duc Thang street. PHOTO: DOC LAP

Start with green transportation

Sharing about green transformation in the transport sector, Mr. Pham Vuong Bao, Deputy Director of the Public Transport Management Center, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, informed: Currently, Con Dao has more than 95% of motor vehicles using fossil fuels; public passenger transport infrastructure is negligible, non-motorized transport is almost absent; air pollution, CO2 emissions and fine dust (PM2.5) are increasing, especially at tourist destinations.

With the goal of developing a green, smart transportation system that is suitable for the ecological and residential characteristics of Con Dao, the city will issue regulations on the roadmap for applying emission standards for cars, motorbikes, and scooters participating in traffic according to regulations.

According to Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, to bring Con Dao special economic zone to a new level, the city needs to implement a green transformation plan in the fields of tourism, transportation, agriculture, etc. The main pillars for green transformation for Con Dao special economic zone include: green transportation, sustainable energy; blue ocean economy; high-quality tourism.

For green transportation, the city needs to implement solutions such as switching 100% of vehicles to electric vehicles before 2030; financial support, building low-emission zones; charging stations, battery swapping, integrating renewable energy... In the field of sustainable energy, it is necessary to pay attention to developing wind, solar, and waste-to-energy power; requiring solar power for offices; encouraging hotels and households to invest in solar power; smart lighting. The blue ocean economy sector needs to restore corals, seagrass beds, develop green carbon credits, and create new financial sources. For the tourism sector, it is necessary to build a heritage-spiritual-ecological brand; in-depth experiences, responsible tourism; destination fees for reinvestment in conservation; green hotels, and selective night-time economy.

In his concluding remarks at the workshop, Mr. Le Anh Tu, Secretary of the Con Dao Special Zone Party Committee, acknowledged the practical contributions of experts, scientists, and managers. These opinions will greatly contribute to building a stronger, more prestigious, and more sustainable Con Dao Special Zone. In order to achieve the set goals, Mr. Le Anh Tu hopes that investors are always ready to join hands to develop together; the government will also have preferential policies and mechanisms to support investors in accordance with the law./.

Source: https://baolongan.vn/bien-con-dao-thanh-hon-dao-xanh-bieu-tuong-quoc-te-thu-hang-tram-ti-moi-nam-a200280.html