Overlooking the sea
Marine spatial planning focuses not only on economic development but also on environmental protection and social benefits. Quang Nam has established coastal protection corridors and reorganized its marine space according to the established plan.
Coastal economic drivers
Recognizing the importance of the coastal area, the Quang Nam Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, identifies the Eastern region, comprising coastal cities, towns, and districts, as the driving force of the province, with key economic sectors being marine economy, industry, trade, services, tourism, and agriculture .
Of the province's three development corridors, the coastal economic corridor (from the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway to the coast) can be considered crucial. The concentration of eco-industrial spaces, high-tech industries, green tourism, and a chain of river and coastal urban areas connected to seaports and Chu Lai Airport will create a breakthrough for the rapid and sustainable development of Quang Nam in the coming period.
Based on its natural characteristics, the coastal area of Quang Nam can be clearly divided into two distinct regions, with the Thu Bon River serving as the natural boundary. The coastal area north of the Thu Bon River (Dien Ban town and Hoi An city) experienced earlier development, generating high added value but also leading to numerous negative consequences.
Not yet commensurate with potential
The 15km stretch of coastline in Dien Ban and Hoi An caught the attention of investors more than 20 years ago, due to its proximity to the vibrant urban development of Central Vietnam. While this investment wave has positively contributed to socio-economic development, it has also brought about numerous problems and lingering negative consequences.
After decades, besides a few revoked projects along the coastal strip from Dien Ngoc (Dien Ban) to Cua Dai (Hoi An), many projects remain unfinished or "on paper." Experts believe that the implementation of tourism projects right next to the coastline is a significant cause of the persistent coastal erosion in Hoi An for decades. Not to mention the difficulties faced by coastal residents due to these stalled projects. Furthermore, despite numerous planned projects in both the public and private sectors, the entire area still lacks a proper coastal park.
In the southern coastal area of the Thu Bon River, thanks to its favorable land resources for construction, pristine state, minimal impact on residents, and low compensation and land clearance costs, the area is relatively favorable for attracting investment. In recent years, it has attracted two very large-scale tourism projects, Hoiana and Vinpearl Nam Hoi An, along with continued expansion and upgrading of production infrastructure in industrial zones within the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone.
According to the Department of Construction, the current state of coastal development in Quang Nam still faces many difficulties and has not yet reached its full potential. All coastal urban areas, during the planning process, have identified tourism services as a crucial function. This includes specialization depending on the characteristics and strengths of each region. For newly developed areas, ensuring land allocation for community spaces and public beaches is crucial; organizing seaside squares as large community centers in urban areas (Dien Ban, Hoi An, Duy Hai - Duy Nghia, Binh Minh, Tam Ky, Tam Tien...). Space should be integrated with areas for preserving natural landscapes, maintaining a reasonable building density to ensure efficient land use.
Reorganizing the maritime economic space
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi - former Deputy Director General of the General Department of Seas and Islands of Vietnam - commented that when Quang Nam identifies the coastal area as a driving force for the province's development, it cannot just focus on the coastal region.
We need to reshape and change our mindset about coastal cities. We need to reorganize the marine economic space, strengthen regional linkages between coastal areas and the sea to truly move towards the sea.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi - former Deputy Director General of the General Department of Seas and Islands of Vietnam
The planning for the North Central and Central Coastal regions has just been approved by the Prime Minister. This plan identifies the focus on developing coastal areas in the provinces and cities of Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai into a driving force for development in the Central region of the country.
Accordingly, the provinces in the region need to continue to form and develop coastal urban systems, regional and international-level marine and eco-tourism centers; national petrochemical and automotive industrial centers; develop seaports and port services; and build a mechanical and supporting industry center in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone. Hoi An is also planned to develop into a regional and international-level marine and resort tourism center, prioritizing the development of tourism products and services associated with the development of the night-time economy.
The Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, covering over 27,000 hectares across three districts and cities, is considered the "nucleus" that will determine the success or failure of organizing and utilizing the coastal space of Quang Nam province. With its "complex" of duty-free zones; industrial parks; port and logistics areas; concentrated tourism and service areas; training and research centers; urban areas… plus preserved and upgraded rural residential areas linked to tourism development and high-tech agricultural production, once concretized, it will help approximately half of the province's coastal area undergo a strong transformation.
According to Acting Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Quang Buu, along with this economic zone, a coastal tourism development space will be formed in Duy Xuyen - Thang Binh, connecting with the Hoi An tourism space based on promoting the natural values of the river and sea. This includes the construction of conference centers, trade centers, entertainment areas, resorts, high-end golf courses, and Olympic-standard sports facilities.
For sustainable marine spatial development, the planning and implementation processes require complete and accurate data on the marine area. This includes prioritizing marine planning, strengthening the resilience of coastal infrastructure and public services against natural disasters and climate change adaptation. Crucially, development decisions must be based on the principle of "harmonizing with nature."
Professor Dang Hung Vo - former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
[VIDEO] - The potential of Quang Nam's sea:
Preserving the identity of a fishing village.
The space of coastal villages, with their rich cultural values, will shrink and erode if there is no harmony between economic development and cultural preservation.
Narrowing cultural space
Dien Duong Ward (Dien Ban town) is a locality experiencing rapid urbanization. The people of Dien Duong are no longer as enthusiastic about fishing, mainly shifting to tourism, services, and trade. As a natural consequence, traditional fishing festivals with their folk singing and dancing performances and boat races are no longer held regularly.
From Dien Duong to Cam An and then Cua Dai (Hoi An City), coastal urban areas with high-rise buildings, resorts, and service areas have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain. There are two sides to this: the more comprehensive investment in coastal infrastructure has given the area a new look and boosted the development of tourism, services, and trade. On the other hand, the customs, traditions, and unique cultural values of the coastal communities will also fade away.
Mr. Tran Van Siem, Chairman of the Duy Hai Commune People's Committee (Duy Xuyen District), said that due to increasingly severe coastal erosion, residents of Tay Son Dong and Trung Phuong villages are forced to find new places to live. The space of the fishing village is shrinking. The fishing community, previously accustomed to the lifestyle, customs, and traditions of the old fishing village, will likely lose their traditional fishing culture when they move elsewhere and pursue other professions.
Coastal residents abandoning fishing to seek new jobs threatens to lose the cultural values of coastal villages. As long as coastal communities exist, so does their maritime cultural heritage. The gradual alienation of coastal communities from the traditional values of their ancestors is a great loss.
Mr. Tran Van Siem - Chairman of the People's Committee of Duy Hai Commune (Duy Xuyen District)
Conservation challenges
Mr. Truong Cong Hung, Head of the Culture and Sports Department of Thang Binh District, believes that as long as fishermen continue to live in the coastal village environment, maritime culture will continue to be passed down through generations. The unique characteristics of the community's lifestyle, beliefs, customs, and traditions will be enriched, transformed, and combined with other cultural values over time, making the community even more vibrant and beautiful.
Mr. Hung believes that in the planning of coastal tourism and service development, state agencies need to consider preserving the space of coastal villages so that the local community can continue to cling to their fishing profession.
Many experts believe that in planning and developing the marine economy, it is essential to remember to preserve and protect the humanistic values of coastal villages. Ignoring this will inevitably lead to the distortion of the traditional landscape and space of these villages, and especially the loss of the core cultural values of our ancestors.
In Hoi An City, the business community and local people have organized many activities to preserve the cultural space of the coastal village. The Tan Thanh fishing village market (Cam An ward), with its many experiences for tourists, is also one form of preserving coastal culture in the face of many challenges.
In Binh Duong and Binh Minh communes (Thang Binh district), along with the implementation of large-scale tourism and service projects, thousands of hectares of land have been reclaimed. The seafood markets that used to take place at the edge of the villages are also gone. The culture of "selling a little cheaper so that buyers can resell it for a small profit" among coastal communities will soon disappear.
[VIDEO] - Ba Trao singing - a distinctive cultural feature of the coastal villages of Quang Nam province, preserved and promoted by fishermen:
Exploiting marine tourism resources
Beach tourism… on the shore
After years of development, the coastal strip from Dien Ban to Nui Thanh has seen the formation of many world-class resorts and accommodations such as Four Season The Nam Hai, Hoiana, Vinpearl Resort & Golf Nam Hoi An, TUI Blue Nam Hoi An, etc.
However, the Quang Nam coastal tourism brand is still limited to… the shore, as there is a near absence of tourism and entertainment activities that rely on the sea and coastal areas.
Mr. Van Ba Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, acknowledged that Quang Nam's coastal tourism has not developed in proportion to its potential. Coastal tourism activities are mainly concentrated in Hoi An City. Tourism products are limited to exploiting coastal areas. Coordination between sectors in developing policies for coastal tourism development is also lacking, while community-based coastal tourism development activities are mostly spontaneous, lacking linkages and fragmented.
It's no longer enough to focus solely on accommodation for beach tourism; we need to encourage investment in a system of products based on three pillars: culture, nature, and people, which are Quang Nam's strengths. Hoi An is one of 12 key destinations planned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote night tourism, with the goal of becoming a complex of night tourism products by 2030. Only by focusing on the sea can this goal be realized.
Mr. Nguyen Van Lanh - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoi An City
Many costly lessons have been learned regarding coastal urban planning and marine spaces. After land was allocated for high-end resorts, the consequences included residents losing access to the sea, being unable to utilize marine resources conveniently, and, more importantly, tourists being cut off from the local community.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Manh Nguyen - Vietnam Institute for Green Urban Research and Development
Developing community tourism
Tam Thanh (Tam Ky) is a land blessed by nature with blue seas, golden sands, and many aspects of fishing village culture preserved by the people for hundreds of years. However, Tam Thanh truly rose to prominence when murals appeared. To avoid a proliferation of projects to attract tourists, the local government quickly developed a plan for community-based tourism. Therefore, hotel, homestay, and restaurant projects are all built in the style of a fishing village, harmonizing with the overall space of Tam Thanh fishing village.
Artist Tran Thi Thu (from Hanoi), who has been involved in community art projects in Tam Thanh for over 7 years, said that the appearance of this coastal village is changing significantly thanks to tourism. And thankfully, the unique values of the coastal village remain intact. The community – those who directly benefit from tourism – have raised their awareness of preserving the environment and ecological landscape. The clearest evidence is that community art activities, over the years, have remained attractive, consistently receiving attention, being nurtured, and renewed many times. The local government also sees this as a hallmark of the overall direction for coastal tourism development.
In 2023, Tam Thanh commune was one of three localities selected to pilot the project "Strengthening institutions and enhancing capacity for urban development in Vietnam," implemented by UN-Habitat with funding from the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs for the period 2021-2025.
The focus of the project will be on renovating and expanding the mural village, investing in infrastructure, creating art installations, nighttime entertainment spaces, and experiential activities on the river and sea. Following Tam Thanh, other localities with beautiful beaches and long-standing coastal village cultural values are also beginning to develop community tourism, such as Cua Khe village (Binh Duong commune, Thang Binh district), Ha Loc beach (Tam Tien commune, Nui Thanh district), and Tam Hai island commune (Nui Thanh district).
Attracting businesses to invest and boost tourism development is part of the overall plan of these localities. Careful research and calculation are required in planning, land management, and construction investment to avoid disrupting the structure of coastal villages.
Quang Nam should carefully plan the development of resorts and hotels with entertainment and recreational areas to cater to tourists while also serving the needs of local residents. It should avoid the indiscriminate construction of luxury villas along the coast or the exploitation of all valuable land for tourism.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Manh Nguyen - Vietnam Institute for Green Urban Research and Development
Marine ecosystem diversity
With a fishing ground spanning 40,000 km2, scientists assess that the sea area of Quang Nam has diverse marine biological resources with many rare species of flora and fauna. Most notably, the Cu Lao Cham area (Tan Hiep commune, Hoi An city) and An Hoa cape (Nui Thanh district) are particularly noteworthy.
The Cu Lao Cham area covers a sea area of 21,888 hectares, with 165 hectares of coral reefs, 500 hectares of seagrass beds, 47 species of seaweed, 4 species of seagrass, 66 species of mollusks that depend on coral reefs, 4 species of lobsters, and approximately 200 species of reef fish, 342 species of beneficial plants…
The An Hoa cape area also has nearly 1,000 hectares of seagrass beds, with two main types of coral reefs: fringing reefs near islands and floor reefs on shoals and submerged hills. Seagrass is distributed over nearly 200 hectares, concentrated in the tidal zone along the coast in the communes of Tam Giang, Tam Hai, and Tam Quang.
[VIDEO] - Cu Lao Cham Marine Reserve:
These potentials and advantages were soon given attention by all levels and sectors, and priority mechanisms were established for their preservation and development. In 2003, Quang Nam became the first locality in the country selected by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to pilot the application of an integrated coastal zone management model using state budget funds, focusing on Hoi An City and Nui Thanh.
Currently, along with the effectively operating Cu Lao Cham Marine Reserve, the Tam Hai coral reef area, Tich Tay mangrove forest (Tam Nghia), Ba Dau Tam Tien reef (all in Nui Thanh); Ky Tran Binh Hai reef (Thang Binh); Duy Hai sandbar, Hong Trieu Duy Nghia aquaculture breeding ground, Tra Nhieu Duy Vinh mangrove forest (all in Duy Xuyen); Cam Thanh mangrove forest area, Cam Kim aquaculture breeding ground (Hoi An) are receiving attention from local authorities. The area of marine conservation in Quang Nam has reached over 550 km2.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's assessment, the key to protecting Quang Nam's marine resources and environment is mobilizing community participation. Through awareness campaigns, models, and projects, people's perceptions have changed positively. They have begun to take action to protect their own "livelihood."
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Uy, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tam Tien commune (Nui Thanh district), said that the community group managing the Ba Dau reef's aquatic resources in Tam Tien commune has been assigned by the Nui Thanh district People's Committee to manage 64 hectares of sea surface area. The goal is to protect the marine ecosystem and coral reefs, aiming to regenerate aquatic resources for sustainable exploitation.
“Over the past period, this community group has deployed buoys around the area under its management and protection. Simultaneously, they have established operational teams, most notably a patrol team, to promptly detect violating vessels and provide timely warnings and reminders. In addition, protecting the marine environment is also a priority for the community group. Members regularly mobilize people to clean up the beach and the Tam Tien fish market area. Fishing boats going out to sea are equipped with trash bins to collect waste from daily life at sea and bring it ashore for processing,” Mr. Uy said.
Mr. Nguyen Van Vu, Deputy Director of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Reserve Management Board, said that since 2009, Cu Lao Cham has launched a campaign to say no to plastic bags. Following that, in 2018, the campaign against plastic waste and single-use plastics continued. The encouraging sign is that the business community, local people, and tourists alike have responded and participated actively. Many businesses have integrated seabed cleanup activities into their tourism products.
“Every month, the reserve and tourism companies clean up waste, especially in areas where tours and snorkeling are organized. Through monitoring plastic waste on beaches and coral reefs, the marine environment is recovering positively,” Mr. Vu said.
[VIDEO] - Residents of Tam Tien commune (Nui Thanh district) regularly clean the beach:
Another positive aspect in the awareness of marine conservation linked to exploitation is that people have eliminated destructive fishing practices and refrain from catching seafood that is not yet of marketable size or during its breeding season. To continue protecting, promoting, and sustainably utilizing the marine ecosystem, Quang Nam is proposing to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for approval of marine conservation work in several reef areas in Thang Binh, Nui Thanh, and Duy Xuyen districts.
The Quang Nam Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, also clearly defines the marine conservation strategy. Accordingly, Quang Nam will establish a new Thu Bon River Lower Wetland Conservation Area and a Tam Hai Marine Conservation Area. This is a suitable and realistic direction, as the marine resources in these two areas are facing many challenges, especially climate change and environmental pollution. The Thu Bon River Lower Wetland Conservation Area plays a crucial role, serving as a buffer zone for the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve.
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