In recent years, Hai Phong City has actively implemented the 2015 Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment, considering it a key political task linked to the goal of sustainable marine economic development, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and safeguarding national defense and security. Through its implementation, the city has achieved many important results across various sectors.
Immediately after the Law came into effect, Hai Phong issued a comprehensive system of directives and management documents. The city promulgated the Regulation on Coordination for Integrated Management of Marine Resources and Environmental Protection; regulations on leasing sea surface areas and allocating sea areas for aquaculture; approved the oil spill response plan as well as plans for ocean plastic waste management and climate change adaptation. The city also delineated the coastal protection corridor boundaries, installed boundary markers, and assigned management responsibilities to districts.
Particularly, the city’s marine economic development orientations have been integrated into the Master Plan and the Planning for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, creating an important legal basis for implementing investment projects in port development, tourism, coastal industry, and renewable energy.
Hai Phong has implemented widespread communication efforts through hundreds of conferences, workshops, contests, and exhibitions; thousands of news articles, features, and reports in the mass media; books and publications on the sea and islands. The city has cooperated in organizing map exhibitions and displays of materials titled “Hoang Sa, Truong Sa of Vietnam – Historical and Legal Evidence,” attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors, including international guests.
Beach cleanup campaigns, oil and chemical spill response training, and drills have been regularly organized, helping raise community awareness of environmental protection.
Hai Phong has allocated sea areas for sand mining, wharf construction, and aquaculture projects covering hundreds of hectares. Marine tourism has developed strongly, with 19 coastal investment projects and over 140 sightseeing, overnight, and floating restaurant vessels operating in the bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago. Marine conservation efforts have focused on two marine protected areas at Bach Long Vi and Cat Ba, contributing to safeguarding fishery resources and marine biodiversity.
Projects for afforestation and restoration of mangrove and coastal protection forests covering hundreds of hectares have been implemented, helping to reduce wave impacts, protect dikes, and respond to climate change.
Hai Phong has approved and implemented numerous schemes and projects for basic surveys and scientific research on the marine environment, marine mineral resources, and biodiversity. Domestic and international research organizations have been facilitated in conducting surveys, contributing to building a database for management. The city has prepared and managed island resource dossiers for major islands such as Cat Hai, Cat Ba, and Bach Long Vi, and is completing dossiers for other islands.
The city has completed investigations and classification of discharge sources from land and sea; approved plans for pollution risk assessments and management solutions. Oil and toxic chemical spill response has been closely organized with many training and drill sessions. The marine and island environment is basically under control, with no serious incidents, and coastal and marine waste is regularly collected.
However, certain challenges remain in implementing the Law: a lack of monitoring equipment and marine inspection means; limited funding for basic surveys and scientific research; inter-sectoral coordination in statistics and management is not yet synchronized; and some legal provisions are inconsistent and overlapping, creating difficulties for local implementation.
In the coming time, Hai Phong will continue to improve its regulatory framework, particularly by issuing regulations on coastal protection corridor management; increase investment in equipment and means for marine and island environmental management and protection; strengthen international cooperation and scientific research; and attract investment in modern, sustainable marine economic development associated with environmental protection and safeguarding national sovereignty at sea.