National Marine Spatial Planning holds Strategic Vision 

Vietnam News Agency - VNA

Vietnam’s territorial waters are rich in natural resources, and hold an important economic, geopolitical, national defence and security position in the region and the world. (Photo: VNA)

19 August 2024

Vietnam’s territorial waters are rich in natural resources, and hold an important economic, geopolitical, national defence and security position in the region and the world. However, in addition to these great values, Vietnam’s seas and islands are facing a series of problems relating to degradation in landscape, marine and coastal ecosystems; coastal environmental pollution; and increasing negative impacts from natural disasters, climate change, and sea level rise. Therefore, a national marine spatial planning is needed to create orientations for sustainable exploitation and use of marine and island resources, and harmonise socio-economic development with national defence and security.

Effective management, exploitation, use of marine space

Vietnam has a coastline of over 3,260 km. Its 28 coastal provinces and cities has a population that account for more than half of the country’s total population, with most of their workforce employed in marine-related industries. Vietnam has great potential to develop a marine economy such as maritime shipping; mineral exploration and processing; fishing, aquaculture and seafood processing, and marine tourism.

Recognising the role and the significance of the seas and islands for the country’s development, the 8th meeting of the 12th Party Central Committee issued Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW dated October 22, 2018 on Vietnam’s Sustainable Marine Economic Development Strategy until 2030, with a vision to 2045, with the goal of making Vietnam a strong coastal nation by 2030, basically meeting the requirements for sustainable marine economic development.

Concretising the viewpoints, objectives, and policies outlined in the Resolution, the Government assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to lead the development of the ‘National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050’. On June 28, 2024, at the 7th session, the 15th National Assembly (NA) approved a resolution on the planning.

The National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, is developed for the first time in Vietnam based on reference to international experience with adjustments to make it suitable to Vietnam’s actual situation.

According to Director of the Vietnam Agency of Seas and Islands under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Duc Toan, the main objective of the planning is to create a foundation for rapid and sustainable development of the marine economy, contributing to the formation and development of strong marine economic sectors, and creating effective livelihoods for the people. It aims to ensure national defence, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation; firmly maintain independence, sovereignty, sovereign rights and national jurisdiction at sea; efficiently manage and exploit marine resources, protect the marine environment, conserve biodiversity, preserve marine cultural values, and gradually turn Vietnam into a strong maritime nation which goes prosperous thanks to marine resources.

Sustainable development

Toan said that to turn Vietnam into a strong coastal nation set in Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, the National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 provides development orientations for marine economic sectors, especially new ones.

The planning sets out five key issues and four breakthroughs that have great influence and generate momentum for the country’s development.

Specifically, the first key issue is to perfect the institutional framework, policies, and developing criteria and regulations to handle issues arising in overlapping areas with contradiction in using marine space.

The planning will perfect policies for the development of clean, renewable energy and new marine economic sectors in line with the implementation of Vietnam’s sustainable marine economic development strategy; and issue guidelines and regulations for the implementation of the national marine spatial planning at grassroot levels.

The second focus is to develop marine infrastructure, particularly the key areas such as seaports and routes that connect seaports and inland areas, marine telecommunications, and digital economic infrastructure. Especially, it strives to develop synchronously air, rail, road, and inland waterway transport systems between coastal and non-coastal localities and with other countries; strongly develop marine economic sectors, especially fisheries associated with marine conservation and ensuring national defence, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation; maritime economy, maritime transport, seaport construction and ship repair, shipbuilding; marine tourism and services. The development of coastal and island urban systems will be also focused to create strong logistics and economic service centres which are expected to become the driving force for socio-economic development of each region. Comprehensive studies and assessments on potential of marine minerals and clean energy will be conducted, outlining development directions for the exploitation and use of marine minerals and clean energy.

The third focus is to build marine and island cultural institutions; well organise marine cultural activities, improve the cultural and social life of coastal and island residents; organise communication activities and raise awareness and responsibility for building a strong coastal nation, rich from the sea according to Vietnam’s Sustainable Marine Economic Development Strategy, successfully organise Vietnam’s Seas and Islands Week.

The fourth focus is to control and manage waste sources and solve hot spots of environmental pollution at sea, coastal areas and islands; delineate marine and coastal conservation areas, restore degraded ecosystems to increase the area of marine conservation and protection.

The fifth focus is to intensify the basic investigation of marine resources, environment, and islands; establish a digitised database on the sea, islands, ensuring integrated, shared and updated data; strengthen the training of marine human resources, prioritise the development of human resources in the maritime, fishery, renewable energy, tourism, marine science and technology sectors.

Along with that, measures will be taken to strengthen marine scientific research and technology application to serve new and potential marine economic sectors such as marine pharmaceuticals, marine medicine, marine chemistry, and new materials; strongly attract resources from all economic sectors, especially the private and foreign-invested sectors for marine development.

Meanwhile, the planning points out four breakthroughs to be made. Firstly, Vietnam will focus on building a system of infrastructure and logistics services associated with the development of the shipbuilding industry and maritime transport; a multi-purpose, dual-use, synchronised, and modern coastal and island infrastructure which creates a momentum to attract investors, promotes sustainable development of the marine economic sectors, ensure national defence, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation, and responds to natural disasters, climate change, sea level rise and marine environmental incidents.

Secondly, it will develop sustainable, responsible, and creative sea and island tourism associated with the development of green and smart island cities.

Thirdly, strongly promote the development of a green, circular, low-carbon, and highly resilient aquaculture economy, prioritising the development of offshore aquaculture and fishing, associated with marine conservation and marine culture preservation.

The other breakthrough is the rapid and sustainable development of clean, green marine energy, prioritising the development of offshore wind power, ensuring national energy security, defence, and security, and conducting comprehensive researches and assessments of the potential of the oil and gas, solid minerals, and construction materials industries on the seabed.