The government has approved the project to expand and establish new marine conservation areas by 2030, as per Decision No. 1539/QD-TTg.
The Project aims to manage and protect marine, coastal, and island ecosystems; increase the area of marine and coastal conservation areas to about 6% of Viet Nam's natural sea area by 2030, contributing to biodiversity conservation, restoration, and conservation of critical marine ecosystems, ensuring the integrity and natural relationship between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; proactively responding to climate change and rising sea levels; sustainably developing the marine economy in association with ensuring national defense and security, maintaining independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, aiming to make Viet Nam a strong maritime nation, rich from the sea.
Accordingly, Viet Nam strives to expand the area, establish new ones, and effectively manage 27 marine protected areas by 2030 to ensure that the total protected marine area reaches about 0.463% of the natural area of Viet Nam's sea by 2030.
In the coming period, Viet Nam will continue to effectively manage 59 aquatic resource protection areas and 63 areas where fishing is prohibited for a limited period in the sea, ensuring that the total area zoned for marine resource protection, protection of concentrated breeding areas, and areas where young aquatic species live and thrive reaches about 2.303% of the natural area of Viet Nam's sea. Continue to expand the area, establish new ones, and effectively manage Ramsar sites, wetland reserves, and critical coastal wetlands to ensure that the total area of Ramsar sites, wetland reserves, and critical coastal wetlands reaches about 1.5% of the natural area of Viet Nam's sea.
The solutions proposed by the Government to achieve the above objectives are perfecting mechanisms and policies and promoting law enforcement; propaganda, training, and human resource development; enhancing the application of science and technology and international cooperation; and mobilizing financial resources... On that basis, gradually adjusting and expanding the area of marine reserves, Ramsar sites, and coastal wetland reserves currently operating according to approved plans; Establishing new and expanding the network of marine reserves, Ramsar sites, and coastal wetland reserves according to approved plans.
Moving towards developing regulations and organizing the management of areas applying other effective conservation measures in Viet Nam's seas and at the same time, restoring typical marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests. Effectively manage marine reserves, Ramsar sites, coastal wetland reserves, aquatic resource protection areas, areas where fishing is prohibited for a certain period, critical coastal wetlands, and areas where other effective conservation measures are applied.
One of the essential solutions is that Viet Nam will integrate the overall database on marine biodiversity, aquatic resources, environment, policy mechanisms, management models of marine reserves, aquatic resource protection areas, areas where fishing is prohibited for a certain period, areas where other effective conservation measures are applied, and areas for restoration of marine ecosystems in Viet Nam's seas into the component database on protection and development of aquatic resources; Ramsar sites, wetland reserves, important coastal wetlands into the database of Viet Nam's seas and islands.
The priority tasks identified by the Government in the coming period are Communication to improve the capacity for conservation, protection, and restoration of marine ecosystems. Investigation and identification of areas with the potential to establish other practical conservation areas in Viet Nam's seas. Restoration of degraded coral reef, marine, and mangrove ecosystems. Investigation and overall assessment of the effectiveness of conservation, protection, and restoration of marine ecosystems in 2021 - 2030; assessment of carbon storage capacity of typical marine ecosystems.
Viet Nam aims to establish and effectively manage 27 marine protected areas by 2030.In addition, priority is given to developing a mechanism for payment of natural ecosystem services in marine reserves and aquatic resource protection areas; Application of geographic information systems and remote sensing technology in marine ecosystem management; Control of waste and sources of environmental pollution in marine areas that are conserved, protected and restored.
The Government assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to guide localities in building and organizing the management of coastal wetland conservation areas, Ramsar sites, and essential coastal wetlands by legal regulations and approved plans.