Quang Ninh (VNA) – The Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance Initiativeis one of several important projects helping the Management Board of Ha LongBay manage the heritage better with a multidimensional and multi-sectoralapproach, according to vice chairman of the board Pham Dinh Huynh.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID)-fundedproject has helped connect State management agencies with non-governmentalorganisations, firms and the community, as well as Quang Ninh province and Hai Phongcity in protecting Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago, Huynh said at a meetingheld by the InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on September 25.

The Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site and Cat Ba ArchipelagoBiosphere Reserve are two of Vietnam’s most economically and ecologicallyimportant areas, renowned for their beauty and biological importance.

The Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance was established in 2014 tobuild a partnership between government, business, and community leaders topreserve and protect Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago.

The alliance is implemented by the IUCN and it advocates forthe preservation of the area’s biodiversity through a high-level, business-led leadershipcommittee. The committee members are business leaders, local and internationalnon-governmental organisations, political representatives from Quang Ninh provinceand Hai Phong city, national-level government agencies, and the US government.

These stakeholders set a vision and give guidance on the alliance’swork plan, which includes increasing public awareness of environmentalconditions; advancing a green certification standard for overnight cruisecompanies; improving water quality in Ha Long – Cat Ba; and nominating the HaLong Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site to expand to include the Cat BaArchipelago.

The Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance has partnered with nearly 20cruise companies, local and international businesses, and civil society organisations.It has leveraged more than 210,000 USD from the private sector to invest inawareness raising and community development activities in Hai Phong city andQuang Ninh province.

Huynh noted that since 2014, the alliance has made effortsto protect the environment in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago through theAlliance Leadership Committee.

Over the past five years, the project has focused onimproving the quality of water and preserving biodiversity in these regions.

It has mobilised the engagement of businesses in managingsolid waste through activities in the “Act for Green Ha Long” campaign. Theefforts have been supported by local administration through the issuance of a banon foam buoys and single-use plastics in Ha Long Bay. Quang Ninh has also askedall passenger vessels to install wastewater treatment systems.

The alliance has assisted Quang Ninh and Hai Phong build aprogramme to supervise biodiversity through holding training courses andproviding technical assistance and equipment, as well as advocating theallocation of local budget for biodiversity supervision.

In the future, if the Ha Long Bay World Natural Heritage isexpanded to Cat Ba Archipelago, more management measures will be applied topreserve the biodiversity values of the region, said Huynh.

The administrations of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong willcontinue cooperating in researching on impacts of tourism to the water qualityand wildlife, while reviewing regulations related to plastic waste reductionand improving water quality.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, head of the Office ofthe Cat Ba Heritage Management Board and Director of the Hai Phong Departmentof Foreign Affairs said Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province have worked to finalisedossiers proposing the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organizatio (UNESCO) to recognizeHa Long Bay with expansion to Cat Ba Archipelago as a World Natural HeritageSite./.