An overview of the workshop (Source: http://baoquangninh.com.vn)Quang Ninh (VNA) – The International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) held a workshop on technology and management solutions for wastewater treatmentfrom tour boats and tourism activities in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago onApril 5 in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh.
The workshop was part of the Ha LongBay-Cat Ba Alliance Initiative, funded by the US Agency for InternationalCooperation (USAID).
According to deputy head of the Ha Long BayManagement Board Nguyen Huyen Anh, as of late 2018, there were around 500 shipsoperating in Ha Long Bay, including over 160 overnight ships, and 121 vesselsoperating around the Cat Ba archipelago, including 59 overnight boats.
In recent times, local authorities have madestrides to tighten management over wastewater from tourism boats andactivities. However, this kind of pollution remains a huge challenge for QuangNinh and Hai Phong city.
Jake Brunner, IUCN Chief Representative inVietnam, stated that as a requirement of Quang Ninh province’s People’sCommittee, the IUCN sent an advisory mission to Ha Long Bay to supportsustainable tourism management and environmental protection at Ha Long Bay andCat Ba archipelago last July.
The advisory mission had expressed theirconcern over the projected growth of visitors to the site and concluded that ineffectivemanagement of visitors and waste will cause a significant threat tothe outstanding universal value of the area, Brunner added.
At the workshop,participants discussed technology and management solutions, and sharedinformation about modern wastewater treatment technologies which meet nationaltechnical standards and regulations on the environmental protection of QuangNinh and Hai Phong. –VNA
VNA
