Policymakers discuss maritime planning

HA NOI — Policy makers and planners gathered in Ha Noi last week to discuss zoning and planning of maritime and island resources.

The workshop was held as part of a series of events in the lead up to drafting of a new law on maritime resources and environmental protection.

Participants discussed issues relating to Vietnamese and international regulations on zoning and planning for maritime resources.

Professor Nguyen Chu Hoi from the Viet Nam General Department for Sea and Islands, stressed that while coastal communities benefited from the exploitation and use of maritime resources, the same areas faced problems of maritime resource degradation.

These problems had resulted from the short- and long-term impacts of people not abiding by regulations on the use of sea and shore areas, he said.

In order to effectively manage sea and shore-based areas, it was essential to properly zone functional areas for the use of maritime resources, he said. The exploitation and use of maritime resources and shore areas must be compatible with the protection of ecological environment, he added. — VNS