Hanoi (VNA)– Blue growth, or growth of the sea-based economy in an effective andsustainable manner, is important to Vietnam’s economy as the sea plays acrucial role in both economic and security terms for the country.

In 2012, theGovernment approved a National Green Growth plan for the 2011-2020 period witha vision to 2030, and passed a national action plan on eco-friendly growth forthe 2014-2020 period in 2014.

However, naturalresource exploitation activities have still been prioritised, with the valuesin terms of services and space of the sea and sea ecosystems yet to receiveadequate attention. There has been no breakthrough model to effectively tap thepotential of coastal areas and islands.

Although blue economy,which is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, and a partof green economy, is a current global priority, and has also been stated inVietnam’s 2012 strategy and 2014 plan, the enforcement of relevant policies hasfaced many difficulties due to slow changes in mindsets and limited resources.As a result, natural resources for maritime economy have not been preserved andcontinue to see a degradation in quality.

According to ProfessorChu Hoi from the University of Natural Sciences under the Hanoi NationalUniversity, Vietnam’s sea is rich in natural resources and located in the EastSea where there is a long history of disputes. Therefore, the sea has animportant position in national economic development and security strategy inany era.

Over the past years, thesea-based economy has made important contributions to national economic growth,but the scale of maritime economy has yet to match the potential and value ofthe sea, he held.

Professor Hoi assertedthat in order to optimise sea economy efficiently and sustainably towardsindustrialisation and modernisation, blue economy and blue growth are a suitablechoice.

The national strategyon green growth focuses on strengthening investment towards preserving,developing, and exploiting natural resources effectively, while reducing green housegases and improving the quality of environment, thus promoting economic growth.Cutting down emissions and increasing green house gas absorption are important obligatorycriteria of socio-economic growth.

Currently, the nationalgreen strategy and action plan is being implemented by ministries andlocalities nationwide. The two schemes have affirmed the inevitable developmenttrend of the Vietnamese economy in switching to a greener economy, contributingto poverty reduction, natural disaster mitigation, and climate change response.–VNA