RESOLUTION

NATIONAL MARINE SPATIAL PLANNING FOR THE PERIOD OF 2021-2030 WITH A VISION TOWARDS 2050

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Pursuant to the Constitution of Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the National Assembly No. 57/2014/QH13 amended by the Law No. 65/2020/QH14;

Pursuant to the Law on Vietnamese Sea No. 18/2012/QH13;

Pursuant to the Law on Natural Resources and Environment of Sea and Islands No. 82/2015/QH13 amended by the Law No. 35/2018/QH14;

Pursuant to the Planning Law No. 21/2017/QH14 amended by the Law No. 15/2023/QH15, the Law No. 16/2023/QH15, the Law No. 28/2023/QH15 and the Law No. 31/2024/ QH15;

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In light of the Government's Proposal No. 175/TTr-CP dated April 23, 2024 for national marine spatial planning for the period of 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050; the Report No. 2518/BC-UBKHCNMT15 dated May 25, 2024 of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment regarding the review of the Government's Proposal for national marine spatial planning for the period of 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050; the Report No. 901/BC-UBTVQH15 dated June 27, 2024 of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on explanation, receipt and correction of the draft Resolution on national marine spatial planning for the period of 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050 and opinions of National Assembly deputies,

HEREBY RESOLVES:

Article 1. Name and scope of planning

1. Name: National marine spatial planning for the period of 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050 (hereinafter referred to as “Planning”).

2. Scope: Coastal land, islands, archipelagos, waters and airspace of Vietnam. To be specific:

a) Coastal land is mainland of administrative divisions of coastal districts affiliated to 28 coastal provinces and central-affiliated cities;

b) Islands, Spratly Islands (Truong Sa Archipelago), Paracel Islands (Hoang Sa Archipelago) and other archipelagos are under Vietnam’s sovereignty in accordance with regulations of international law;

c) Waters include internal waters, territorial waters, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf that are under Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign right and national jurisdiction and defined under the Vietnam’s law and international treaties on territorial borders to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory in accordance with 1982 United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea;

d) Airspace lies above coastal land, islands, archipelagos and waters according to regulations of Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory.

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1. Viewpoints

a) Be a general, integrated, multi-disciplinary, dynamic, open and leading framework; specify national master plan and orientations and policies issued by the Communist Party and laws of the State on management, development and use of marine space in order to develop Vietnam into a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea and ensure sustainable development, prosperity, security and safety according to the Resolution of the 13^th National Congress of the Communist Party, 10-year socio-economic development strategy for 2021 - 2030, directions and tasks in 5-year socio-economic development for 2021 - 2025, Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW October 22, 2018 of the 8^th Meeting of the 12^th Central Committee of the Communist Party on the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy by 2030, vision to 2045; and conform to the national land use planning.  Specific contents related to development of sectors, fields and local areas are specified in specialized plans and plannings; 

b) Be uniform on the basis of integration of relevant plannings so as to create a driving force for cultural and socio-economic development, environmental protection, marine conservation, maintenance of national defense and security, foreign affairs and international cooperation, proactively manage natural disasters and respond to climate change on the basis of natural conditions, sea and island ecosystems and demands for use by sectors, fields and coastal zones and prohibit legalization of violations; ensure sustainable development based on green growth and harmony between conservation and development; maximize position potentials and comparative and competitive advantages of each sector, field and coastal land, islands, archipelagos, waters and airspace of Vietnam; give priority to development of 06 marine economic sectors (including marine tourism and services; maritime economy; exploitation of oil and gas and other marine resources and minerals; aquaculture and fishing; coastal industries; renewable energy and new marine economic sectors), basic research and investigation into sea and island resources and environment, especially undersea mineral resources;

   c) Maintain functions, structure, resilience and load-bearing capacity of ecosystems and marine regions and zones; increase capability of marine ecosystems and environment to provide essential products and services for human life and development of marine economic sectors; preserve values ​​and promote historical traditions and maritime cultural identities, along with development of a cohesive and sea-friendly society;

d) Enhance socio-economic development in coastal land, islands, archipelagos and waters by general, inter-regional and inter-disciplinary management methods; sustainably exploit and use sea and island resources and environment, improve transparency, accountability and participation of relevant parties in management, exploitation and use of marine space;

dd) Mobilize all resources for focused investment in sustainable development of the marine economy; make use of advanced and modern technology and science and high-quality human resources as breakthrough factors; prioritize allocation of state budget for investment in basic research and investigation into sea and island resources and environment, completion of a database on sea and islands and implementation of the Planning; mobilize domestic and foreign resources; proactively improve the efficiency in international integration and cooperation in sea.

2. Objectives by 2030

a) General objectives

Build a foundation for rapid and sustainable development of the marine economy, thereby contributing to establishment and strong development of marine economic sectors and affording people effective livelihood; ensure national defence, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation and firmly maintain independence, sovereignty, sovereign rights, national jurisdiction and interests at sea; efficiently manage and exploit marine resources, protect marine environment, conserve biodiversity, preserve marine cultural values, and gradually develop Vietnam into a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea.

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Effectively distribute and manage, and minimize conflicts over exploitation and use of marine space in order to achieve sustainable development objectives in terms of marine economy, culture, society, environmental protection, marine conservation, scientific and technological development, maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation. To be specific:

- Regarding marine economy: pure marine economic sectors will contribute to 10% of the Vietnam's GDP; the economy of 28 coastal provinces and cities will achieve 65 to 70% of the Vietnam's GDP; the per capita income (PCI) of the coastal provinces and cities will be more than 1,2 times compared to the PCI of the whole country; expand islands in suitable locations; develop a coastal urban system, especially urban centers in coastal estuaries and island areas in association with general development of marine economic sectors; synchronously, harmoniously and reasonably distribute modern technical and social infrastructure according to models of green economy, ecological and smart urban centers; build and expand coastal economic zones and eco-industrial parks towards circular economy, green economy, low-carbon economy and great resilience, associated with establishment and development of strong maritime economic centers and promotion of connection among regions;

- Regarding culture and society: the human development index (HDI) of coastal provinces and cities will be higher than the average HDI of the whole country; islands where people are living will have sufficient and basic socio-economic infrastructure, especially electricity, fresh water, communication service, healthcare and education; continue to consolidate and develop marine culture, and build a cohesive and sea-friendly society;

- Regarding environmental protection and marine conservation: effectively manage and protect sea and island ecosystems and control exploitation of marine resources within the recovery and load-bearing capacity of marine ecosystems.  Continue to restore mangrove forests; increase the area of marine conservation zones and coastal zones; the area will achieve at least 6% of the natural area of national waters;  Prevent, reduce and control marine pollution, especially ocean plastic waste; prevent, avoid and minimize impacts of natural disasters and effectively respond to climate change and sea-level rise, thereby contributing to implementation of Vietnam's commitment at the 26^th United Nations Climate Change conference of the Parties (COP26) for net zero emissions in 2050;

- Regarding science and technology: Vietnam is one of the ASEAN countries having leading marine technologies, comparable to global standards in certain fields; at least 50% of the area of Vietnam’s waters will have their marine resources and environment basically investigated at the map ratio 1:500.000; investigate some key regions at the high ratio; apply space technology and artificial intelligence to observation and supervision of the marine environment, forecast and warning about natural disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, climate change and sea-level rise; innovate technologies for and develop new and creative methods for exploiting and using sea and island resources to serve sustainable socio-economic development;

- Regarding national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation: protect a peaceful and stable environment; maintain independence, sovereignty, sovereign rights, judicial jurisdiction and national interests at sea; combine national defense and security with socio-economic development; expand foreign relations, strengthen international cooperation, proactively participate in and greatly contribute to the joint efforts of the international community into preservation, exploitation and sustainable use of seas and oceans; take full advantage of international support and assistance to increase the capacity to manage, exploit and sustainably use marine resources.

3. Vision towards 2050

All coastal land, islands, archipelagos, waters and airspace of Vietnam will be effectively managed, and sustainably exploited and used in terms of both space and time, thereby meeting the requirements for socio-economic development, maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs, international cooperation, environmental protection and marine conservation; the objective of developing Vietnam into a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea will be accomplished.

4. Some key tasks

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b) Development of marine economy: build marine infrastructure with a focus on key fields, including seaports and traffic connection between seaports and inland zones, marine communications, digital economic infrastructure, etc.; synchronously develop systems of airways, railways, roads, seaways and inland waterways between coastal and non-coastal zones, and between Vietnam and other countries; strongly develop marine economic sectors, especially aquaculture and fishing in association with marine conservation and maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation; sustainably develop maritime economy and maritime transport, and construct new ship building and repair establishments and maritime, marine and tourism service providers; rapidly develop coastal urban centers and those on islands in order to establish strong economy and logistics centers, truly becoming the driving force for socio-economic development in each region; research and generally assess potentials for and develop orientations to sustainable exploitation and use of marine minerals, clean and green energy generated from the sea;

c) Cultural and social development: establish sea and island infrastructure and cultural institutions; effectively organize marine cultural activities and improve the cultural and social life of people residing in coastal zones and islands; disseminate information about and increase awareness and accountability for development of Vietnam into a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea according to the Strategy for sustainable development of the marine economy, and successfully and effectively organize Vietnam Sea and Island Week;

d) Protection of sea and island environment: control and manage waste sources and handle environmental pollution clusters at sea, in coastal zones and on islands; identify and separate marine conservation and protection zones, coastal zones and islands; restore degraded ecosystems so as to increase marine conservation and protection areas;

dd) Development of resources: Carry out basic investigation into sea and island resources and environment; establish a digitized database on seas and islands in such a way to make sure that such database is integrated, shared and updated; strengthen provision of training for marine human resources and prioritize the development of human resources serving sea, fishing, renewable energy, tourism, marine science and technology fields; intensify scientific research on and application of technology to new and potential marine economic sectors, including marine pharmaceuticals, marine medicine, marine chemistry, and new materials; strongly attract and mobilize resources from economic sectors, especially private economy and foreign-invested economy.

5. Some breakthroughs

a) Focus on establishment of infrastructure and provision of logistics services in association with the development of shipbuilding industry, marine transport and infrastructure in coastal zones and islands in order to serve multiple purposes and ensure uniformity and modernity, thereby creating a driving force for attraction of resources, promotion of sustainable development of marine economic sectors, maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation, and meeting requirements for response to marine environmental incidents and natural disasters, , climate change and sea-level rise;

b) Sustainably, accountably and creatively develop sea and island tourism in association with the development of green and smart urban centers on islands; 

c) Enhance the development of a green, circular, low-carbon and highly resilient fishing economy with priority given to the development of marine aquaculture and offshore fishing in association with marine conservation and culture;

d) Rapidly and sustainably develop all types of clean and green energy generated from the sea with priority given to the development of offshore wind power, thereby contributing to maintenance of national energy security, national defense and security; research and generally assess potentials for the development of oil and gas industry, solid minerals and undersea building materials.

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1. Coastal land and waters

a) Environmental protection, management, protection and development of coastal protection forests, biodiversity conservation

Strictly control wastes discharged into the sea and effectively implement measures for preventing and minimizing pollution caused by ocean plastic waste. Increase the area and scale of marine protection and conservation zones and create a foundation for conservation associated with socio-economic development in coastal land and waters so as to respond to climate change and sea-level rise; focus on biodiversity conservation and restoration of ecosystems, especially coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests and coastal protection forests; ensure the integrity and natural relationships among marine and terrestrial ecosystems; protect and uphold the value of ecosystems towards a blue economy. Manage, protect, sustainably use and develop, uphold roles and functions of coastal forests in protection of environment and infrastructure and prevention of desertification and land degradation in coastal zones;

b) Development of infrastructure

Develop infrastructure, including transportation networks in a synchronous and modern manner in order to serve multiple purposes, especially a system of expressways and coastal roads which connect major economic centers of Vietnam, economic zones, industrial parks and urban areas with coastal economic zones and bonded warehouses at sea, and a closed logistics chain from production, circulation, delivery, import, export, distribution of goods to strategic connection between the North and the South, East - West, among regions in Vietnam and between Vietnam and the world.

Develop seaport infrastructure in association with planning for transportation routes (international maritime routes, coastal routes, inland waterway transport connection, etc.), navigation channel and water area infrastructure, maritime safety infrastructure, etc. in a dynamic relationship with other fields which use the same maritime infrastructure, including fishing and seafood export, marine tourism, oil and gas and enforcement of laws on sea and seaport waters.

Invest in synchronous upgradation of main river routes to transport freight, freight containers, specialized or overweight cargo on inland waterways and coastal transport corridors to national seaports and international gateways; invest in railway lines that are directly connected to major seaports and important international airports; consider connecting seaports, inland waterway ports, inland container depots and logistics centers on main transport corridors to the national transport network by dedicated railways.

Establish and upgrade a system of coastal airports, including international and domestic airports; research, survey, consider and decide planning and construction of additional airports on islands and archipelagos that have demands for socio-economic development in a manner that ensures national defense, security and foreign affairs and international cooperation.

Invest in development of a smart and safe information and communication infrastructure so as to respond to climate change and sea-level rise and ensure continuous connection between the mainland and islands and archipelagos.

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Supply petroleum services; provide stable and safe electricity for island communes and districts and coastal disadvantaged areas by way of using grid power and local power sources through application of new and renewable energy generation sources and storage technologies. Continue to promote the development of infrastructure in terms of culture, society, health, education, science, technology, etc., thereby contributing to improvement of understanding, cultural enjoyment and living standards of people in coastal zones;

c) Preservation of cultural heritage and development of marine tourism and sports areas

Focus on investment in construction of cultural and religious works, preservation, repair and restoration of special national relic sites and world heritage sites, etc. so as to serve education about traditional culture and socio-economic development; combine conservation and development of cultural heritage with the development of tourism and sports in waters and islands. Integrate the protection of cultural heritage and environment into requirements for management of natural disasters and response to climate change and sea-level rise; harmoniously handle the relationship between heritage protection and sustainable development.

Organize Vietnam's marine tourism space on the basis of the attractiveness of tourism resources, the diversity and richness of marine tourism products and comparative advantages of each coastal region. The marine space for tourism development from the North to the South shall be organized according to specific types of tourism in conformity with geographical conditions and tourism resources in each region, including resort tourism; sightseeing, study and experience tourism associated with marine resource conservation; cultural and historical tourism; ecotourism; event, sports and entertainment tourism; rural tourism associated with coastal communities and cruise tourism. Develop tourism routes that connect the mainland with nearshore and offshore islands;

d) Maritime economy

Prioritize the development of systems of seaports, inland waterway ports and logistics services, optimize transportation of goods and make effective connections with domestic and international markets. Develop marine safety and maritime services in ports and near sea and river transportation routes, including ship navigation services, marine environmental protection services and marine security services, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the maritime industry. Develop sea vessel fleets that have reasonable structure, modern technologies and quality of services improved in order to meet demands of the domestic transport market, fully participate in transport supply chains and increase the international transport market share;

dd) Exploration, exploitation, and processing of oil and gas and other marine mineral resources

 Carry out oil and gas exploitation in the Cuu Long, Nam Con Son and Malay - Tho Chu basins. Develop exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, especially those in the Phu Khanh, Tu Chinh - Vung May basins and marine minerals in a manner that is effective, sustainable and consistent with their potentials, thereby meeting the demands for provision of mineral resources for the economy to the maximum and minimizing negative impacts on environment, ecosystems and marine landscapes.

Promote investment in and prioritize resources for establishment of industries in terms of exploration for increase in reserves, exploitation, and synchronous, in-depth and effective processing with advanced technology and modern equipment in conformity with trends of the world with regard to oil and gas, unconventional hydrocarbons, minerals, mineral mines that have large resources and reserves, high value and strategic significance, minerals in the deep sea and potential regions, including new sediment basins. Effectively operate existing mineral processing plants associated with stable raw material sources and innovate technology and equipment in order to improve quality of products.

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Develop the salt industry in direction of efficiency, sustainability, productivity, diversity of products and high quality on the basis of making the best use of advantages in local areas that have tradition of salt production;

e) Aquaculture and fishing

Develop marine aquaculture towards production of commodities; encourage the development of industrial-scale aquaculture in open waters. Continue to effectively develop marine aquaculture regarding key species and aquatic species of high economic value on the basis of new and advanced technology associated with environmental protection and proactive response to climate change. Take advantage of potentials in marine zones and develop aquaculture in newly established areas where saline intrusion occurs due to climate change and cannot be continuously used for agricultural production purposes. Considerably transform the structure and organization of fishery production from nearshore and island aquaculture to marine aquaculture in association with protection and regeneration of aquatic resources, promote fishing in offshore zones in conformity with each marine zone and resilience of the marine ecosystem, along with protection of sustainable livelihoods of the fisher community associated with aquaculture, eco-tourism and recreational fishery, and gradually reduce the fishing intensity to make sure that it is suitable to aquatic resource reserves

g) Coastal industry

Develop the coastal industry in a manner that is appropriate to natural conditions and resources, carrying capacity of environment and resilience of ecosystems, degree of vulnerability of marine zones, coastal zones, islands and archipelagos and capacity for integration in supply chains so as to make the best use of natural resources of each region.  Prioritize stimulation of eco-friendly and high-tech industries, foundation industries and source technologies towards development of a circular, green, low-carbon, highly resilient and sustainable economy. Develop industries in terms of ship building and repair, petrochemical refining, energy, mechanical engineering and processing in a reasonable manner’

h) Development of industrial parks and coastal economic zones

Focus on construction and development of coastal economic zones and eco-industrial parks towards a circular, green and low-carbon, highly resilient and sustainable economy; connect international commodity supply chains; optimize exploitation and use of resources and develop marine economic sectors that have high added value; give priority to coastal zones that have low biodiversity, high carrying capacity of environment and low degree of vulnerability due to natural disasters, climate change and sea-level rise.  Take advantage of natural conditions and sustainably use natural resources and available human resources in each region and coastal zone; attract investors, effectively attract and use resources, especially high-quality human resources and successfully resolve environmental and social issues. Accelerate construction and completion of infrastructure in coastal economic zones and industrial parks towards models of eco-economic zones and industrial parks. Build coastal economic zones and free trade zones that become the driving force for development of coastal and inter-regional zones of Vietnam;

i) Renewable energy and new marine economic sectors

Synchronously and reasonably develop and diversify energy sources, including promotion and stimulation of investment in production and development of offshore wind power, hydrogen industry, solar power and other forms of renewable energy in potential coastal zones and islands, especially the Northern, South Central and Southern regions. Develop new marine economic sectors, including high-tech industry and marine data access industry, produce pharmaceuticals from marine organisms, develop maritime medicine, new materials and marine chemical industry and research on isolation, use and storage of greenhouse gases in sedimentary basins and offshore geological structures;

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Develop a system of coastal urban centers into sea-oriented centers, especially national urban centers, regional centers, coastal provinces and districts, and urban centers that have great potential to become economic - cultural – social centers of regions; harmoniously and reasonably distribute coastal urban and rural areas with synchronous and modern technical and social infrastructure according to models and criteria of green growth and smart and ecological urban centers associated with tourism development.  Regarding coastal zones, in addition to national, regional and provincial large urban centers, focus on establishment of urban chains in association with development of marine economic sectors. Build and develop urban centers that have industry and tourism functions associated with development of international seaports.

Develop new agricultural and rural areas on the basis of inter-local and inter-regional space with the same business line; establish modern and large-scale industrial-agricultural complexes in some key agricultural areas in coastal zones. Develop new rural models in a sustainable direction and create new livelihoods in coastal zones, especially those surrounding economic zones, industrial parks and resorts;

l) Land reclamation, sea dumping, prevention and control of coastal erosion, floods and saltwater intrusion

Conduct land reclamation in some zones to provide additional space and land for socio-economic development in coastal provinces and central-affiliated cities without degradation or decline of natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystems, and preservation of cultural and historical values.

Sea dumping shall meet criteria for protection of natural environment and sea and island ecosystems in accordance with relevant regulations of law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory. Take measures for preventing and controlling coastal erosion, floods and saltwater intrusion;

m) Maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation

Maintain independence, sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and national interests at sea; consolidate and strengthen the all-people defense posture associated with the people's security posture, enforce laws and increase capacity to handle issues arising at sea; protect a peaceful and stable environment for Vietnam's socio-economic development, and develop Vietnam into a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea.

Increase capacity for facing threats to security, order and social safety to create a basis for safe and effective exploitation and use of the sea; effectively respond to environmental incidents, natural disasters, climate change and sea-level rise, especially those in areas that are likely to have extreme vulnerability and big danger. Closely connect maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation with socio-economic development.

2. Islands and archipelagoes

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Encourage the development of island tourism, fishing ports and storm shelters for vessels; develop potential islands into fishery logistics and search and rescue centers and ecological, cultural, historical and spiritual tourist destinations that are high-quality and unique of regional and international levels with synchronous and modern technical infrastructure; develop some potential economic sectors associated with nature conservation on islands.

3. Airspace

Airspace of Vietnam shall be managed and used according to regulations of Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory.  The exploitation and use of airspace shall be absolutely safe and efficient and ensure harmony between economic development and maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation.

Article 4. Marine spatial use zoning

1. Coastal land, islands and archipelagoes

With regard to coastal land and islands and archipelagos, spatial use zoning shall be consistent with the national land use planning and the national master plan according to 04 socio-economic regions, including coastal land in the Northern region (from Quang Ninh province to Ninh Binh province); the North Central and Central Coast region (from Thanh Hoa province to Binh Thuan province); the Southeast region, consisting of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Ho Chi Minh City; the Southwestern region (from Tien Giang province to Kien Giang province) and islands and archipelagos.

Marine sectors and fields in coastal provinces and central-affiliated cities shall be developed according to national sector planning, regional planning, provincial planning, and technical planning and specialized planning, including the establishment of coastal economic zones and free trade zones in favorable places. With a view to promoting strong and sustainable development of the blue economy and ensuring the harmony between operations conducted on coastal land and those conducted at the sea, the development of operations on coastal land, islands and archipelagoes shall be oriented as follows:

a) Coastal land in the Northern region

Develop Hai Phong - Quang Ninh area into an international marine economic center with a leading position in ASEAN and the Hai Phong - Quang Ninh seaport area which is the center, and the Northeast region (Do Son - Cat Ba - Ha Long Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay - Van Don - Co To and other coastal zones if possible) into an international resort, entertainment, sea and island natural heritage tourism center. Improve inland waterways and coastal routes of Van Gia - Ka Long - Hai Phong area. Focus on development the marine economy in the Thai Binh - Nam Dinh - Ninh Binh area. Completely build infrastructure of coastal economic zones and industrial parks, and promote dominant roles of coastal economic zones connected with coastal urban centers. Research and develop renewable energy and gas power in conformity with natural conditions and advantages of the region.

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Promote application of science and technology and provision of training for marine human resources; develop Hai Phong province into an international center for training, research and application of marine science and technology in Vietnam;

b) Coastal land in North Central and Central Coast region

Develop Thanh Hoa - Nghe An - Ha Tinh area into a marine economic center associated with seaports, export processing zones and international logistics centers and concentrate resources on development of potential seaports into special seaports, with the center that is Nghi Son, Vung Ang - Cua Lo seaport area; petrochemical and chemical refining industry in South Thanh Hoa - North Nghe An area; an international center for eco-tourism, marine recreation and world natural heritage tourism in Quang Binh province. Develop aquaculture with a focus on products that have high economic value in order to serve export processing and fisheries centers.

Develop Thua Thien Hue - Da Nang area into a marine economic center associated with Lien Chieu - Chan May seaport - urban center. Develop a coastal tourism zone of ​​Southern Thua Thien Hue - Da Nang - Northern Quang Nam into an international center for eco-tourism, marine recreation and world cultural heritage tourism. Develop fisheries centers in Da Nang province and high-tech aquaculture in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai provinces. Expand and build a national oil refinery, petrochemistry and energy center in Dung Quat Economic Zone and effectively implement the Blue Whale project. Strengthen and promote connection between Chu Lai Open Economic Zone and Dung Quat Economic Zone, and establish some key coastal industrial centers of the region and the whole country.

Develop Khanh Hoa - Phu Yen - Binh Dinh area into a marine economic center connected with Van Phong - Cam Ranh - Quy Nhon seaport area, and study and develop Bai Goc - Dong Hoa area. Develop Binh Dinh - Binh Thuan area into an international center for recreation, entertainment, sports and marine exploration, a large renewable energy industry center, a large fishery center and a high-tech marine aquaculture center; establish a marine science and technology park and a national marine research center in Khanh Hoa province;

c) Coastal land in the Southeast region

Develop ​​a coastal zone of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Ho Chi Minh City’s Southeast into an international marine economic center with leading position in Vietnam and the Southeast Asia region and prioritized sectors and fields, including seaports, logistics services, oil and gas exploitation, petrochemicals, marine tourism, fishing, aquaculture and fishery processing. Modernize and develop Cai Mep - Thi Vai international gateway port into an international transshipment port of the Asian region, and build Can Gio international transshipment port.

Complete a coastal road system connecting with the national road system; research on investment in the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau freight railway connecting with Cai Mep - Thi Vai seaport.

Develop coastal protection forests; strengthen protection and conservation of biodiversity in mangrove forests, special-use forests and Can Gio biosphere reserve;

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Develop green industry, clean energy and renewable energy, especially wind power and solar power in association with protection of forests and seashore; stimulate aquaculture, fishing, logistics services and modern fishery infrastructure in order to serve offshore fishing and fishery centers in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang provinces; complete a transportation system to connect with major economic centers in the region and the world; study and develop Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces into renewable energy export centers of Vietnam.

Regarding the Eastern region (from Tien Giang province to the Southeast of Ca Mau province): Develop Tra Vinh - Soc Trang area in connection to Can Tho city into a regional marine economic center associated with Tran De port and a coastal economic corridor associated with development of a coastal road; upgrade navigation channels that allow large-size ships to enter Hau River and Tran De navigation channel; establish an inter-regional and international logistics center in Dinh An economic zone; develop hi-tech aquaculture adapting to climate change and an aquaculture center in Bac Lieu province.

Regarding the Western region (from the Southwest of Ca Mau province to Kien Giang province): Develop tourism seaports and seaports where goods and services are imported and exported in connection to a seaport with the center that is Phu Quoc - Rach Gia - Hon Chong wharf and Nam Can - Ong Doc port; research on investment in development of Hon Khoai port into a general port; develop Kien Giang province into a national marine economic center;

dd) Islands and archipelagoes

Develop potential and advantages of 12 island districts and cities to promote socio-economic development in association with maintenance of national defense and security and protection, conservation and preservation of historical relics, cultural values, resources, environment, ecosystem and marine biodiversity and adaptation to climate change and sea-level rise; construct dual-use works and sufficient and basic socio-economic infrastructure, especially electricity, fresh water, communications, health care and education, and improve material and spiritual life of officials , soldiers, youth volunteers and people on islands. Some specific contents are regulated as follows:

- Co To island district: Build the island district with a developed economy and solid defense and security; develop Co To island district into a high-quality sea and island ecology tourism destination in association with history, culture and natural landscapes with functions of general entertainment, sports, tourism, accommodation, luxurious resorts and scientific research on nature and ecological environment; Co To island district will become a rescue and fishery logistics center in the Northeast region.  Expand existing land for urban development in Co To Lon and Thanh Lan islands; allocate residential land and migrate to Tran island;

- Van Don island district: Develop it into a multi-disciplinary and multi-sector marine economic zone and an entertainment industry, culture industry, high-end sea and island tourism and general service center, and an international business gateway; create high-quality unique, different and modern products that have brands and international competitiveness; Van Don island district will become a green, modern, smart and sustainable sea island city in connection with historical elements and traditional culture;

- Bach Long Vi island district: Build the island district in a manner that ensures sustainable socio-economic development and strong defense and security in the Gulf of Tonkin waters; maximize potential and advantages, promote the development of service sectors, attract and apply high-tech technologies to development of aquaculture and fishery processing; Bach Long Vi island district will become a search, rescue and fishery logistics center in the Northern region;

- Cat Hai island district: Develop the island district into a key marine economic center of Hai Phong city, a seaport service center, a logistics center, and a modern technological and industrial park; into a smart island district with a synchronous transport infrastructure; Cat Ba island will become an international eco-tourism center;

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- Hoang Sa island district: Continue to claim sovereignty by peaceful methods in accordance with international law; research and develop appropriate policies to assist fishermen in fishing, protection of natural resources and environment and search and rescue;

- Ly Son island district: Develop it into an eco-tourism island in association with green and smart urban development on the basis of marine logistics services;

- Truong Sa island district: Develop the island district into an economic, cultural and social center at sea of ​​Vietnam in association with development of potentials for national defense and security. In the first place, focus on fishery logistics; facilitate the people's life on sea and the island and enable people to have a long-term stable life on Truong Sa island district;

- Phu Quy island district: Develop the island district into a smart and dynamic island city that rapidly develops and achieves green growth, and focus on increase in defense capacity. Stimulate fishery processing according to a model of association and connection in chains of use and provision of logistics services; strengthen the application of advanced and modern science and technology to preservation and preliminary processing of seafood, thereby increasing the added value; prioritize development of tourism so that it becomes a key economic sector, and diversify high-quality tourism products and forms;

- Con Dao island district: Reasonably and effectively mobilize and use resources for investment in development, and efficiently exploit potentials and advantages of Con Dao; strongly develop tourism and high-quality services; develop Con Dao island district into a regional and international unique marine ecological urban center that has synchronous and modern infrastructure, including rapid expansion of Con Dao Airport; protect, conserve and preserve historical relics, cultural values, natural resources and marine biodiversity and Con Dao national park is the center;

- Kien Hai island district: Develop it into a marine economic center with outstanding activities, including community-based sea and island tourism services, marine aquaculture and fishery processing; build and upgrade fishing ports in connection to logistics affairs and services for marine aquaculture;

- Phu Quoc City: Develop Phu Quoc city into a green and smart city, and an international and regional center for economy, trade, tourism and sea and island ecotourism that has high quality and many different values at the forefront of Vietnam's territorial sea with a strategic defense position

- Regarding other islands that have potentials, advantages and strategic and important positions, continue consolidation and maintenance of national defense and security in association with development of certain economic sectors and preservation of nature and biodiversity and adaption to climate change and sea-level rise in conformity with characteristics of each island.

2. Waters

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If necessary, according to proposals made by Provincial People's Committees and relevant Ministries and central authorities, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall request the Prime Minister to adjust the priority order of use of sea for specific waters on the basis of analysis and assessment of effectiveness and cost benefits in terms of economy, society and environment and accountability for assistance in protecting sovereignty and security at sea.

a) Waters in the Northern region

- Zones where maritime activities are prohibited: a total area of about 12 thousand hectares, including 18 zones where maritime activities are prohibited for the purpose of marine conservation and 08 backup zones

- Zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions: a total area of about 478 thousand hectares, including 31 zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions for conservation and protection purposes and 68 zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions for other purposes;

- Areas that are given special protection: a total area of about 43 thousand hectares, including 155 areas;

- Areas where maritime activities are incentivized:

+ Areas where maritime activities are prioritized and incentivized: a total area of 167 thousand hectares, including 04 areas where tourism is prioritized and incentivized and 11 areas where port services are prioritized and incentivized;

+ Potential areas for exploitation and development: a total area of about 2.245 thousand hectares, including potential areas for exploitation of oil and gas; potential areas for exploitation of building materials; potential areas for exploitation of placer deposits; and potential areas for development of wind power;

+ Areas used for multiple purposes: an area of about 380 thousand hectares;

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- Zones where maritime activities are prohibited: a total area of about 45 thousand hectares, including 38 zones where maritime activities are prohibited for the purpose of marine conservation and 20 backup zones;

- Zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions: a total area of about 20.441 thousand hectares, including 73 zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions for conservation and protection purposes and 96 zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions for other purposes;

- Areas that are given special protection: a total area of about 22 thousand hectares, including 62 areas;

- Areas where maritime activities are incentivized:

+ Areas where maritime activities are prioritized and incentivized: a total area of 267 thousand hectares, including 19 areas where tourism is prioritized and incentivized and 28 areas where port services are prioritized and incentivized;

+ Potential areas for exploitation and development: a total area of about 18.671 thousand hectares, including potential areas for exploitation of oil and gas; potential areas for exploitation of methane clathrate; potential areas for exploitation of building materials; potential areas for exploitation of placer deposits; potential areas for exploitation of metals in deep sea; and potential areas for development of wind power;

+ Areas used for multiple purposes: an area of about 23.897 thousand hectares;

c) Waters in the Southeast region

- Zones where maritime activities are prohibited: a total area of about 2,3 thousand hectares, including 10 zones where maritime activities are prohibited for the purpose of marine conservation and backup zones;

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- Areas that are given special protection: a total area of about 6 thousand hectares, including 17 areas;

- Areas where maritime activities are incentivized:

+ Areas where maritime activities are prioritized and incentivized: a total area of 73 thousand hectares, including 04 areas where tourism is prioritized and incentivized and 02 areas where port services are prioritized and incentivized;

+ Potential areas for exploitation and development: a total area of about 11.316 thousand hectares, including potential areas for exploitation of oil and gas; potential areas for exploitation of methane clathrate; potential areas for exploitation of building materials; potential areas for exploitation of placer deposits; potential areas for exploitation of metals in deep sea; and potential areas for development of wind power;

+ Areas used for multiple purposes: an area of about 5.810 thousand hectares;

d) Waters in the Southwestern region

- Zones where maritime activities are prohibited: a total area of about 15 thousand hectares, including 22 zones where maritime activities are prohibited for the purpose of marine conservation and 08 backup zones;

- Zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions: a total area of about 1.128 thousand hectares, including 23 zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions for conservation and protection purposes and 51 zones where maritime activities may be performed under statutory conditions for other purposes;

- Areas that are given special protection: a total area of about 112 thousand hectares, including 33 areas;

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+ Areas where maritime activities are prioritized and incentivized: a total area of 416 thousand hectares, including 03 areas where tourism is prioritized and incentivized, 11 areas where port services are prioritized and incentivized and 28 areas where wind power is prioritized and incentivized;

+ Potential areas for exploitation and development: a total area of about 2.400 thousand hectares, including potential areas for exploitation of oil and gas; potential areas for exploitation of building materials; potential areas for exploitation of placer deposits; and potential areas for development of wind power;

+ Areas used for multiple purposes: an area of about 10.313 thousand hectares;

dd) Continue considering the zoning of the following waters: a part of the historical waters between Vietnam – Cambodia, waters of continental shelves extended beyond 200 nautical miles, and waters of islands affiliated to Hoang Sa archipelago and Truong Sa archipelago.

Regarding waters of islands affiliated to Hoang Sa archipelago and Truong Sa archipelago, continue study and determination of marine protection and conservation areas, fishing, search and rescue, and maintenance of national defense and security. To be specific: with regard to conservation, conduct study and determine Nam Yet marine conservation zone with a total area of ​​about 23 thousand hectares, Thuyen Chai marine conservation zone with a total area of ​​about 83 thousand hectares, Song Tu marine conservation zone with a total area of ​​about 14 thousand hectares; with regarding to fishing: conduct study and determine fishing grounds for fishing.

3. Airspace

Manage and maintain sovereignty over Vietnam's airspace in accordance with Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory. The exploitation and use of airspace shall be absolutely safe and efficient and ensure harmony between economic development and maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation. Detailed contents of civil aviation shall be consistent with airport and aerodrome planning and the law on civil aviation; regarding airspace prohibited from exploitation and airspace that need special protection for national defense and security purposes, regulations issued by the Ministry of National Defense shall apply.

Orientations of airspace planning only cover management, exploitation and use of airspace, and exclude use zoning.  Effectively operate and provide air navigation services in the Hanoi flight information region and Ho Chi Minh flight information region in accordance with regulations of Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory; optimize airspace organization and flight modes of airports and aerodromes in operation and those expected to be upgraded, expanded and newly built during the planning period. Research air traffic control zones and flight modes of coastal airports and aerodromes, and build or increase capacity of airports and aerodromes, especially airports on islands and archipelagos.

Take control of heights of obstacles to ensure absolute safety for all airspace exploitation and use operations of designated organizations and authorities in accordance with law; ensure that licensed heights of construction works shall be absolutely safe for all flight operations, normal operation of airspace management and defence grounds, aeronautical radio stations and military antenna systems in Vietnam under law.

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1. The tentative list of projects of national importance for the period of 2021 – 2030, with a vision towards 2050 and order of priority for implementation thereof are shown in the Appendix to this Resolution.

2. If there are new projects obtaining the investment policy decision or the approval of the investment policy from the National Assembly under the Planning, they will be added to this List at the same time as procedures for decision on the investment policy and approval of the investment policy, subject to the requirements of the law.

Article 6. Measures and resources available for implementation of the Planning

1. Regarding marine space management mechanisms and policies

a) Review and amend the Law on Natural Resources and Environment of Sea and Islands and relevant laws and regulations to ensure synchronization and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of management, exploitation and use of resources and protection of sea ​​and island environment; complete mechanisms and policies towards administrative reform and promotion of decentralization and delegation of authority over management, exploitation and use of sea and islands according to principles of publicity and transparency of information included in the Planning and marine boundary delineation;

b) Establish and adopt criteria for and policies on development of a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea, support policies and breakthrough mechanisms for the development of marine economic sectors and special administrative-economic units, free trade zones and bonded areas on coastal zones, islands and at sea; criteria and regulations on settlement of overlapping issues on and conflicts in the order of priority over exploitation and use of marine space that has not yet been determined in the Planning; specific regulations on management of each type of waters according to the planning;

c) Review and adjust national sector planning, regional planning, provincial planning, special administrative - economic unit planning, urban planning, rural planning, technical planning and specialized planning in accordance with the Planning; accelerate and complete establishment of coastal protection corridors;

d) Encourage and mobilize classes, enterprises and regulatory authorities at all levels and in all sectors to participate in the implementation of the Planning with priority given to promotion of the development of a blue, circular, low-carbon and highly-resilient marine economy;

dd) Innovate marine governance methods towards modernity and effective competition; ensure harmony of interests between coastal and non-coastal zones, between exploitation and use of sea and marine conservation and among relevant parties in order to achieve the objective of building a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea Develop and operate inter-disciplinary and inter-level coordination and cooperation mechanisms for marine management; continue to improve an integrated and synchronous system of sea and island authorities to effectively implement the Planning; encourage and promote the supervisory role of Vietnam Fatherland Front, its member organizations and the People in implementation of the Planning.

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a) Develop and apply marine science and technology as a breakthrough solution for implementation of the Planning;

b) Issue technical requirements and criteria according to international environmental standards to investment projects likely to cause environmental pollution; use methods, tools and technologies to prevent and control problems that may cause environmental pollution, minimize and treat pollution sources, including marine debris, especially plastic waste;

c) Increase investment in technical facilities and conduct basic investigation into natural resources and environment in deep and remote waters, and focus on potential areas and areas where information is not available and sufficient to assess potentials and advantages in terms of natural conditions, resources and ecosystem value, and adverse impacts on waters, thereby serving as a basis for completion of spatial arrangement and regulations on use of sea during the implementation of the Planning;

d) Intensify the application of remote sensing technology, geographic information system (GIS), and other modern technologies to implementation and supervision of the Planning; promote innovation in and intensive application of scientific achievements, advanced technologies, new science and technologies to performance of key tasks and breakthroughs of the Planning.  Accelerate digital transformation and complete a comprehensive, synchronous, centralized and uniform system of information and database on national sea and island resources and environment, including data on planning for sustainable development of the marine economy by 2030.

3. Regarding investment attraction

a) Encourage and raise domestic and foreign investment capital to develop marine economic sectors; appropriately allocate resources to implement projects of national importance according to the Planning; ensure a reasonable ratio between frequent expenditure and development investment expenditure towards gradual increase in development investment expenditure in fields of sea and islands; prioritize public investment capital for development of key, large-scale, inter-regional, inter-provincial and widespread infrastructure, thereby fulfilling essential needs and settling bottlenecks in coastal zones and waters;

b) Promote the leading role of public investment in attraction and mobilization of social resources engaged in investment projects, especially marine economic sectors and fields.  Focus on reasonable allocation of resources to serve basic investigation, statistics, processing of information and data and completion of a system of information and database on sea and islands;

c) Continue to improve and enhance quality of investment and business environment and establish breakthrough mechanisms and policies to enable economic sectors to make investment and conduct trade in a manner that ensures fair competition, equality and transparency, thereby attracting domestic and foreign strategic investors that have large amounts of capital, modern technologies and advanced management skills in order to have leading capacity and create ecosystems in key marine economic sectors and fields.

4. Regarding development of human resources

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b) Develop policies on support and improvement of training quality and build up a network of local training institutions providing marine human resources that reach the advanced level; effectively provide vocational training, thereby meeting labor requirements of marine economic sectors and people’s demand for change in jobs in coastal zones;

c) Develop and execute comprehensive training programs, and update and improve professional knowledge and qualifications of staff in management sectors and fields related to sea.

5. Regarding supervision of implementation of the Planning

Tighten supervision of implementation of the Planning; strictly handle acts of exploiting and using sea against regulations of law, causing environmental pollution, degrading and destroying marine resources; enable relevant parties to participate in implementation of the Planning and supervision of thereof to the maximum.

6. Regarding international cooperation

a) Promote and encourage international cooperation in the fields, including basic investigation into sea and islands; development of infrastructure in coastal zones, at sea and islands; provision of training for and development of marine human resources; exploitation of resource potentials for development of the marine economy, especially renewable energy and new marine economic sectors; rescue; marine scientific and technological research with a focus on environmental protection, conservation of ecosystems and marine biodiversity, management of natural disasters, adaptation to climate change and sea-level rise;

b) Strengthen dialogues to promote maritime connectivity and global cohesion; enhance negotiation and conclusion in terms of maritime boundary delimitation; actively participate in international treaties and agreements on protection of marine environment, marine conservation, exploitation and use of shared waters.

7. Information dissemination for increase in awareness

a) Publicly and transparently announce the Planning according to regulations of law by using methods appropriate to each group of regulated entities;

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Article 7. Organization of implementation of the Planning

1. The Planning for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision towards 2050 ratified in this Resolution serves as a basis for formulation of a Plan to implement the Planning and establishment and modification of national sector planning, regional planning, provincial planning, special administrative-economic unit planning, urban planning, rural planning, technical planning and specialized planning according to regulations of the Law on Planning. Projects of national importance shall be carried out in a manner that complies with regulations of the law on public investment, meets practical requirements for development and achieves objectives and orientations set out in this Resolution.

2. The Government and the Prime Minister, within their jurisdiction, are assigned to:

a) Urgently promulgate a Plan to implement the Planning; publicly announce the Planning according to regulations of law; direct and strengthen dissemination of information on, and uphold the supervisory role of people and agencies, organizations and individuals in the implementation of the Planning;

b) Review, amend or promulgate legislative documents within their jurisdiction; request the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly to amend or promulgate laws, ordinances and resolutions to perform key tasks and make breakthroughs of the Planning;

c) Establish a mechanism for coordinating, directing and instructing ministries, central authorities and People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities to effectively implement the Planning;

d) Request competent authorities to provide capital for the implementation of the Planning; prioritize investment in key tasks, breakthroughs, investigation, assessment, and completion of the system of database on sea and islands; urgently organize maritime boundary delimitation;

dd) Direct continuation in review and completion of the National Marine Spatial Planning Document; assume their responsibilities for the accuracy of data, documents, diagrams, maps and databases in the National Marine Spatial Planning Document and ensure that they conform to contents of this Resolution, the Communist Party's policies and conclusions of competent authorities, thereby making sure that the Planning is consistent and synchronous with the system of plannings, the land law and other relevant laws; promptly propose adjustments to the Planning according to the Law on Planning.

3. The Government shall provide guidance on and organize implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution on national marine spatial planning for the period of 2021 – 2030, with a vision towards 2050; direct ministries, central authorities and People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities to fulfill tasks and adopt solutions within their functions, tasks and jurisdiction.

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5. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, within their tasks and powers, shall supervise and call for public participation in implementation of this Resolution./.

This Resolution is approved in the 7^th session of the 15^th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in June 28, 2024.

CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY




Tran Thanh Man

APPENDIX

TENTATIVE LIST OF PROJECTS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE AND ORDER OF PRIORITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION THEREOF
(Enclosed with the Resolution No. 139/2024/QH15 dated June 28, 2024 of the National Assembly)

No.

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Phasing

2021-2030

2031-2050

1

Establishment and implementation of policies, criteria and measures for development of a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea

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2

Development of marine human resources for performance of key tasks and breakthroughs in implementation of the Planning

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x

3

Sustainable development of sea and island tourism and services associated with preservation and promotion marine cultural identity with a view to building a country that is recognized to be powerful in terms of its sea and be enriched by its sea

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x

4

Development of synchronous and modern infrastructure that serves multiple purposes and adapts to climate change and sea-level rise in coastal zones and islands

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x

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Rapid and sustainable development of a green, circular, low-carbon and highly resilient seafood economy on the basis of effective use of resources in association with marine conservation and marine culture preservation, maintenance of national defense, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation

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6

Construction of multi-functional logistics facilities on offshore islands according to a civil-military model regarding development of sea and island economy

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7

Development of islands towards a green, circular, low-carbon and highly-resilient economy in association with maintenance of national defense and security

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8

Effective and sustainable investigation, assessment and exploitation of some marine minerals in association with protection of environment and ecosystems and maintenance of national defense and security.

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9

Effective and sustainable investigation, assessment and use of renewable energy sources from sea

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x

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Research into development of the GHG capture and storage industry in sedimentary basins and offshore geological structures

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11

Research into development of models and methods of integration between economy, ecology, environment and defense and security for sustainable development of coastal zones

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12

Research, investigation, assessment and quantification of economic value, and resilience and recovery capacity for the purpose of sustainable and effective use of marine ecosystems

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13

Research and development of new and potential marine economic sectors (marine pharmaceuticals, marine medicine, marine chemistry, new materials, etc.)

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x

Nghị quyết 139/2024/QH15 về Quy hoạch không gian biển quốc gia thời kỳ 2021-2030, tầm nhìn đến năm 2050 do Quốc hội ban hành