Reducing vulnerability to marine resources and environment

Over the past years, the growth of the coastal economic sectors in Vietnam has increased rapidly, but in addition to extreme natural phenomena, this is also a cause of damage to the marine resources and environment.

Therefore, assessing the level of vulnerability from which there are measures to forecast, prevent, adapt and mitigate losses is particularly important in the protection and sustainable use of resources and Vietnam marine environment.

The main risks

According to the Vietnam General Department of Sea and Islands, there are 6 main causes leading to some environmental incidents and incidents in Vietnam's coastal and coastal areas. These are extreme natural phenomena of toxic algae and red tide, storms and floods; Human activities such as marine transportation, mineral exploitation in the sea bottom cause oil spills, chemical spills . causing economic losses, human lives and human health, environmental pollution.

One of the most serious threats to the waters is the oil spill. In recent years, many oil spills caused by collision, stabbing and shipwreck have occurred, causing serious bad consequences for the environment. Only statistics from 1992 to 2006, there were 35 oil spills causing economic losses of hundreds of billions of VND. That is not to mention the damage to the natural environment and the consequences of economic losses due to declining fishing.

During the period 1999-2004, there were also 4 chemical leaks that polluted the marine environment. Specifically, on March 19, 1999, due to a maritime accident of 5,000 tons of urea of ​​Viva Ocean, Panama's nationality was overflowed by the sea to nearly 1,500 tons of NH4-N overflowing to Front Beach area of ​​Vung Tau city, affecting tourism and aquaculture. Or in March 2002, smugglers threw 100kg of cyanide into the sea near the Tra Khuc river mouth - Quang Ngai, causing massive death of fish and shrimps and causing many harms to the environment and aquatic resources here.

Up to this point, up to 14% of coral corporations have found out in Vietnamese waters dead; At the same time, the phenomenon of coastal erosion is taking place most complicated on the coast, where at least 50m of land is encroached on the mainland, many places up to 200 - 250m. On the other hand, the coastal areas of Vietnam have been suffering from many sea storms that are increasingly unpredictable, killing hundreds of people each year and causing physical damage to thousands of billion dong.

But the most significant and potential consequences of environmental accidents and incidents in the Vietnamese sea and coast are climate change and sea level rise. According to research with the scenarios given by scientists and authorities, if sea level rises by 1 meter in the next 100 years, Vietnam will have 17 million people suffering from annual floods and measures. Defense will cost an additional $ 2.4 billion.

Strengthen assessment and forecast

Studies on assessing vulnerability to marine resources and environment in Vietnam have only started since the late twentieth century. However, there have been many research projects up to now with different approaches. Noticeably, the results of the research group conducted by Professor-Doctor Mai Trong Nhuan from 2001 to the present. Through research and investigation, this group of scientists has developed vulnerability maps and proposed mitigation measures for many localities in coastal areas of Vietnam.

Topic : 'Research on proposed models, solutions for sustainable use of coastal geological resources, for example, Phan Thiet - Vung Tau' area has evaluated the vulnerability of some ecosystems, such as ecosystem of wetlands, coral reefs, coastal mangrove forests for the management, exploitation and rational use of these ecosystems.

A study to assess the vulnerability of coastal wetlands to the Xuan Thuy Ramsar wetland area - Nam Dinh, was also carried out. Thereby, it has mapped vulnerable areas and migratory birds - high conservation value of this Ramsar site; assessing the region's coping capacity and proposing a number of solutions to rational use of wetlands. This is a valuable study for the management and sustainable use of Ramsar area in Xuan Thuy in particular and in coastal wetlands in Vietnam in general.

In parallel with the vulnerability assessment studies in coastal areas, there are many environmental risk assessment studies for coastal areas. Typical researches on environmental risk assessment for coastal areas of Danang. These studies focus on assessing the risk of risk factors such as oil spills, seawater and sediment pollutants that directly affect mangrove forests, coral reefs and marine species.

On the Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Study for Climate Change, January 2009, the Southeast Asia Economic and Environmental Program (EEPSEA) has published a map of IPCC climate change vulnerabilities, to vulnerability assessment for countries in the region. For Vietnam, the assessment is conducted for 53 provinces and cities. In 2008, Oxfam (International Alliance of 15 organizations) had research on climate change and impact on the poor in Vietnam, with research sites in Ben Tre and Quang Tri.

Research in Party Tre with a sea level rise scenario of 2100, Oxfam has made predictions about land loss, affecting the people, especially the poor due to sea level rise and storms. flood and salinity.

In order to research and investigate comprehensively in this field, to effectively serve the Strategy and Planning on socio-economic development, especially Vietnam Marine Strategy to 2020, June 13 / 2008, the Prime Minister approved Project 80 on 'International cooperation on sea to 2020'.

Accordingly, activities under international cooperation tasks have been integrated with programs such as the National Target Program on Climate Change (NTP), PEMSEA, Vietnam Cooperation Program - The United States on marine science and technology . contributes to strengthening the state management capacity for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam General Department of Sea and Islands, relevant ministries, branches and localities. country.