Backing the sustainable development of the bay of Haiphong

« Le Vietnam est un pays à forte croissance économique mais qui doit désormais apprendre à gérer les impacts environnemental et sanitaire de sa croissance. C'est pourquoi je soutiens fortement ce projet, d'autant que le Technopôle de Brest-Iroise a acquis des savoir-faire très utiles lors du chantier d'amélioration de la qualité des eaux de la rade de Brest et se trouve entouré de spécialistes en toxicologie alimentaire et en dégradation sanitaire des produits de la mer. »

Marie-Marguerite Bourbigot

Haiphong, the second biggest industrial hub of Vietnam thanks to steel manufacture, shipbuilding and textiles, is also the country's second largest port.
All human enterprises connected with the sea rub shoulders in its bay: harbor development, fishing, aquaculture, passenger transport to the islands of the bay of Halong, and tourism. A few kilometers from the city center, holidaymakers enjoy the beaches of several resorts.

In a few years, these different activities have seen considerable growth, without any joint action between the various players to measure the potential impacts on the environment, water quality and health.
Today, the situation is a cause for concern: the quality of the water in the bay, and hence that of the foods derived from the sea, has deteriorated substantially, and health problems are emerging.
The whole economic chain connected with maritime activity is thus imperiled: the city of Haiphong fears an intensification of the damage observed, a shrinkage of the biodiversity, a ban on exporting products from the sea, and a decline in tourist activity.

Signing a "bay contract"

In 1990, the port of Brest experienced the same hazards - health, environmental and economic. Gradually, a comprehensive coastline management process led to the signature of a "bay contract" associating all the socioeconomic players active in the area. Since then, 10 years of constant and concerted efforts have helped improve the quality of the water in the basin and to develop shellfish breeding and tourism anew - and without restricting the harbor and agricultural activities close to the port.

Recently, the Technopôle de Brest-Iroise therefore offered the city of Haiphong to develop the same type of action in collaboration with the city and port authorities, the Scientific Institute for the Marine Environment of Haiphong, the University of Western Brittany, the IDHESA* and Brest Métropole Océane for its "Water and Environment" department.

A "bay contract" similar to the Brest contract will accordingly be set up in Haiphong.
The approach will rely on a series of actions aimed to draw up a precise diagnosis of the situation, to identify all the relevant players at the administrative, economic and scientific levels, and then to devise and rank the solutions aimed to minimize the main sources of pollution.

By assisting the startup of this program, the Veolia foundation is engaging in a large scale project, which is exemplary in terms of sustainable development. The aim is in fact to preserve the environmental quality of the bay, the biodiversity of the "Red River Estuary", and promote continued economic growth (fisheries, aquaculture and tourism).

* IDHESA: Departmental Institute for Analysis, Consultancy and Expertise in Food, Hygiene, Water, Environment and Animal Health.