Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago

• Population growth;
• Increased tourism pressure and development;
• Urban and industrial development;
• Lack of financial and technical resources;
• Absence of an integrated planning approach.

Total amount provided to the property (recently): USD 100,000 under the Youth Volunteers for Cultural Heritage Preservation project (2003-2006); USD 519,000 for Cua Van Floating Cultural Centre, a component of the Ha Long Eco-museum (funded by the Government of Norway, for the period of 2003-2006).

From 6 to 10 November 2013, an IUCN reactive monitoring mission visited the property, in accordance with Decision 37 COM 7B.16 (Phnom Penh, 2013). Subsequently, on 25 January 2014, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, including copies of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for three development projects in the vicinity of the property. This report is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/672/documents, and provides information about progress in finding solutions to the pressures and management problems confronting the property, some of which have been of concern to the Committee for several years.

Issues relating to industrial developments outside the property, including coal mining, cement production, port development and road construction, have been successfully addressed by the management authorities. Recent accelerated growth in the number of residents in floating villages, unsustainable fishing and aquaculture, and pressure from steadily increasing visitor numbers are also being addressed. The State Party further reports that progress has also been made with development of a plan for implementing integrated management of the property and its buffer zone, implementation of a plan for sustainable use of the Cua Van Cultural Centre, and actions taken to reinforce management capacity in monitoring impacts, regulating use and regulating threats from outside the property.

With assistance from the IUCN mission, a draft action plan on integrated management was prepared, and the State Party notes that it intends to request International Assistance under the World Heritage Fund to evaluate the management effectiveness of the property and establish an integrated management system.

Some progress has been achieved in addressing conservation issues previously identified by the Committee. This successful outcome is confirmed by the report of the 2013 IUCN reactive monitoring mission, which concluded that the four industrial developments do not impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. It also concluded that the State Party has taken measures to lower pressure on the property from population growth, including improved waste management, and to improve aquaculture activities and reduce their impact on the property.

Tourism is regulated under strong national legislation and national and provincial regulations, and is guided by a new tourism management plan for the property. Better enforcement of regulations and increased management intervention have realised significant improvements in visitor services, tour boat operations, safety and security and waste management, while diversification of activities and opening of new areas for tourists are reducing the pressure from overcrowding of the most popular sites. However, the mission noted that financing and revenue generation should be reformed to increase the income from tourism. The mission further concluded that the Cua Van Cultural Centre has no significant impact on the OUV of the property and its location is appropriate to its purpose and function.

With a complement of almost 400 staff and an annual budget of approximately 2.15 million USD, the Ha Long Bay Management Department is well resourced to conduct its wide-ranging roles and responsibilities. However, the mission noted that the Department is hindered by its dependence on other government agencies.

It is recommended that the World Heritage Committee urge the State Party to increase income from tourism, including by establishing commercial concessions so that tourism operators contribute more to funding the costs of visitor management in the property.  Additionally, the Committee is recommended to also urge the State Party to accord a greater degree of autonomy and independence to the Ha Long Bay Management Department, thereby increasing its authority, influence and decision-making ability in enforcing regulations and conducting management operations.