ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will deploy a team of experts to assess possible risks to the conservation of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam as it is worried about development projects that may threaten the heritage-listed tourist attraction, the United Nations (UN) agency told the media.
The bay and the adjoining Cat Ba archipelago of limestone islets in 2024 celebrate the 30th anniversary of inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, being considered by the agency “the most extensive and best-known example of marine-invaded tower karst”.
The UNESCO designation contributed to the site becoming a massive tourist destination, drawing millions of visitors every year and boosting Vietnam’s revenue from tourism.
However, the UN agency, in a statement attributed to its World Heritage Centre, said there were longstanding concerns that “multiple development projects for new tourism and urban residential areas along the coastline in Ha Long City had been approved and implemented” without a proper assessment of their impact.
