Story | 05 Jan, 2019
IUCN Advisory Mission to Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site
In July 2018, at the request of Quang Ninh Province, IUCN hired two consultants, Janet Mackay, Director of Tourism Recreation Conservation Consultants (TRC) and Wim Vrins, a solid waste management specialist, to advise on tourism and waste management in Ha Long Bay…
Story | 26 Nov, 2018
A nexus assessment of the 3S river basins: initial results and feedback
Over the last 18 months, IUCN, ICEM, and IWMI have been preparing a water-food-energy-environment (WFEE) nexus assessment of the Srepok, Sesan, and Sekong (3S) River Basins in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam on behalf of the US State Department’s…
Story | 23 Nov, 2018
Zero waste programme: mutual benefits for both the environment and the private sector
Through the Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance (HLCBA), a USAID funded initiative to address the environmental problems in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago, IUCN and its partners are influencing the business sector, especially boat cruises and travel agents…
Story | 28 Sep, 2018
Biodiversity monitoring in Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago: getting started
“What species exist in this site?” is a question that is often asked by visitors to Vietnam’s protected areas. It seems to be a simple question to answer given the amount of research that’s been carried out in Vietnam’s national parks and nature reserves. But as MONRE…
Story | 14 Aug, 2018
Rethink plans to dam Mekong after Laos disaster
Barrage collapse highlights risks and need for alternative energy sources - The collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam after heavy rains last month that killed more than 30 in Laos and left thousands of Lao and Cambodian people…
Story | 03 Apr, 2018
Media trip focuses on tourism development on Cat Ba Island
Cat Ba is the largest of the 367 islands that make up the Cat Ba Archipelago, home of the Critically Endangered Cat Ba langur. Located near Hai Phong, Cat Ba is a national park as well as an…
Story | 18 Dec, 2017
In the framework of Ha Long – Cat Ba Alliance, funded by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID), IUCN will hold a media talk with the topic “Sustainable tourism development in the Heritage Sites”, focusing on Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site and Cat Ba Archipelago. The…
Story | 21 Nov, 2017
"Beautiful, totally worth it, shame about the litter. We thoroughly enjoyed our overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay and would recommend this experience. The only detractor was seeing litter in the water in the area where we went kayaking. Apparently, it's been cleaned up a lot in recent years but it…
Story | 13 Oct, 2017
“The longest and most useful trip to a cave I have ever had”
Ha Long Bay has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO twice for its outstanding universal values. But what are those values and why do they make Ha Long Bay so special? Such information seems only to be known by a few scientists and experts while the vast majority of visitors are…
Story | 24 Aug, 2017
When voices are heard in Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area
With a total area of 3.7 hectares (roughly the size of 5 football pitches), the coastline in front and the famous Hai Tang pagoda in back, the Pagoda Field in Cu Lao Cham, Viet Nam is a place of great natural beauty and of religious and historical value. The area is part of the Cu Lao Cham…