Mapping Marine Functional Zoning for the Northern Tonkin Coastal Zone, Vietnam45251

Mapping Marine Functional Zoning for the Northern Tonkin Coastal Zone, Vietnam Bui Thi Thanh Huong (1)(*), Nguyen Van Hong (2), Nguyen An Thinh (3), Nguyen Hieu(4) (1) VNU University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam Institute of Geography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam (3) VNU University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam (4) VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam * Correspondence: buithanhhuong.vn@vnu.edu.vn (2) Abstract: The coastal zone of Northern Tonkin is placed in the Northwest of the Gulf of Tonkin, located on the international maritime road, with rich natural resources, great advantage for developing many marine economic sectors, many seaports and maritime services Base on geographic approach in coastal space zoning and some law regulations and the legal provisions in Article 33 of the Law on Natural Resources and Environment of the Sea and Islands, Circular No 74/2017 / TTBTNMT promulgated December 29, 2017, regulating some techniques on integrated coastal management (ICM) for exploiting and sustainable use of natural resources, statistical data, field data, remote sensing data combined with marine functional zoning methods, maps of marine functional zoning for Northern Tonkin Coastal Zone (Vietnam) was built as follows: (1) protected and conservational area, (2) saving usage natural resources area, (3) active usage natural resources area, (4) security and safety area Keywords: Marine functional zoning (MFZ); Tonkin coastal zone; Integrated Coastal Management (ICM); Vietnam Introduction The Northern Tonkin coastal zone (NTCZ), located in the western coastal strip of the Gulf of Tonkin, an important Gulf of Vietnam in the marine socio-economic development strategy, ensuring national security and defense, national marine sovereignty and international integration in the globalization The NTCZ covers provinces and cities: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh, has a length of about 460 km The NTCZ is not only a key economic region and has the most vibrant economy in Vietnam but it is also filled with urban areas, industrial parks and nature reserves of international value According to the sustainable development strategy of the marine economy to 2030 and vision to 2045, developing basic marine survey, including functional zoning, is one of the prioritized tasks of Vietnam Functional zoning for integrated coastal management is basically Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) It is the most widely used process to conserve marine environment and sustainably use marine natural resources to meet human needs The concept of marine functional zoning (MFZ) originates from the concept of marine spatial planning (Teng and Zhao et al., 2019), a basic task of the government which divides the seas and islands into different functional zones and provide technical facilities for marine development, conservation and management (Teng and Zhao et al., 2019) MFZ can be considered as a science-based decision-making process to prevent unplanned human activities in the managerial process through basic functions and 123 environmental protection requirements for designated marine areas Prior to the establishment of the MFZ system, the high intensity of coastal economic development led to undesirable outcomes, from reduced coastal resources to increased coastal erosion, from increased coastal reclamation area for urban construction to the disconnection between land and sea development, from sea pollution and catastrophe to degradation of coastal wetland ecosystems (Teng and Zhao et al., 2019) The result of functional zoning for the NTCZ with basic functional areas is a new research result contributing to the planning and developmental orientation for the coastal areas of the Tonkin Gulf, serving the general management of the NTCZ Literature review In China, ecological functional zoning was outlined in the 12th five-year plan, marking a change in spatial planning approach from economic orientation to functional orientation This approach assumes that each region should have a distinct function to focus on promoting its strength according to individual environmental-social requirements With a function-oriented approach of the region, the Government can monitor regional and local development Therefore, ecological functional zoning is considered as a tool to guide spatial planning to long-term sustainable development The zoning is divided into levels of implementation: national and provincial levels The zoning of ecological functions at national scale is based on quantitative indicators and qualitative indicator At the provincial scale, the provincial government will participate in the establishment and zoning Quantitative indicators include: cultivated land area; water source; environmental load capacity; vulnerability of the ecosystem; the importance of ecosystems; Possible impacts of natural disasters; the level of population concentration; economic development based on GDP; Favorability degree in transportation, with a qualitative indicator as (x) strategic choice Thus, the results of zoning include types of zone: optimal development zones; development priority zone; restricted development zone, including ecological functional areas and agricultural production area; prohibited development zone With this policy, China ensures the goal of both economic development and conservation (Teng et al., 2019) Jörg and John (1999) developed trans-disciplinary approaches for integrated spatial planning of coastal areas (ISPCA) The ecological footprint is calculated for coastal areas as a basis for making spatial planning decisions Research results show that economic development makes the coastal system exceed resilience threshold (Jörg and John, 1999) Susan and Stewart (2004) studied ISPCA in Central Queensland, Australia Conflicts between coastal resource users and management-related socio-political issues were considered during the planning implementation Conflicts that occur between stakeholders in the coastal area are considered in terms of value, trade-offs between conservation and development, access and rights to use of resources; Understanding conflict between stakeholders is essential in the decision-making process to ensure cooperation between social groups (Susan and Stewart, 2004) Counsell et al (2006) argued that spatial planning is an appropriate solution to integrate policies among different economic sectors in terms of space; 45 interviews were conducted with government officials, stakeholder groups and 124 scholars to examine the integration degree of spatial planning The results of the study pointed out the main concerns of stakeholders about the integration level of traditional planning with housing policy, economic development and transportation The study also showed that in the process of interdisciplinary integration, several barriers needed to be improved, including traditional planning (Counsell et al., 2006) Davoudi and Strange (2008) conducted research on the role of space and place in strategic planning (Strategic Spatial Planning) in a number of different areas of the United Kingdom Six case studies on spatial strategy were undertaken Although there has been broad support for re-orienting the urban planning and location, there is little general understanding of what constitutes the plan New perspectives, scientific and practical debates on space and place in spatial planning are presented in this study Vigar (2008) suggested that planning should be implemented in the direction that integrates with basic contents including: alignment strategies and policies; developing a policy framework; linking policies and actions; negotiate cooperation among stakeholders to resolve conflicts in coastal management Two types of linkages are considered in policy integration: vertical (national / local planning) and cross-linking (sectoral planning) The interaction between policies and actions at different spatial levels forms the basis for proposing corrective measures and actions Morphet (2009) examined the role of spatial planning in infrastructure planning and development The research conclusions are made with consideration of the potential effectiveness of the spatial planning as an integration and future prospect Macintosh (2013) applied the ISPCA in urban planning adapting to climate change in Victoria, Australia From the results of the case study, the issues of interest drawn include: risks of damage caused by natural disasters and climate change in coastal areas; opportunity costs and planning equity; encouraging approaches that allow for continued use and development of land but on the basis of protecting the interests of government and the community The new model is based on a vision that is shared widely with stakeholders and allows identifying priority issues step by step over time Integrated spatial planning is a highlight in the work of Portman et al (2012) by using existing results from coastal countries worldwide and quantitative analysis through surveys to propose the five main mechanisms that support the implementation of the ISP methods include environmental impact assessment, planning decentralization, and coastline delineation Then, the ISP is applied to solve conflicts / contradiction in coastal Kenya (Tuda et al., 2014) Successful applied zoning method for integrated coastal management in a PEMSEA’s project (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia), the coastal region of Xiamen (China) was divided into functional zones These include: Port zone, Tourism zone, Aquaculture zone, Coastal Technology Zone, Maritime Mechanical zone, Mining zone, Nature Reserve zone, Special Functional zone, and resilience zone Coastal economic activities are prioritized based on the characteristics: development restrictions, limited development, development priorities based on socioeconomic benefits and environmental impacts that the economic activity bring or affect the coast (Mao and Kong, 2018) Thus, environmental zoning is used as an effective tool for the 125 rational use of natural resources in a territorial space The basis for environmental zoning is the synthesis of natural and socio-economic factors in each zone In Vietnam, the functional zoning for integrated coastal management is still quite new and very difficult for managers in Vietnam First of all, due to the complexity of the sea (sea space), which is reflected in four main aspects: (1) the circulating nature of seawater and the volatility of biological resources types, (2) the interplay of ecological, environmental and marine resources in three dimensions, (3) the nature of sharing, multi-sectoral and often competitive use of marine resource systems always creates demand (sometimes create conflict) for space which is necessary for human activities, and (4) the interaction between the continent and sea in coastal areas, and between the above sensitive marine resource systems and human intervention Such issues greatly influence long-term marine zoning plans, current coastal land use planning, as well as the Current policies and institutions governing coastal and marine areas According to Decision No 54/2007/QD-UBND of Da Nang City, management zoning and conservation of coral reefs and marine-related ecosystems from Chao island to Nam Hai Van and Son Tra peninsula include functional area: the strictly protected zone (core zone), is the zone that includes 36.2 hectares of coral reefs; the zone of ecological restoration; reasonable exploitation zone, enclosing strictly protected areas and ecological restoration areas For each of the aforementioned functional zone, the decision also specifies prohibited activities as well as encouraged activities in these zones Functional zoning for integrated coastal management was first implemented in Vietnam through technical assistance from PEMSEA (2004) in the Action Plan of Da Nang City for Integrated Coastal Management Action Plan Accordingly, the coastal area of Da Nang City is divided into 11 zones, including: Conservation zone; restoration zone (corals); Water supply zone (blue lake); restoration zone (sea-grass); Low-intensity use zone; Tourism development zone; zone of industrial activities and seaports; Industrial zone; Fishing zone (inshore); Fishing zone (offshore); Multi-use zone The functional zoning of resources and ecosystems of Ha Long Bay area was conducted by Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, in 1998 As a result, the coastal area of Ha Long Bay was divided into main environmental zones: Special conservation zone, including the world heritage site and its buffer zones; Protected zone, including important environmental areas but not enlisted as officially protected; Active management zone, including tidal flats along the shoreline and Bai Chay Bay; and Development Zone, including existing and planned development areas in the Socio-Economic Development Plan of the city and provinces (Hoang, 2019) Adopting JICA’s viewpoint, the Vietnam-US-IUCN’s project of Integrated Coastal Management for Ha Long Bay has built a functional zoning map using the coastal area of Ha Long Bay at a scale of 1/25,000 which is feasible and consistent with the multidisciplinary development practices of the coastal areas The map shows the spatial distribution of 10 different functional sub-zones, belonging to 03 main zones: (I) Environmental protection zone, including Strict protection zone and Environmental protection and management zone: 126 (II) Marine economic development zone, including the limited marine economic development region and the free sea economic development zone, (III) Coastal economic and social development zone, including: Industrial development zone; Tourism economic development zone; Forestry economic development zone; Socio-economic development and urban zone; Agricultural economic development zone; and fisheries economic development zone From the above-mentioned studies, some specific types of environmental functional zoning in Vietnam can be listed as follows: - Functional zoning of integrated environment - Zoning land use by the degree of adaptation to development activities - Zoning by environmental quality - Zoning the environment which receives waste (waste water, emissions ) - Zoning by environmental sensitivity level - Zoning integrated management of river basins - Zoning integrated management of coastal areas Marine spatial zoning serving the orientation of marine spatial planning focuses primarily on Marine Natural Resources and Environment, and on the value of marine ecosystems and the rationality of marine exploitation of sectors and localities In this approach, Vietnam's sea usage zoning is built following the Article 44 of the Vietnam Law of the Sea, the Law of Natural Resources and Environment, Sea and Islands, based on three main groups of criteria for delineating the waters These are groups of criteria for protecting and preserving marine ecosystems, groups of criteria for economic development that have advantages in natural conditions, natural resources and positional advantage to develop marine industries such as such as port services, waterway tourism, aquaculture, energy development, coastal industries , the group of criteria for national security and defense Thus, it can be said that environmental zoning has been applied in many planning activities of scheduling, planning and management of environmental resources in Vietnam in recent years However, in the above-mentioned programs and projects, the authors have not really focused on researching a complete methodology for functional environmental zoning Table 1: Overview of criteria for develop purpose Purpose of Zoning Criteria Source Ecological zoning Land cover; slope; land use Ecological zoning as a serving sustainable Land unit of species under threat; biodiversity policy tool for sustainable development Mangrove forest distribution development at the local Aquaculture distribution level (Cabrido) Land unit for tourism development 127 Environmental The homogeneity of natural conditions Environmental protection Zoning (geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrology, planning in the direction soil, vegetation cover) of sustainable specific characteristics of economic development at province development, natural resources exploitation and district levels and use (land use, development of industry, agro-forestry, aquaculture); urgent environmental issues and natural hazards Agro-Ecological Geomorphology Agro-ecological zoning in Zoning Water resource dynamics (salinization map, the Mekong Delta under flooding map, irrigation-regulated regions climate change map of the present and future) Pedagogy; land use type Criteria for agro- - Territorial integrity (not repeat); Final report of Vietnam ecological zoning homogeneity of a geological architecture Forest Ecological Zoning forming topographical feature characterized (UN-REDD) by minor differentiation in climate, soil, vegetation - There is one or two ecosystems typical for the distribution by latitude and altitude; Relatively homogeneous in forestry development planning Aquaculture Topography Study aquaculture ecological zoning Climate - hydrology ecological zoning in Dong Pedology Thap province serving the Floral-fauna system sustainable exploitation Water quality and use of resources Flooding regime Criteria for zoning Natural function: existence and Law on Natural by function transformation of landscape elements such as: Resources and climate, hydrology, soil, topography, Environment of Sea and geology… Islands Function of natural and artificial environment belonging to landscape structure components - Function of biological productivity, material transformation and function in the ecosystem - Socio-economic function, aesthetic… Criteria for coastal (i) Having homogeneity and typical Circular No 74/TT- zoning characteristics of natural conditions; BTNMT dated April 22, (ii) Having important ecosystems with high 2011, providing technical level of biodiversity, home to many endemic, guidance for planning exploitation and 128 precious and rare species which are under sustainable use of coastal prioritized protection; resources (iii) Having cultural and historical heritages that need to be protected and preserved; (iv) d) Having position, potential and advantages for exploitation and development of economic sectors; (v) Having Position, potential and advantages for national defense and security Criteria for (1) Optimal development zone; (2) Implementing marine functional zoning development priority zone; (3) restricted functional zoning in of integrated development zone, including ecological China (Teng et al., 2019) coastal functional areas and agricultural production management areas; (4) prohibited development areas Zoning based on quantitative indicators includes: arable land area; water source; environmental load capacity; vulnerability of the ecosystem; the importance of ecosystems; Possible impacts of natural disasters; the level of population concentration; economic development based on GDP; Favorability level in transportation, with a qualitative indicator as (x) strategic choice Methodology The environmental function zone is a part of the territorial hierarchy, has some defining environmental and ecological attributes that can distinguish it from other zones (Dang, 2009) Functional zoning (FZ) of coastal areas is the first and important task in the integrated coastal management, conducted on the basis of a comprehensive study of coastal features, based on which the coastal zone is divided into different zone of different roles, depending on its geographical location, natural resources, environmental conditions, etc FZ of coastal areas is mainly based on the exploitation degree of natural resources, and pollution impacts of major economic activities in coastal areas The zoning of resources on coastal land can be done in multiple ways, depending on the zoning objectives, the complexity degree of conflicts in resource usage and the conflict status (whether the conflict is being resolved or not), the development level of regions and the scope / boundary of the ongoing zoning plan In the guideline "Marine spatial planning: A step-by-step approach towards ecosystem-based management, FZ was implemented to divide ownership and usage of land, water resources and resources associated with their use functions (UNESCO, 2009) The basic contents of FZ approach in coastal space planning are: (i) Position and design functional areas based on overlaying topographic, oceanographic and biological factors, development factors in managed coastal areas; (ii) Define a licensing system, legal regulations, and rule of use in each defined functional area; (iii) Establish a mechanism to ensure compliance with the zoning plan and the above129 mentioned legal regulations in the process of exploitation and use; and (iv) Create monitoring, evaluation and adaptation programs for the zoning system (Ehler and Douvere, 2009) In order to implement functional zoning for integrated coastal management in the northern coastal region, the research team used the methods in Figure below Figure 1: Flowchart of Functional Zoning for integrated coastal management Results 4.1 Functional Zoning for integrated coastal management, case study in northern coastal area of Vietnam Based on the methodology of functional zoning for integrated coastal management, the northern coast is divided into main functional zones: 130 Group A: Protection and Conservation zone Group B: Resource protection and usage zone Group C: Active Development zone Group D: Safety and Security Protection zone Features of each group is detailed as in Table and Figure Figure 2: Marine functional zone for the Norrthern coastal region (Scale 1: 250.000) Table 2: Features of functional zoning groups in the Northern Coast No Functional Extent Key environmental Zoning Characteristics functions Group Protection and Protective forests of Conservation of Ensuring the ecosystem Conservation Binh Lieu - Mong biodiversity and quality of the riverhead zone Cai, Yen Tu landscape; riverhead area, and the biosphere (Zone A) mountain areas, protection, wave break reserve of the Red River Ramsa Xuan Thuy protection and coastal Delta erosion protection 131 Resource Vang Danh Providing food; supply Urgent environmental protection and production area, raw materials for issues concerning usage zone Giao Thuy production; residence natural resources of (Zone B) agricultural and place for rural Vang Danh - Cam Pha fishery production population coal production areas, area, Kim Son communities, small coastal waters pollution coastal alluvial area, and medium cities in Quang Ninh - Hai Hai Phong - Quang Phong, coastal erosion in Ninh coastal area, Nam Dinh - Kim Son Thai Nam Ninh region Active The mainland The residence of the It is a dynamic Development coastal area extends majority of the development area with zone from Mong Cai population; the place diverse economic (Zone C) (Quang Ninh) to to develop sectors, located in the Kim Son (Ninh multidisciplinary national key economic Binh) and the production activities region A prohibited nautical miles to nautical miles area from Mong Cai to Ninh Binh Safety and Quang Ninh - Hai Is the area of national Security Phong sea and defense and security Protection island area development area, prioritize sustainable zone conservation combined (Zone D) with coastal safety and security Functional zone for protection (Zone A) of the northern coastal zone includes functional zones: (1) function zone of protection Binh Lieu - Mong Cai, (2) function zone for conservation Yen Tu, (3) The Ramsa Xuan Thuy zone covers an area of 82473.53 ha, accounting for 6% of the total area of the region, and is a biodiversity and landscape conservation area; riverhead protection, wave break protection and coastal erosion protection The functional zone of Binh Lieu - Mong Cai protection zone is in Binh Lieu district and most area in the north of Tien Yen, Dam Ha, Hai Ha and Mong Cai cities is the riverhead protective area of Quang Ninh province in particular and in coastal zone in general Yen Tu function zone for conservation is a protective forest area in the eastern Yen Tu region located in Cam Pha town and Hoanh Bo district The Ramsa Xuan Thuy area in Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh is the largest biosphere reserve area of the Red River Delta, with many roles in protecting the environment and coastal resources Functional zone for resource use and protection (Zone B) include Vang Danh - Cam Pha coal mining area (B1), Giao Thuy development zone (B2), utilization and protection areas Kim Son coastal alluvial zone (B3), Hai Phong - Quang Ninh coastal resource use protection zone (B4), Thai Nam Ninh 132 natural resource protection and disaster prevention zone (B5) has an area of 214846.48 occupies about 16% of the northern coastal zone The functional zones of active development (Zone C) have the largest area, 752270.83 ha, accounting for 56.4% of the area of the Northern coastal zone, which is a key economic area with economic development activities, the most dynamic area of the whole Northern region Coastal localities and cities from Mong Cai, Tien Yen, Ha Long - Cam Pha, Quang Yen, An Lao - Kien Xuong, Hai Phong City, Tien Lang - Kien Thuy, Thai Binh Coastal Area, Hai Hau - Nghia Hung, Kim Son, Quang Ninh - Hai Phong sea and island region, the whole coastline the Northern Coastal Region from nautical mile to nautical miles (C12) Safety and Security Protection zone (Zone D) is areas which prohibit development, prioritized for sustainable conservation in combination with safety and security in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong coastal area with an area of 285657 (accounting for 21.4% of the northern coast region area) concentrating in Cat Ba, Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long, Van Don, Co To, and Mong Cai islands This is an area that needs to conserve and preserve natural ecosystems, ensuring essential security and national defense Distribution of northern coastal functional zones in the Functional Zoning map for integrated coastal management is shown in Table below: Table 3: Functional zones for integrated coastal management of the Northern Coast Sign Name of Zone Area A Functional zones for conservation and protection 82473.53 A1 Protective Functional zone of Binh Lieu - Mong Cai 56992.57 A2 Conservative functional zone of Yen Tu 15286.43 A3 Ramsa Xuan Thuy 10194.53 B Functional zones for resource protection and usage 214846.48 B1 Vang Danh productive forest 55826.86 B2 Agro-fishery production zone of Giao Thuy 14549.69 B3 Usage and protection of coastal alluvial ground Kim Son 4575.15 B4 Usage and protection of alongshore resource Hai Phong-Quang Ninh 101174.74 B5 Resource protection and natural hazard prevention Thai Nam Ninh 38720.04 C Functional zones for active development 752270.83 C1 Mong Cai zone 51483.64 C2 Tien Yen zone 59917.58 C3 Ha Long - Cam Pha zone 38610.24 C4 Quang Yen zone 27967.04 C5 An Lao - Kien Xuong zone 33230.63 C6 Hai Phong center zone 7469.37 C7 Tien Lang - Kien thuy zone 34306.86 C8 Thai Binh coastal zone 40190.72 C9 Hai Hau - Nghia Hung zone 32982.82 C10 Kim Son zone 14730.43 C11 Quang Ninh - Hai Phong zone 143492.71 133 C12 Northern coastal zone D Functional zones for security and safety 267659.53 Quang Ninh - Hai Phong sea and islands zone 4.2 Proposing the economic development space planning associated with the rational use of natural resources and environmental protection in coastal areas of the northern coastal region Based on the results of functional zoning for integrated coastal management of the northern coastal zone, the State's spatial planning orientations for the development of the northern coastal spatial region, and principles of properly using natural resources and protecting coastal zone environment, the spatial planning are proposed as in Figure and Table below: Figure 3: Orientation map of spatial planning for the Northern Coastal region (scale 1:250.000) Planning zones for conservation development corridors are development axes which are shown in purple pink strip as V sign covering the entire region with development routes such as: coastal route from Tra Co (Mong Cai), Tien Yen, Cam Pha, Ha Long, Do Son, Diem Dien, Tien Hai, Giao Thuy, Hai Hau and Kim Son This route is located on the coastal traffic artery with tourist attractions, ports, cultural, economic and political centers of each locality Promote economic links along the coastal economic corridor (Mong Cai - Quang Ninh - Hai Phong - Kim Son - Ninh Binh) This is an important economic corridor, not only in national defense but also in economic significance for the development of the Red River Delta region associated with the Vietnam Sea Strategy to 2030 The economic corridor will be formed on the basis of opening a 134 new route running along the coastal line from Nga Son (Thanh Hoa) through Ninh Binh (in the territory of Kim Son district), connecting Thinh Long to Quat Lam (Nam Dinh) to Thai Binh (from Cong Lau to Tien Hai - Diem Dien) and then to Hai Phong (in Tien Lang District and to the city) This entire route has a length of about 200 km On this route, in addition to Hai Phong city, there will be many medium-sized cities such as Kim Son, Thinh Long, Quat Lam, Tien Hai, Diem Dien, Tien Lang and then going to Mong Cai, and associated with them are manufacturing mechanical industrial clusters serving agricultural and fishery production, port industrial complexes, general economic zone (Dinh Vu - Cat Hai and Van Don) and a number of airports (Cat Bi and Van Don) Along this route, there will also be many special aquatic aquaculture zones, many coastal eco-agricultural areas and sea tourism Table 4: Statistical table of zones proposed for planning No Sign Name of planning area Area (ha) I The planning zone for conservation and protection I.1 Priority space for riverhead protection 54.456,9 I.2 Priority space for coastal protection 45.945,7 I.3 Priority space for biodiversity protection 24.383,7 I.4 Space for smart management of coastal wetland 4.686,0 II The planning zone for sustainable use of resource II.1 Priority space for sustainable aquaculture 41.108,3 II.2 Development space for productive forest 127.878,5 II.3 Priority space for sustainable tourism 10 III The planning zone for active development 11 III.1 Space for urban environment protection 26.883,7 12 III.2 Space for industrial park environment protection 36.428,3 13 III.3 Space for agricultural and rural protection 201.265,8 14 IV The planning zone for security and safety 6.207,4 15 IV.1 Space for national defense and security 2.932,4 16 IV.2 Space for natural hazard and environmental incident 3.275,0 17 V The planning zone for development and conservation corridor 18 V.1 Coastal biodiversity corridor 32.291,5 19 V.2 Mountainous biodiversity corridor 77.859,4 20 V.3 Marine biodiversity corridor 129.472,3 200.441,2 31.454,3 264.577,7 395.802,9 285.652,1 Ha Long-Mong Cai coastal economic route is responsible for international exchange, trade and tourism development at national and international levels and is also an important axis to counter China Important economic sectors of this economic route that need to be prioritized for development are: trade, tourism, seaports, aquaculture, shipbuilding and processing industries Along with Ha Long-Mong Cai economic route, to develop coastal economic routes along National Highway 10 from Ninh Binh to Quang Ninh (the sea belt of the whole Red River Delta region) with priority branches as follows: processing, manufacturing, travel and services The 135 economic corridors developed in this region are: the economic corridor along National Highway 18: National Highway 18 is one of the arterial roads connecting Hanoi Capital and economic centers of the Northern region to the seaport Cai Lan The economic sectors prioritized for development on this route are energy industry, major repair and manufacturing mechanics, mineral processing, construction materials production, agro-forestry processing and services Economic Corridor along National Highway 5: This location focuses on key and spearhead industries with advanced technologies such as: Electrical and electronic engineering, automobile assembly, manufacturing of machinery and equipment, metallurgy, shipbuilding, textile and leather, food industry and high-end consumer goods manufacturing industry Planning area for protection and conservation: The conservation and protection planning area is a priority area for the development of natural ecosystems in order to maintain ecological balance and the sustainability of nature in the context of industrialization and modernization This region consists of: The space prioritized for riverhead protection (I.1) with an area of 54456.92 is the range of ecosystem located in the West of localities: Mong Cai and Hoanh Bo The space prioritized for coastal protection (I.2) with an area of 45945.74 is coastal protective forests concentrated in the protective forests and mangrove forests in Van Don, Cam Pha and Ha Long areas, Cat Ba, coastal Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Kim Son The space prioritized for biodiversity conservation (I.3) with an area of 24383.70 is the biosphere reserves of Yen Tu, Cat Ba, Xuan Thuy The space for smart management of coastal wetland (I.4) has 4685.96 ha, which is a space that needs to be preserved and limited for development However, each locality can build appropriate models of economic resource development, both ensuring people's livelihoods and ensuring sustainable development of environmental resources This area (I4) is delineated in coastal areas from Mong Cai to Kim Son The planning zone for safety and security: The space for national security and security (IV.1) has an area of 2932.4 hectares concentrated in scattered areas in Mong Cai, Tien Yen, Cam Pha, Ha Long and offshore islands and sea in the Gulf of Tonkin Space for natural and environmental disaster (IV.2) with an area of 3,275.0 is the area that is currently warning many risks of natural resource incidents such as coastal erosion Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh seas, landslides and collapses in coal mining areas in Cam Pha, Ha Long or oil spill in Cua Luc Bay area The planning zone for sustainable use of natural resources: Different from the areas proposed for planning, the sustainable use planning area allows the optimal use of resources, including minerals, for socio-economic integrated development according to the provincial master plan as well as the relevant districts This region focuses on space prioritized for sustainable aquaculture (II.1) with an area of 41108.32 ha, and space for sustainable development of productive forests (II.2) with an area of 127878.53 and the space prioritized for sustainable tourism development (III.3) with an area of 31454.30 hectares The planning zone for active development: This region is concentrated in coastal urban and rural clusters, with densely population and the most dynamic economic 136 development rate in the country Hai Phong, Do Son and Hanoi are Vietnam's strong economic growth triangle The space for urban environmental protection (III.1) with an area of 26,883.7 is concentrated in large coastal cities: Mong Cai, Cua Ong, Cam Pha, Ha Long, Bai Chay, Do Son, and Cat Ba, Diem Dien, Tien Hai, Hai Hau, Kim Son Space for environmental protection in industrial parks (III.2) with an area of 36,428.3 are concentrated in industrial parks of Hai Ha Industrial Park, Dam Nha Mac Industrial Park (Quang Ninh), Van Don special economic zone, Ha Long tourist resort, Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, Dinh Vu - Cat Hai Development of seaport system: By integrated resources, synchronous and modern development of port system (ports, channels, production equipment and operation ) to ensure the target of 80-100 million tons of commodity going through the ports by 2020 Shipping development: Build a marine transport fleet, ensuring the transport of about 50 million tons by 2020, meeting over 50% of the shipping demand of the Northern region Developing maritime services with important types of services: ship agency and maritime brokerage services; ship-towage services; agency services for freight transport of ships; ship supply services; freight forwarding and tallying services; small ship repair service at the port; marine environmental sanitation services; cargo handling services at seaports Development of coastal fishing and aquaculture: Towards the goal of 10,000 tons by 2020 on the basis of restructuring production in the direction of developing offshore fisheries and aquaculture specialties: Utilizing over 24,000 hectares of ponds and lakes to raise freshwater fish; the intertidal flats are intensified with shrimp, crab, seaweed, etc.; to strongly develop specialty-raising (pearl, sea shrimps, garrupa, etc.) at 3,000 of salt water surface in Cat Ba; develop coastal fishery in combination with development of offshore fishing; associating with domestic and foreign units to build fishing logistics areas of the Tonkin Gulf in Cat Ba and Bach Long Vi in the direction associated with tourism development; build fishing villages Tourism development: Taking advantage of the natural landscape in Cat Ba, Do Son islands and coastal areas to develop large-scale marine tourism in the direction of diversifying tourism products while creating a number of unique and competitive marine tourism products in Cat Ba (underground tourism, mountain climbing, cave exploration, scientific research ) to create jobs and income for people on the island and in the fields, and at the same time create motivation to protect ecological, balance resources and defense - security issues Develop regional linkages The coastal zone of Northern Coastal Area is geographically a transshipment region between the Sea and the Delta, between the Northeast and the Northwest, between the Northern Mountains with the Central and between the Southern provinces with the Northern provinces Due to its natural position, the Northern Coastal Zone becomes the seaward area (the inlet) of the Northern provinces of Vietnam The space for agricultural and rural environment protection (III.3) has an area of 201,265.8 ha, concentrated in agricultural areas, intensive wet rice cultivation in Tien Yen, Cam Pha, Thuy Nguyen, Thai Thuy and Tien Hai, Hai Hau and Kim Son Conclusions and discussion 137 Based on the methodology of functional zoning for integrated coastal management, the functional zoning map of the Northern Coastal Zone is divided into four main areas: Group A: Functional zone for conservation, protection, Group B: Functional zone for use and protection of resources, Group C: Functional zones for active development, Group D: Functional zones for security and safety protection Within each group, zones are subdivided based on spatial integrity planning Based on the results of the functional zoning map of the Northern Coastal Zone, a planning map for integrated coastal management of the Northern Coastal Zone at 1: 250,000 scale was established with main groups of zone: (1) Zones for conservation and protection planning include: priority areas for upstream protection, priority areas for coastal protection, priority areas for biodiversity conservation protection, space for smart management of coastal wetland (2) The planning zone for sustainable use of resources includes priority space for sustainable aquaculture, space for sustainable development of production forests, and space for prioritizing sustainable tourism development (3) The planning zone of active development includes space of urban environment protection, space of industrial park environment protection, and space of agricultural and rural protection (4) The planning zone of security and safety includes defense and security space, space for natural disaster prevention and environmental incidents (5) Planning zone for corridor development and conservation include coastal biodiversity corridors, mountain biodiversity corridors and marine biodiversity corridors By using criteria from Teng et al (2019) combined with the results of natural zoning, socioeconomic development planning in climate change and natural disaster contexts, the functional zoning map is built as a basis for integrated coastal zone management planning for the study area However, some research issues need to be discussed: (1) Does the zoning criteria by Teng et al (2019) for integrated coastal management functional zoning are appropriate to the natural, socio-economic conditions and development goals of the zone and field of study (2) Can the conflicts in socio-economic development associated with exploitation and use of natural resources in the coastal zone of the North be resolved by functional zoning? (3) What is the feasibility of the zoning results if there exists an overlap between the socioeconomic development situation and the spatial development planning of coastal areas and functional zoning of the Northern Coastal area? Acknowledgments This work was financially supported by the National project (ĐTĐLCN.33/16) “Research and propose solutions for integrated coastal zone for sustainable development of the Northern Coastal Region, case study in Thai Binh province) References Charles, E., F Douvere (2009) Marine Spatial Planning: Step by Step towards Ecosystem-based Management IOC/MAB UNESCO Published, No 53, ICAM Dossier No Paris 138 Communist Party of Vietnam (2018) Strategy of Sea sustainable development for Vietnam until 2030 and vision to 2045, 36-NQ/TW, October 22nd 2018 Counsell, D., P Allmendinger, G Haughton, G Vigar (2006) ‘Integrated’ spatial planning - is it living up to expectations? Town & Country Planning, 243-246 Dang, T.T., Dang, T.T (2013) Methodology for environmental functional zoning Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development Proceedings of scientific studies Science and Technics Publishing House, Hanoi Dang, T.T., Le, T (2016) Environmental protection planning: Theoretical basis and Practical experience, Science and Technics Publishing House Davoudi, S., I Strange (2008) Conceptions of Space and Place in Strategic Spatial Planning Routledge, 304 pages Fang, Q., R Zhang, L Zhang, H Hong (2011) Marine Functional Zoning in China: Experience and Prospects, Coastal Management, 39:6, 656-667 Fanga, Q., D Mab, L Zhangc, S Zhub (2018) Marine functional zoning: A practical approach for integrated coastal management (ICM) in Xiamen Ocean and Coastal Management Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2018.03.004 Feng, R., X Chen, P Li, L Zhou, J Yu (2016) Development of China's marine functional zoning: A preliminary analysis, Ocean & Coastal Management, 131, 39-44 Gilliland, P.M., D Laffoley (2008) Key elements and steps in the process of developing ecosystem based marine spatial planning, Marine Policy, 32(5), 787-796 Hoang, Q.L (2019) Research on geographical conditions serving the orientation of general spatial planning of coastal areas in Hai Hau - Nghia Hung district, Nam Dinh province Doctoral Thesis on Natural Resources and Environment Management, VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 150 pages Jörg, K., G John (1999) Coping with complex and dynamic systems An approach to a transdisciplinary understanding of coastal zone developments Coastal Conservation 5(2), 163-170 Liu, D., X Chen, Y Chen, Z Zhang, S Li, (2013) Marine Functional Zoning Methods Based on the Three-Dimensional Subsystems - Case of Dongying coastal area, Advanced Materials Research 616-618, 1260-1266 Lu, W.H., Liu, J., Xiang, X.Q., Song, W.L., McIlgorm, A (2015) A comparison of marine spatial planning approaches in China: marine functional zoning and the marine ecological red line Marine Policy 62, 94-101 Macintosh, A (2013) Coastal climate hazards and urban planning: how planning responses can lead to maladaptation Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 18(7): 1035-1055 139 MONRE (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) (2016) Scenarios of climate change and sea level rise for Vietnam, http://www.imh.ac.vn/files/doc/2017/CCS%20final.compressed.pdf Morphet, J (2009) Local integrated spatial planning - the changing role in England Town Planning Review, 80(4-5): 393-414 Peng, B., H Hong, X Xue, D Jin (2006) Benefits of integrated coastal management (ICM): Application to Xiamen, China Ocean & Coastal Management 49(3-4), 93-109 Susan, R., L Stewart (2004) Participatory tools for coastal zone management: Use of stakeholder analysis and social mapping in Australia Coastal Conservation 10 (1-2): 81-92 TBPC (Thai Binh People’s Committee) (2014) Socio-economic development master plan of Thai Binh province up to 2020, orientations to 2030 Thai Binh TBPC (Thai Binh People’s Committee) (2016) Summary report on the project of establishing Thai Binh coastal economic zone Teng, X (2019) Implementing marine functional zoning in China, Marine Policy, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X18304093?via%3Dihub Tran, D.T (chief author), Nguyen, H.C., Do, C.T., Tran, D.L., Dinh, V.H., Pham, H.H (2011) Orientation of integrated coastal management for the northern coastal Natural science and technology publishing house Tuda, A.O., Stevens, T.F., Rodwell, L.D (2014) Resolving coastal conflicts using marine spatial planning Environmental Management, 133,59 UNESSCO (2009) Marine spatial planning: step by step toward management base on ecosystem Vigar, G (2008) Towards an Integrated Spatial Planning European Planning Studies 17(11): 1571-1590 Wang, H.H., Li, M.R., Hu, N.P., Gao, Y.M (2014) Utilization effectiveness of marine functional zones using system dynamics for China: modeling and assessment Coast Conserv 18 (6), 609-616 Zafar, U Wen, W Peifang, G JingYu (2017) A study on the development of marine functional zoning in China and its guiding principles for Pakistan, Ocean & Coastal Management, 144, 40-50 140 ... the results of functional zoning for integrated coastal management of the northern coastal zone, the State's spatial planning orientations for the development of the northern coastal spatial... the Southern provinces with the Northern provinces Due to its natural position, the Northern Coastal Zone becomes the seaward area (the inlet) of the Northern provinces of Vietnam The space for. .. integrity planning Based on the results of the functional zoning map of the Northern Coastal Zone, a planning map for integrated coastal management of the Northern Coastal Zone at 1: 250,000 scale