UNESCO's Mission to Protect Ha Long Bay's Heritage Amid Development Concerns

UNESCO plans to send experts to assess development risks to Ha Long Bay, a renowned Vietnamese heritage site. Concerns arise over projects possibly threatening its integrity. With tourism as a key economic driver, any sanctions or removal from the heritage list could impact Vietnam's tourism sector significantly.

UNESCO is preparing to dispatch experts to Vietnam to assess development threats to Ha Long Bay, a world heritage site, due to concerns that current projects may compromise its preservation, according to a statement given to Reuters by the U.N. agency.

Ha Long Bay, an iconic marine-invaded tower karst formation, along with the Cat Ba archipelago, marks its 30th year as a UNESCO-listed site. This status has grown its popularity as a tourist draw, contributing significantly to Vietnam's tourism economy.

There are worries about unassessed development projects impacting environmental integrity. Failure to address these could lead UN sanctions or removal from the heritage list, affecting tourism revenues that constituted 8% of Vietnam's GDP last year. Vietnam ministries have yet to comment on UNESCO's impending mission.

(With inputs from agencies.)