Viet Nam Strengthens Ties with PEMSEA for ICM Scaling up

Danang City, Viet Nam — Local government executives representing Danang City, Quang Nam Province and Thua Thien-Hue Province have signed Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with PEMSEA, signifying their commitment to scale up their respective ICM programs in Viet Nam. The MOA signings were held on 25 March in Hue City (Thua Thien-Hue Province); 26 March in Danang City and 27 March in Tam Ky City (Quang Nam Province).The three ICM sites cover a continuous coastline of 343 km, extending from Thua Thien-Hue in the north, across Danang City and to Quang Nam in the south, to represent more than nine percent of the coastline of Viet Nam, excluding islands. With the development of a national ICM program covering 14 coastal provinces in the northern and northern-central region, as required by Decision 158, signed and approved by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam in October 2007, the three ICM sites are expected to play key roles in knowledge transfer and serve as models for ICM replication. The proximity of the three sites also facilitates resolving common management concerns, including the sustainable management of Vu Gia-Thu Bon River Basins, which are shared by Danang City and Quang Nam Province and the establishment of the Hai Van-Son Tra marine protected area, which is shared by Danang City and Thua Thien-Hue Province. The linkages of the ICM sites are further strengthened by their membership in the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG), a regional network of local governments implementing ICM programs.Danang City was established as a National ICM Demonstration Project in 2000. Over the past 8 years, the City has conscientiously developed and implemented ICM its ICM program. Danang is now entering its second ICM cycle and has many lessons and experience to share. The signing of the MOA with PEMSEA signifies the City's continuing commitment to strengthen its leadership in ICM and contribute to the ICM scaling up process. The University of Danang, represented by its President, Professor Bui Van Ga, also signed an MOA with PEMSEA, establishing the University as an ICM Learning Center that will provide capacity development support for the scaling up process. The establishment of the University of Danang as an ICM Learning Center is anticipated to bolster Danang's image as the pacesetter of ICM in Viet Nam and willingness and capacity to transfer its experiences and good practices in ICM implementation.Quang Nam replicated Danang's experiences by becoming an ICM parallel site in November 2004. PEMSEA provided the necessary technical advice and assistance in developing and implementing the ICM program. The proximity of Quang Nam to Danang facilitated knowledge transfer and mentoring. The signing of the MOA renewed the Province's commitment to continue the ICM program and assured that it will complete the first ICM cycle following Danang's footsteps.ICM implementation is not new to Thua Thien-Hue Province, having served as a pilot site for the Viet Nam-Netherlands Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project from 2000-2006. With the signing of the MOA, the Province confirmed its commitment to develop and implement an ICM program and to function as a PEMSEA ICM parallel site. The People's Committee of the province welcomed the opportunity to work with PEMSEA and in the process strengthen the capacity of the local government to manage its 22,000-hectare lagoon system, a unique feature of the province.