Strategic Environmental Assessment for Port Areas: Application to the Ports of Hai Phong and Vung Tau in Vietnam

Hai Phong and Vung Tau are among fastest growing and developing areas in Vietnam. Important infrastructure includes industrial plans, industrial zones, storage areas, port terminals, etc. These are developed to support the economic development of the regions. At the same time, they are located close to important nature reserves: the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve in Hai Phong and the Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu Natural Reserve in Baria - Vung Tau. The infrastructure projects were developed following an environmental impact assessment. However, these studies were performed for the individual projects, and no integrated framework for assessment has been scrutinised until 2005. In 2005, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was performed for the Vung Tau port area and in 2007, a similar process started for the Hai Phong port area.
SEA is a tool to mainstream environmental sustainability in development planning, and offers a crosscutting perspective using an integrated and multidisciplinary approach. It aims to integrate the concepts of sustainability in strategic decision-making for plans, programmes or policies and to propose alternatives that facilitate sustainable choices. Many SEA studies were implemented worldwide, mostly in developed countries in Europe, the United States of America and Australia. SEA experiences in developing countries are relatively new. In Vietnam, SEA became compulsory in 2005 when the revised Law on Environmental Protection passed the parliament. To implement SEA, the EIA principles were maintained. The Vietnamese law does not involve government policies. Since 2005, many pilot SEA projects were implemented trying to develop a framework for SEA for sectors, such as hydro power development and land use by agriculture. Most of the pilot projects were funded by development-aid agencies, such as the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The SEAs for the ports of Vung Tau and Hai Phong aim to assess the integrated and cumulative effects of their development on society, economy and the environment. A comparable methodology was used in both studies. This paper compares the two SEAs. It provides an insight on how SEA can contribute to long-term port development planning.

ISBN:81-85264-51-1

Publication year:2010

Keywords:SEA, seaport, AHP