By AFP - Agence France Presse
Vingroup plans to start a US$9 billion tourism project near a mangrove swamp.
Vietnam's largest conglomerate, Vingroup, said Monday it is seeking permission to start work next month on a US$9 billion real estate project in a southern coastal area that is home to a UNESCO-listed mangrove forest.
The project in Can Gio - on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City - attracted rare criticism when it was approved in 2020 by academics and environmental experts, who were concerned about its proximity to the area's biosphere reserve.
Due for completion in 2030, the Can Gio Sea Recovery Urban Development project aims to be a coastal tourism hub with hotels, a smart city and residential areas on an area of 2,870 hectares (7,090 acres).
It should be able to accommodate 230,000 residents and attract nine million tourists a year once completed, according to state media.
Vingroup told AFP on Monday that it “intends to start construction on April 30 this year,” adding that the “carefully planned” project demonstrates its “commitment to sustainable development, ensuring environmental protection and creating a comfortable and nature-friendly living environment.”
State media say the development area is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, considered the “green lung” of the vast metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City.
Mangroves absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants on a daily basis and contain a great diversity of plant and animal species, according to UNESCO.
In an online petition launched in 2020 and addressed to the then most powerful leaders of Vietnam - a one-party communist state - 23 prominent academics, environmentalists, and researchers called on the authorities to carry out an independent review and assessment of the plans.
“The project poses a serious threat to the Can Gio mangrove forest, undermining its function as a protective forest, which could lead to a series of damages to (nearby) urban regions,” they wrote.
The signatories, which include GreenID, one of Vietnam's most prominent environmental organizations, also said that pursuing a “gigantic” land reclamation project in Can Gio is “extremely dangerous in the context of worsening climate change,” posing risks related to erosion, flooding, and water stagnation.
More than 6,200 people have signed the petition, with the last signature coming a month ago.
Vingroup told AFP that an environmental impact assessment report had been reviewed and approved by a “council made up of renowned scientists and relevant government authorities, in full compliance with legal procedures”.
Vingroup, the controlling group of Nasdaq-listed electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast, is extremely powerful in Vietnam and its business interests cover everything from healthcare to real estate and education to technology.
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