Con Dao is green, smart, worth visiting and worth living.

It is noteworthy that the entire economic development is based on green, smart and sustainable criteria, thereby making Con Dao an island worth visiting and worth living.

Start with green transition

In the 5 years (2020-2025), Con Dao has implemented key infrastructure projects such as: supplying electricity by 110kV underground cable from the mainland; expanding Ben Dam port.... At the same time, strongly developing tourism, diversifying cultural, historical, spiritual, and marine ecological products... After the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units, Con Dao became a special zone. Since then, the locality has developed its socio-economy in a special, sustainable and comprehensive direction associated with ensuring national defense and security and maintaining sovereignty over seas and islands.

Mr. Le Anh Tu, Secretary of Con Dao Special Zone, said that Con Dao will focus on developing high-quality tourism , becoming a national tourist area with a focus on marine ecological tourism, history-culture and spirituality, creating differences between sub-areas such as: the old French architectural quarter, luxury resorts, Ben Dam, Dam Trau, Co Ong and the National Park...

At the same time, the locality will prioritize upgrading Con Dao airport, developing a seaport capable of receiving international ships, building a logistics center, and ensuring a synchronous system of electricity, water, and waste treatment. All of this will strictly comply with planning, heritage protection, and natural landscapes.

Mr. Tu added that Con Dao will promote e-government, apply artificial intelligence in urban management, tourism and security. Effectively exploit existing infrastructure to attract strategic and reputable investors to develop high-end eco-tourism, create sustainable revenue for the budget, solve employment, improve people's lives and strengthen regional connectivity, promote comprehensive socio-economic development.

From there, in the 2025-2030 term, Con Dao will focus on three breakthroughs: Completing wastewater and waste treatment infrastructure and developing green transport; Developing high-quality eco-tourism; Promoting administrative reform associated with digital transformation, building a smart island.

According to Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, Con Dao Special Economic Zone has a lot of room and potential to become an “international low-carbon heritage island”. To realize this goal, the main pillars for green transformation for Con Dao Special Economic Zone include: green transportation; sustainable energy; blue ocean economy; high-quality tourism.

Accordingly, for green transportation, it is necessary to implement solutions such as switching 100% of vehicles to electric vehicles before 2030; financial support, building low-emission zones; charging stations, battery swapping, integrating renewable energy... In the field of sustainable energy, it is necessary to pay attention to developing wind, solar, and waste-to-energy power; requiring solar power for offices; encouraging hotels and households to invest in solar power; smart lighting. The blue ocean economy sector needs to restore corals and seagrass beds, develop green carbon credits, and create new financial sources. For the tourism sector, it is necessary to build a heritage-spiritual-ecological brand; in-depth experiences, responsible tourism; destination fees for reinvestment in conservation; green hotels, and selective night-time economy. "To do this, it is necessary to have the participation of consulting experts and businesses willing to accompany Con Dao special economic zone in the coming time," said Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu.

110kV Con Dao transformer station.

The island worth visiting and worth living

Mr. Tran Thanh Huyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Dao Special Zone, said that green and sustainable development is also the goal that the locality has pursued since it was a district of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The locality has included two urgent projects: a waste treatment plant with modern technology, environmentally friendly waste recycling and a seawater filtration plant into the public investment portfolio. The locality also called for investment in a green public transport system...

According to Mr. Huyen, the special zone government is coordinating with the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies to implement a green transformation and circular economy project, aiming for zero plastic waste. In the immediate future, from September 1, Con Dao special zone has piloted not circulating or importing single-use plastic products such as hard-to-decompose nylon bags, foam boxes, plastic cups, plastic straws, plastic spoons, wet tissue bags, etc. Early next year, this place will no longer use single-use plastic products and hard-to-decompose plastic packaging. “We are not chasing the number of tourists but are selective. Each project is strictly assessed for environmental impact. People and businesses must commit to protecting the island,” Mr. Huyen affirmed.

The 1st Congress of the Con Dao Special Zone Party Committee set the goal of turning the island into a regional and international tourist destination by 2030, developing sustainably on the basis of preserving nature, culture, and history, while maintaining national defense and security and improving the quality of life for the people.

At the first Congress of the Con Dao Special Zone Party Committee, term 2025-2030, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc commented that Con Dao is "a place with a high happiness index", green-clean-beautiful. Con Dao needs to clearly define its "unique identity" as the foundation for building a sustainable socio-economic development strategy. Position Con Dao as a place where unique cultural-historical and natural ecological values converge, aiming for the image of a "green, smart and livable island", harmoniously combining modern development and heritage conservation. Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc also suggested focusing on calling for international-class investors, expanding airports, seaports and connecting traffic on the island; developing eco-tourism and high-class resorts; at the same time, investing in environmental protection, treating waste and wastewater to standards, effectively exploiting renewable energy sources so that Con Dao is always worthy of being a pearl island worth visiting and worth living.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/con-dao-xanh-thong-minh-dang-den-va-dang-song-post911291.html