Waste from the mainland may be at fault for 70 per cent of marine pollution, according to the Sea and Islands General Administration of Viet Nam.
Hoang Nhat Thong, who has been researching this problem for the department, said that coastal areas were in significant environmental duress due to the socio-economic activities on land.
About 6.5 million tonnes of toxic chemical substances, 1.6 million tonnes of oil and 47,000 tonnes of heavy metal pollute the sea from shore, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-funded Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Branch, which is currently planning a global action programme to protect the marine environment.
Discharge from the mainland has ruined large swaths of seawater. In some places, the water has turned red, green, or turbid, degrading marine ecosystems and coastal fisheries, according to Thong.
The “hot spots” of coastal pollution are located in northern Quang Ninh Province, Hai Phong City, central Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province, southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and HCMC, according to UNEP representatives.
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