The Cat Ba Archipelago includes 300 islands, with 100sq.m Cat Ba Island being the largest. Lying next to Halong Bay, with numerous islands, caves and grottos, the archipelago has tropical rainforests on limestone islands, salt marshes, seaweed covers and coral reefs.
Cat Ba is endowed with beautiful beaches such as Cat Co, Dat Dua, Cat Ong, Cat Da Bang which has small size, white sand and pure water with high salinity. In addition, the archipelago has primeval forests with diverse fauna and flora. The archipelago has been recognized as a world biosphere reserve. At present, the document on the Cat Ba Archipelago is being drafted by the Hai Phong People's Committee and related departments and will be submitted to UNESCO to seek recognition as a natural world heritage.
According to leaders of the Hai Phong People's Committee, the official document on Cat Ba Archipelago will be submitted for UNESCO on February 1, 2013. At present, the archipelago is a popular destination for experts, scientists and domestic and international tourists.
At a meeting with Deputy Chairman of the Hai Phong People's Committee Dan Duc Hiep, UNESCO senior expert Engel Hardt highly appreciated the diverse fauna and flora found in Cat Ba. However, according to him, to be recognized as a world heritage, it is necessary for Cat Ba to provide 39 animal and plant species and define core and buffer zones in which those species are living. Many experts thought that Cat Ba could become a world natural heritage due to its diverse range of animals and plants which provide unique genetic data, many of which at threat of extinction. However, now authorities will have to divide Cat Ba into a buffer and core zones, while improving local awareness of the need to protect the island group's ecology.
Recognition of the archipelago as a world natural heritage site will help promote the island group as a popular, eco-friendly destination.
Thanh Tam
(MONRE)