Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has approved adjustments to the development master plan for the Mekong Delta region until 2020, with a vision to 2050.
Accordingly, the region will go in the direction of green and sustainable growth and adaptation to climate change, aiming to become a national hub of agricultural production, fisheries, sea-based economy and eco- and river tourism.
The Mekong Delta region covers Can Tho city and 12 provinces - An Giang, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Long An, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, and Vinh Long – with a total area of 40,576.6 sq.km.
In industrial development, attention will be focused on agro-aquaculture-forestry and food processing; support industry, and clean and renewable energy.
The development of new industrial parks will be limited in order to fully exploit existing ones, with total area of IPs kept at 15,000-17,000 ha by 2030.
Can Tho city will be the region’s centre for agro-aquaculture processing and energy development, while Ca Mau, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Bac Lieu provinces will be home to electricity centres and maritime economic zones. Multi-sector industrial parks will be based in Long An and Tien Giang.
The plan also designates Can Tho, My Tho city (Tien Giang province), and Phu Quoc island (Kien Giang province) into the region’s tourism centres.
The region will exploit its natural and cultural advantages to develop typical and highly competitive tourism products like experiencing life on rivers, eco-tourism, tours to cultural heritages, sea-island resort tourism.
Tourism products in the region also include community tourism, tours to historic-revolutionary sites and trade villages.
The Mekong Delta accounts for 12 percent of the national area and 19 percent of population, contributes 50 percent of the rice crop, 65 percent of aquaculture, 70 percent of fruit output, 95 percent of rice export and 60 percent of fish export.-VNA