Vietnam's Blue Economy Requires Comprehensive Marine Governance Beyond Traditional Infrastructure
Vietnam is actively developing its 'blue economy,' aiming for significant growth in sectors like offshore wind energy and seafood exports. The country has set ambitious targets, including 6–10 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and achieving a record US$11.3 billion in seafood exports in 2025. However, the Lowy Institute highlights that the success of this initiative hinges on more than just physical infrastructure like ports, vessels, and turbines. Vietnam faces institutional challenges, including overlapping responsibilities in marine governance, weak inter-sectoral and inter-regional coordination, and insufficient marine science and human resources. The government has recognized these issues, with Resolution 20 calling for marine spatial planning as a binding tool and an action plan initiated to revise the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment by 2026. This revision will address critical questions regarding marine space allocation, user fees, and conflict resolution. 
