"Con Dao has all the necessary natural, historical, and human resources to become a model of green and sustainable island development for Vietnam. The city will work with the local government to achieve this," said Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc at the first Con Dao Special Zone Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, on Tuesday morning, 8/8/2025.

Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc speaks at the Con Dao Special Zone Party Congress, 8/8/2025. Photo: Le Tuyet

Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc speaks at the Con Dao Special Zone Party Congress, 8/8/2025. Photo: Le Tuyet

The city's leader noted that Con Dao's economy has grown year after year while maintaining environmental standards, security, and order. The national park, with over 1,500 species of animals and plants, is well-preserved. Notably, historical sites are also conserved, contributing to spiritual tourism. "These achievements need to be further developed, especially as Con Dao aims for higher goals of becoming a green, smart, and livable island," Duoc said.

Before 1/7, Con Dao belonged to Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. After the merger, it became Ho Chi Minh City's only special zone. The archipelago covers nearly 76 km2 and consists of 16 islands, with Con Son being the largest. It's located over 230 km from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Transportation, travel, accommodation, and culinary services are the island's primary economic drivers. In the first seven months of the year, trade, services, and tourism reached over 3,000 billion VND, an increase of nearly 15% compared to the same period last year. The total number of visitors was nearly 456,000, including over 16,000 international tourists.

According to Duoc, Con Dao is facing challenges such as transportation infrastructure connectivity, investment costs, and a projected rapid increase in population due to economic growth.

Statistics show that this special zone has over 6,500 permanent residents. However, the actual population is over 12,000, meaning temporary residents account for about 50% of the total.

"The population will continue to increase, so infrastructure investment must be prioritized, not only from the budget but also by mobilizing social resources and attracting world-class investors," Duoc said. The city will invest in expanding Con Dao Airport and call for investors to upgrade Ben Dam Port. The national grid extension to the island is 70-80% complete and nearing completion.

People ride motorbikes on Ton Duc Thang Street, Con Dao Special Zone, 8/8/2025. Photo: Le Tuyet

People ride motorbikes on Ton Duc Thang Street, Con Dao Special Zone, 8/8/2025. Photo: Le Tuyet

Ho Chi Minh City has chosen Con Dao and Can Gio to lead the way in developing green transportation and low-emission zones. According to Duoc, residents of these two areas will be encouraged to limit new gasoline vehicle registrations and switch to green, clean fuels. To incentivize this, the local government is inviting businesses to participate and will select the provider with the best policies for residents, based on fairness and legal compliance.

Regarding water resources, Duoc said that it's necessary to anticipate a scenario where the island's population increases to tens or hundreds of thousands of people. In such a case, no rainwater reservoirs or freshwater reserves will be sufficient. Therefore, Con Dao needs investment in a seawater desalination plant.

Tran Thanh Huyen, Vice Chairman of the Con Dao Special Zone People's Committee, said that green and sustainable development has been a local objective since Con Dao was a district of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. The local government has prioritized two urgent projects: a waste treatment plant with modern, environmentally friendly recycling technology and a seawater desalination plant. They are also seeking investment in a green public transportation system.

According to Huyen, the special zone authorities are collaborating with the Ho Chi Minh City Development Research Institute on a green transition and circular economy project aimed at eliminating plastic waste. Starting 1/9, Con Dao will pilot a ban on the circulation and import of single-use plastic products such as non-biodegradable nylon bags, styrofoam containers, plastic cups, straws, spoons, and wet wipes. By early next year, the use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic packaging will be eliminated.

The first Con Dao Special Zone Party Congress aims to make the island a regional and international tourism destination by 2030, with sustainable development based on the conservation of nature, culture, and history, combined with ensuring national defense and security and improving the quality of life for residents. In the next five years, Con Dao has identified three key breakthroughs: completing wastewater and waste treatment systems and developing green transportation; enhancing ecotourism; and promoting administrative reform, digital transformation, and building a smart island.

Le Tuyet