Huong, D.T.T.; Lan, T.D., and Le, D.T., 2024. Environmental conflicts with tourist beach uses along the northeastern Vietnam coast. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(1), 104–114. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208.

NE Vietnamese beaches possess economic and ecological value, particularly in the areas of international importance, such as the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site and the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve, and national significance, such as the National Park of Bai Tu Long Bay. Increasing socioeconomic development in this coastal zone has generated pressures on and use conflicts within coastal ecosystems, including coastal beaches. To support integrated coastal management of the area, identification and in-depth analysis of the environmental conflicts of nine typical tourist beaches were conducted. The conflicts were defined by naming beach users and then grouping them, such as the group of economic sectors and the group of environmentalists and nature conservationists. The first group of beach-use conflicts consists of the conflict of tourism and urbanization with sand mining in Cat Ba, Ha Long–Bai Tu Long, and Cam Pha–Mong Cai; the conflict of tourism and urbanization with marine and coastal aquaculture in Cat Ba, Ha Long–Bai Tu Long, and Cam Pha–Mong Cai, and the conflict of sand mining with marine and coastal aquaculture in Cat Ba and Ha Long–Bai Tu Long. The second group of conflicts between socioeconomic development and nature conservation involves the conflicts of all three economic sectors with conservation activities in the Bai Tu Long National Park and the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve and the conflicts of tourism, urbanization, and marine and coastal aquaculture with nature conservation in the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site. Conflict aspects were detailed with the nature of the conflict, parties involved, typological classification, and current trends. Analysis of detailed aspects shows that environmental conflicts are still severe and long-lasting, especially in coastal areas with international and national importance. This requires a resolution of integrated coastal management to be developed as soon as possible for the study area.