Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges

AFTER THE HISTORICAL TURNING POINT OF UNIGNITION, A STRATEGIC VISION IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LAO CAI. IT IS THE DEVELOPMENT AIM TOWARDS THE GOAL OF “GREEN, HARMONY, IDENTITY AND HAPPINESS”, MAKING THE PROVINCE A GROWTH POLE, A DYNAMIC GREEN ECONOMIC CENTER OF THE WHOLE REGION. THIS PATH IS A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT, REQUIRING A DEEP TRANSFORMATION FROM MINDSET TO ACTION TO TURN RESOURCES INTO SUSTAINABLE ENDOGENOUS POWER.

The merger has brought Lao Cai an invaluable gift: a large, seamless development space. Old administrative barriers have been broken down, the apparatus has been streamlined, paving the way for a completely new planning mindset following the model of “One dynamic axis, two development poles, three economic regions”.

This new space is fertile land to sow green seeds, so that the inherent potential of Lao Cai can be exploited to the fullest. That land possesses a unique “green coordinate”. These are tea fields, medicinal fields such as artichokes, Panax pseudoginseng in Sa Pa, Bac Ha. The OCOP program has breathed new life into local products, turning them into valuable brands.

By mid-2025, the whole province will have more than 600 OCOP products, including products that meet national 5-star standards, affirming the great potential of organic agriculture and ecological agriculture.

Not only agriculture, Lao Cai is also considered a “white gold mine” with huge renewable energy potential. More than 100 hydropower plants with a total capacity of nearly 1,800 MW not only ensure energy security for the province but also become an important energy supply center for the entire Northwest region. The abundant clean energy source on site is a great advantage to attract deep processing industries, bringing added value to the locality.

It would be remiss not to mention tourism - a "gold mine" created by the majestic beauty of Hoang Lien Son mountain range, the magnificent terraced fields in Sa Pa, Y Ty, Mu Cang Chai, combined with the diverse cultural identities of many ethnic groups.

In just 7 months of 2025, tourism revenue reached more than 29,000 billion VND. This impressive figure is a testament to the attractiveness of eco-tourism and community tourism - the sustainable direction that Lao Cai is pursuing. Along with that, the gateway position on the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor opens up opportunities to develop green logistics services, turning Lao Cai into a vibrant and sustainable trading center.

In addition to the vast opportunities, Lao Cai’s transition to a green economy is also a challenging journey. The biggest “bottleneck” probably comes from infrastructure. The poor transportation system in the highlands not only hinders travel but also acts as a barrier to green products reaching the market.

The pressure on environmental infrastructure is also not small. Every day, hundreds of tons of waste are discharged, but the processing capacity has not kept up. Dozens of primitive landfills still exist, posing a potential risk of pollution, contrary to the "green" goal set by the province.

Along with infrastructure comes the difficult problem of capital. The need for capital to invest in clean technology and agricultural transformation is huge, but access to green credit sources is still a distant dream for many small businesses and farmers. Above all, the biggest challenge lies in the invisible: mindset and habits. Changing small-scale production habits, chemical abuse of farmers or the "reluctance" of businesses to invest in green technology is a real revolution, requiring perseverance, persistence and strong enough policies to encourage and lead change from the roots.

The journey of developing a green economy in Lao Cai is inevitable, but to reach the finish line successfully, drastic and synchronous actions are needed. The government needs to play the role of “conductor”, creating a truly attractive investment environment with breakthrough incentive policies for the green economy and drastic public investment to remove infrastructure “bottlenecks”. However, the transformation will only be truly successful with the active participation of people and businesses.

New cooperative models such as the Red Dao Community Cooperative in Sa Pa are the core and driving force of the community. They have proven that combining indigenous knowledge with modern economic thinking can create products that are both distinctive and of high economic value. Finally, science, technology and international cooperation will be the “extended arms” that help Lao Cai access knowledge, experience and resources from outside.

The road ahead may be thorny, but with a clear vision, strong political determination and the consensus of the people, the aspiration for a Lao Cai that is “Green, harmonious, unique and happy” will certainly not be far away. It is not only an economic strategy, but also a commitment to the future, a promise of sustainable prosperity on this land.

Presented by: Van Thao

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/kinh-te-xanh-co-hoi-va-thach-thuc-post880278.html