Dong Thap works to cope with erosion

• PM urges resources for landslide settlement in Mekong Delta
• Erosion attacks yet another part of Vietnam’s Mekong delta
• PM Phuc underscores rational and sustainable use of water resources of Mekong River

Erosion in Long Thuan commune, Hong Ngu district of Dong Thap (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

From 2017 to early 2018, Dong Thap has recorded 36km of eroded areas along the banks of the Tien and Hau Rivers, encroaching the mainland from 0.5-30m. Compared to 2016, the eroded area increased by 8.3km in length, causing a loss of 13 hectares of land.

At the same time, sections with high risks of erosion increased to 66, 10 sections more than in 2016, with an economic loss of VND30 billion.

Currently, 2,400 local households are living in risky areas and need urgent evacuation.

Erosion has been seen in 25 communes, wards and towns in eight out of 12 district of the province, mostly in Hong Ngu, Thanh Binh, Chau Thanh districts and Cao Lanh city. 

As of early 2018, 258 households were moved to safe places.

According to Nguyen Van Duong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Thap, the province has directed localities to keep a close eye on risky sites and plant alert signs, while strengthening communications on preventive measures among the community.

The province has mapped out a corridor of erosion to lay a foundation for the evacuation of locals to safer places.

Meanwhile, it has constructed public infrastructure works in resettlement areas. More than 13,000 households have moved to the areas.

At the same time, Dong Thap has applied measures to fix eroded areas in Thanh Binh district, while building dykes along the bank of Tien river with a length of 460m.

Dong Thap has proposed the addition of VND54.7 billion (US$2.4 million) from the central budget in 2018 to support locals to evacuate to safer areas.

Alongside, the locality has asked for capital for the construction of 12 residential areas for some 2,400 households in risky areas to resettle at a cost of about VND657 billion (US$28.9 million).

At a working session with representatives of 13 Mekong Delta localities in Hanoi on May 9, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc listed Dong Thap, along with An Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu as the most affected by erosion.

The PM decided to allocate part of the State budget to Mekong Delta localities, helping them build urgent and important facilities, and part of the country’s ODA fund to form a climate change fund in the region.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that erosion have occurred at 562 locations of river banks and seashores, with a total length of 786km, of which 42 spots stretching 149km in specially dangerous conditions. 

It needs about VND6.99 trillion (US$307.56 million) to reinforce such eroded locations, the ministry said.