HCMC – Ca Mau, Vietnam’s southernmost provnice, has requested VND26.84 trillion from the central Government to tackle severe coastal and riverbank erosion, supplemented by VND2.3 trillion from its budget and VND2 trillion from the private sector.
Nguyen Thanh Tung, head of the Ca Mau Irrigation Division, outlined the financial needs for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision extending to 2030. The total requirement exceeds VND31.2 trillion to address the province’s erosion issues comprehensively.
The province plans to implement 177 erosion control projects, which include 10 coastal, 30 riverbank, 36 general erosion minimization, five sea dyke, and 96 river dyke projects.
Ca Mau’s coastline is particularly vulnerable, with 91 kilometers at varying risk levels. The western coast faces 22 kilometers of dangerous erosion, while the eastern coast has 29.15 kilometers of extremely dangerous erosion and 40.3 kilometers of dangerous erosion.
The eastern sea dyke, currently unfunded, experiences erosion rates of 45-50 meters per year, and up to 80-100 meters in some areas. This poses a significant threat to inland infrastructure, necessitating immediate intervention.
Without protective measures, erosion is forecast to advance inland, threatening land and infrastructure. The province aims to address this with projects covering 69.45 kilometers of the eastern coastline.
Ca Mau faces challenges including climate change, rising sea levels, freshwater scarcity, land subsidence, and increased erosion. These issues significantly impact agriculture and residents’ lives.
Over the past decade, climate change and extreme weather have exacerbated erosion along Ca Mau’s rivers, canals, and 254 kilometers of coastline. Surveys by the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research identified 355 erosion sites along riverbanks, totaling 424.659 meters, with 47.165 meters classified as particularly dangerous.
