HCMC – To address the issue of sand shortage for infrastructure projects, Vietnam will cooperate with the Netherlands in mining offshore sand in the near future.
A conference on sustainable offshore sand mining was held yesterday, March 19, by the Geological Department of Vietnam and the Dutch Infrastructure and Water Management Ministry.
At the conference, the Netherlands side said that it will strengthen its cooperation with Vietnam in sustainable offshore sand mining.
Dutch experts also shared their experiences in sustainable offshore sand mining and said that the Netherlands is committed to supporting Vietnam in assessing and exploiting the country’s deep-sea sand resources beyond the depth of 20 meters.
Currently, Vietnam, especially the Mekong Delta region, has been facing a shortage of sand for road construction, prompting the Government to find solutions to address this urgent issue.
In 2023, the Ministry of Transport utilized sea sand from the Tra Vinh–Soc Trang coastal area for road construction. The initiative was a testament to the approaches taken to address challenges faced in procuring sand for infrastructure development.
However, Vietnam needs to compile and issue regulations on the management of mining and use of sea sand and assess the impact of offshore sand mining on the environment in accordance with international regulations.
In addition to a complete legal framework, Vietnam requires access to technology solutions for mining, processing and washing offshore sand to manufacture construction materials.
