13-8-2023 (HANOI) The rate of land subsidence in the Mekong Delta is three to four times higher, and in some areas up to ten times higher, than the sea-level rise, putting the region at risk of gradual submergence, according to government officials.
“Over the past 50 years, the area of mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta has decreased by about 80%. In the period from 2011 to 2016 alone, we lost 300-500 hectares per year, affecting thousands of households living along the coast, rivers, and canals,” said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a meeting with central government leaders and representatives from 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta to discuss the situation of subsidence, landslides, and flooding in the region on August 12.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the Mekong Delta, although an important region, is facing numerous challenges such as the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, water exploitation by upstream Mekong countries, leading to local freshwater shortages. Particularly concerning is the significant decrease in sediment, subsidence, and land subsidence. Many coastal embankments and roads that were previously designed at sufficient heights are now breached by tidal surges, causing flooding.
In response to the situation, the government has requested local authorities to assess areas prone to dangerous landslides that pose risks to lives and properties and develop specific projects accordingly. At the same time, the 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta have been allocated funds and instructed to propose and implement immediate projects. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, has been tasked with allocating resources to support these local initiatives.
In the long term, the government demands that relevant agencies effectively carry out planning, evaluate the causes of landslides, and identify appropriate solutions to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have been assigned to study and determine specific causes of riverbank erosion, coastal erosion, and mangrove degradation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with a working delegation, conducted aerial surveys and visited various locations to assess the situation, including the coastal embankments in the western region of Ca Mau, the anti-erosion dykes in the residential belt of Nam Dong Ho, Ha Tien City (Kien Giang province), the protective embankments in Chau Phong commune, Tan Chau district, An Giang province, and landslide areas in Dong Thap province.
According to reports from local authorities, from 2016 until now, there have been 779 landslide points in the Mekong Delta, with a total length of 1,134 kilometers. Among them, there are 666 riverbank landslide points with a total length of 774 kilometers, and 113 coastal landslide points with a length of 390 kilometers.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that riverbank and canal erosion commonly occur at bends in the river, confluence areas, the heads of islands, and densely populated areas. This phenomenon is increasing in terms of the number of points, scale, speed, and range. Upstream areas such as An Giang, Dong Thap, and Vinh Long are usually more severely affected than downstream areas like Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang.
Regarding coastal erosion, surveys conducted in 2020 and 2022 revealed that the coastal area of Bao Thuan commune in Ba Tri district, Ben Tre province, experiences erosion at a rate of about 30 meters per year, while the coastal area of Vinh Hai commune in Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang province, erodes at a rate of about 35 meters per year. Of particular concern is the coastal area of Ca Mau, where erosion rates range from 70 to 90 meters per year.
