Landslide warning and fundamental solutions - Final article: Review and sustainable master plan

Faced with the serious landslide situation, Dong Thap province has urgently deployed many immediate response measures, while also building a long-term master plan to protect river banks, stabilize residents and develop sustainable infrastructure.

The scene of the landslide at Thuong Thoi Tien Embankment (in Thuong Phuoc commune, Dong Thap province) at noon on August 12, 2025. Photo: VNA

Emergency embankment projects and landslide prevention works are being prioritized for investment with capital of hundreds of billions of VND, in parallel with reviewing, planning, and tightening management of riverside activities. The goal is to proactively respond to natural disasters, limit damage, and gradually put landslide prevention and control work on a sustainable track, linked to local socio -economic development.

Urgent remedy

Due to the serious erosion situation, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap province has decided to declare a state of emergency regarding riverbank erosion along the Tien River in the Thuong Thoi Tien embankment area; and to declare a state of emergency regarding riverbank erosion along the Tien River on Nguyen Huong street (Tan Tich and Tinh Hung hamlets), Cao Lanh ward. Recently, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap province signed two Decisions: one issuing an Emergency Construction Order for the Project to Remediate Riverbank Erosion in the Thuong Thoi Tien embankment area, and another issuing an Emergency Construction Order for the Project to Remediate Riverbank Erosion along Nguyen Huong street.

The construction period of these two projects is from the date of issuance of the Emergency Construction Order to December 31, 2026. Dong Thap province has requested the Ministry of Finance to synthesize and submit to the Prime Minister for consideration and support of capital from the central budget (about 830 billion VND) to urgently handle the two serious landslide areas on the Tien River bank mentioned above in Thuong Phuoc commune and Cao Lanh ward.

For the Thuong Thoi Tien embankment area, the Department will implement the restoration of the structure to its original design; reinforce and fill erosion pits with sandbags and lay stone mats. The Department also requested the province to consider adjusting and supplementing the length of emergency landslide remediation to suit the landslide situation and risk. As for the landslide area along the Tien River bank at Nguyen Huong Street (Cao Lanh Ward), initially, two erosion pits at the two landslide locations will be filled with sandbags on a geotextile base to limit further landslides; and landslide and subsidence will be reinforced and remedied with sandbags and lay stone mats.

The construction of these two emergency projects aims to promptly overcome and proactively prevent landslides and subsidence of the Tien River bank, promptly ensuring the safety of people's lives and property and businesses, the safety of natural disaster prevention works, technical infrastructure systems and people's traffic.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap province, shared: Through field surveys, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has compiled and categorized the findings, and from there proposed immediate and long-term solutions to address landslides and subsidence in the province.

For landslides and riverbank collapses affecting people's traffic and agricultural production embankments and dikes, the People's Committees at the commune level have proposed plans/budgets to handle and overcome landslides. The Department of Agriculture and Environment has proposed to assign the Project Management Board to invest in construction of landslide locations on large and medium-sized canals into 26 lists of works (46 landslide locations), with a repair length of about 3,650 m, estimated repair cost of about 105.096 billion VND. At the same time, the People's Committees of communes and wards are assigned to fix about 22 landslide locations on intra-field canals with a repair length of about 7,277 m, estimated repair cost of about 32.248 billion VND.

For the 6 project categories (6 landslide and subsidence locations) to address landslides along major rivers with complex and large-scale landslide developments, the Department of Agriculture and Environment proposes allocating funds from public investment capital for the 2026-2030 period. The People's Committees of communes and wards are requested to take the lead and coordinate with the regional project management board and relevant units to survey and propose appropriate and cost-effective landslide remediation plans, submitting them to the Department of Finance for compilation and advice to the Provincial People's Committee on the allocation of the project and funding for remediation.

Regarding the 24 landslide and riverbank subsidence points affecting people's transportation and embankments protecting agricultural production, for which no remediation plan/funding has been proposed, the Department of Agriculture and Environment requests that the People's Committees at the commune level take the lead, in coordination with the Project Management Board and relevant units, to survey and propose appropriate and cost-effective remediation plans for the area; the Department of Agriculture and Environment will compile the proposals and submit them to the Provincial People's Committee in a later phase.

Proactive prevention

A section of the Thuong Thoi Tien embankment has collapsed, with erosion "eating deep" into the base of the embankment. Photo: Nhut An/TTXVN

In the long term, to help localities proactively handle landslides (regardless of whether the landslides are large or small), the Department of Agriculture and Environment recommends that the Department of Finance advise the People's Committee of Dong Thap province on guiding the process of providing financial support to localities for disaster prevention, response, and mitigation, especially for proactively preventing and combating landslides and subsidence of riverbanks, canals, and ditches in Dong Thap province.

Furthermore, in order to strengthen the handling of violations within the protected areas of irrigation works, dikes, and flood control, and to inspect and organize the clearing of weeds and water hyacinths to ensure the unobstructed flow of canals and ditches in the province, and to limit riverbank erosion, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a directive in document No. 1961/SNN&MT-CCTL dated August 19, 2025. Simultaneously, it is also drafting a Decision stipulating the decentralization of management, exploitation, protection, and the scope of the surrounding areas of irrigation works and dikes in Dong Thap province.

Mr. Tran Tri Quang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Thap province, said that due to Dong Thap's natural conditions with the Tien River flowing through it, riverbank erosion occurs during the flood season when water levels rise. The province has directed relevant departments to conduct a comprehensive review of the erosion situation to proactively respond. Previously, the province had a plan to assess the erosion situation along the Tien River to develop long-term solutions.

At the same time, the province has directed the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to urgently submit to the Provincial People's Committee a long-term solution for local landslides as well as the entire Tien River. Especially when the floodwaters recede, creating a height difference between the water level and the riverbank, there is a possibility of further landslides at other locations along the Tien River.

Due to the urgency of landslide-prone areas, the People's Committee of Dong Thap province requests the Ministry of Finance to compile and submit to the Prime Minister for consideration and support of funding from the central government's contingency budget for 2025 or the medium-term period of 2026-2030, and to consider allocating funds immediately in 2026 to implement two projects to build embankments to protect dangerous and urgent landslide areas, with a total investment of approximately 830 billion VND. Based on this, the locality will complete all procedures, implement investment and construction in accordance with current regulations, and disburse funds within the stipulated timeframe, ensuring the investment efficiency of the projects.

At the working session with the Government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh on October 18, the leaders of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Government and central ministries support Dong Thap in prioritizing capital for key regional transport projects; projects to overcome riverbank erosion on Tien River and Go Cong coast.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/bao-dong-tinh-trang-sat-lo-va-giai-phap-can-co-bai-cuoi-ra-soat-quy-hoach-tong-the-ben-vung-20251025110444843.htm