Ca Mau: Approximately 6,200 hectares of land and coastal protection forests lost.

In Ca Mau province, from 2011 to 2023, approximately 6,200 hectares of land and coastal protection forests were lost due to erosion. Many residential areas, infrastructure projects, and production areas are threatened.

Approximately 6,200 hectares of land and coastal protection forests were lost.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Head of the Irrigation Department of Ca Mau province, said: The province has a coastline of 310km, ranking second in the country after Khanh Hoa. However, more than 200km of that is experiencing erosion, ranging from dangerous to extremely dangerous levels. Of this, nearly 100km of coastline has been lost in the West Sea and over 100km in the East Sea. Statistics from 2011 to 2023 show that the entire province has lost approximately 6,200 hectares of coastal land and protective forests due to erosion, threatening many residential areas, infrastructure, and production areas.

Officials from the irrigation sector survey the western sea dike area of ​​Ca Mau province. Photo: Trong Linh.

In recent times, the risk of coastal erosion in Ca Mau has been increasing due to tidal surges, rising sea levels, and climate change. Several sections of the eastern coast, such as Ap Hap and Gia Cao, have been declared particularly dangerous due to erosion. Three sections, in particular, are at risk: the section from Ho Gui to Bo De; the section from Kien Vang to Ong Ta; and the section from Kenh 5 O Ro to Vam Xoay. The Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee has declared a state of emergency in these areas, but funding for remediation has yet to be allocated. Without comprehensive solutions, erosion will continue to cause land loss, destroy mangrove forests, and harm coastal residents.

The section of the eastern coastline from Ấp Hạp to Giá Cao is particularly dangerous due to erosion. Photo: Trọng Linh.

Landslide prevention and control plan

Following the directives of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during the landslide survey in early 2024 and the directives of General Secretary To Lam during his visit and working trip to Ca Mau province in November 2024, Ca Mau province has developed a plan for preventing and combating coastal and riverbank erosion until 2030 to fundamentally address the erosion problem. The plan has identified 15 eroded coastal sections with a total length of approximately 120 km that need remediation. These eroded sections have also been integrated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment into the plan for preventing subsidence, landslides, flooding, drought, and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region, which has been submitted to the Government for consideration.

This is an important step, helping Ca Mau province proactively adapt to climate change and tidal surges, while protecting coastal residential areas, important transportation routes, and production zones. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has integrated these sections into the overall plan for preventing subsidence, erosion, and flooding in the Mekong Delta, which has been submitted to the Government for consideration.

A perspective view of the centrifugal embankment technology model for landslide prevention in Ca Mau, which has been constructed recently. Photo: Trong Linh.

According to Mr. Tung, thanks to support from the central government, Ca Mau province has built over 110 km of anti-erosion embankments using prestressed centrifugal concrete pile technology. The embankment structure consists of two rows of piles 10-12 meters long, filled with boulders between the rows, with a system of bracing beams at the top of the piles in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Waves passing through the embankment are almost completely eliminated, helping to create sediment, form beaches, and restore mangrove forests.

The initial results are quite impressive, with over 1,000 hectares of coastal protection forest regenerated, contributing to soil protection and maintaining the coastal ecosystem. Currently, the province is implementing an additional 20 km of seawall with a budget of approximately 770 billion VND, further expanding the area of ​​coastal protection and community support.

However, the constructed projects are merely "stopgap" solutions, lacking coordination, failing to thoroughly address the dangerous sections of the coastline, and not aligned with the direction of marine economic development.

Regenerating forest in the western coastal area between Rach Dinh and Huong Mai. Photo: Trong Linh.

Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province, emphasized that sustainable erosion control must combine engineering works and ecological restoration. The remaining sections of the western and eastern coastlines require urgent construction of protective embankments and restoration of mangrove forests, with a total length of approximately 108 km and a total investment of about 9,000 billion VND.

The synchronized implementation of these projects not only minimizes the risks of natural disasters but also raises community awareness, helping people living along the coast to proactively adapt, protect their property, and maintain production.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/ca-mau-mat-khoang-6200-ha-dat-va-rung-phong-ho-ven-bien-d785994.html