Urgent need to invest in breakwaters to protect the eastern coast.

According to the latest statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau province, coastal erosion in eastern Ca Mau is becoming particularly serious and is showing an increasing trend.

• 480 billion VND invested in building embankments to prevent erosion along the Gành Hào riverbank.
• Severe landslide at Dam Doi causes over 3 billion VND in damage.
• Urgently implement solutions to respond to landslides.

The impacts of climate change, rising sea levels, and years of ongoing erosion have caused many sections of coastal protective mangrove forests to shrink rapidly. Facing the risk of direct impacts on coastal populations, infrastructure, and production, authorities warn that urgent response measures need to be implemented soon, especially with the 2026 rainy and typhoon season fast approaching.

The coastal stretch from Tan Thuan (Ganh Hao estuary) towards Ho Gui is experiencing particularly dangerous erosion, spanning approximately 9.1 km with an average erosion rate of 60-80 m/year. There is an urgent need for investment in a breakwater system in this area, estimated at around 530 billion VND, including the following sections: Ganh Hao - Ap Hap (0.7 km); Ap Hap - Gia Cao (4.9 km); and Gia Cao towards Bo Co (3.5 km). (In the photo: The protective forest belt in the Gia Cao estuary area (Tan Thuan commune) is rapidly disappearing due to the lack of a breakwater system).

Particularly dangerous landslide areas are concentrated in the following sections: Bo De - Ho Gui, Kien Vang - Ong Ta, Ho Gui - Tan Tien, Ap Hap - Gia Cao… with an average landslide rate of 30-80 m/year, and in some places over 100 m/year.

Landslides cause the loss of approximately 250-300 hectares of land and protective forests per year, while also directly threatening residential areas, resettlement areas, and many coastal infrastructure projects, with a total landslide length of about 56.1 km.

In the Giá Cao estuary area (Tân Thuận commune), land and forest loss are significantly impacting the lives of the local people. The sea is rapidly encroaching inland, and urgent solutions are needed, such as constructing breakwaters to protect the estuary, coastal forests, and the livelihoods of the people.

The section from Kien Vang to Ong Ta is experiencing particularly dangerous erosion, including: the 3.4 km Kien Vang - Vam Lung section; the 1.7 km Vam Lung section towards Rach Goc; and the 1.2 km Rach Goc - Ong Ta section. This area requires approximately 367 billion VND for the urgent construction of a wave-breaking embankment system. (Photo taken at the Vam Lung estuary, Phan Ngoc Hien Commune)

According to expert assessments, the coastal erosion situation in the eastern part of Ca Mau province has reached a critical level of natural disaster. Many residential areas, infrastructure, and production activities are directly threatened, including the former Tam Giang Tay residential area, Thu Market, schools, government offices, the power grid, wind turbines, people's production areas, the high-tech shrimp farming area of ​​Viet Uc Company, and the Class VI highway in the delta; especially key infrastructure projects along the Ho Chi Minh Highway in Phan Ngoc Hien Commune.

Many areas have completely lost their protective forest belts, and without urgent response measures, especially during the 2026 rainy and stormy season, invested infrastructure such as wind power plants are at risk of being affected.

Besides threatening people's safety and socio-economic infrastructure, recent landslides have also resulted in the loss of large areas of coastal land and protective forests.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department and Chief of the Office of the Provincial Civil Defense Command, stated: “According to a recent survey, over 56 km of the eastern coastline of Ca Mau province is experiencing particularly dangerous erosion, posing a direct threat to protected areas in the short term. These areas are concentrated in the communes of Tan An, Phan Ngoc Hien, Tam Giang, Tan Tien, and Tan Thuan. The estimated funding needed for emergency treatment using wave-breaking embankments is over 3,200 billion VND from the state budget.”

The section from the Bo De estuary to the Lang Chao canal estuary is experiencing particularly dangerous erosion, including: the Bo De - Mang Chim section (6.7 km); the Mang Chim - Lang Chao section (1 km); and the Lang Chao section towards Hoc Nang (1.7 km). An urgent investment of approximately 554 billion VND is needed for a wave-breaking embankment system in this area.

Given the increasingly serious coastal erosion in the East Sea, the early allocation of resources for investment in breakwater projects, protection of mangrove forests, and essential infrastructure is considered an urgent requirement to minimize damage, ensure the safety of people, and stabilize socio-economic development in the coastal area.

Given the rapid rate of erosion, if timely countermeasures are not taken, the sandbar at the Bo De estuary (Tan An commune) is at risk of disappearing soon. This would severely impact the Border Guard Post, the Tan An Commune Party Committee headquarters, transportation and telecommunications infrastructure, and the residential area.

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In 2023, Ca Mau province declared a state of emergency due to coastal erosion at six locations along the eastern coast, with a total length of over 29 km and an investment requirement of more than 2,200 billion VND. (according to Decision No. 1527 of the Provincial People's Committee).

However, to date, many locations have not been able to implement the construction of breakwater systems due to a lack of funding. Specifically, the 8.4 km section from Ho Gui to Bo De requires over 472 billion VND; and the 6.3 km section from Kien Vang to Ong Ta requires over 377 billion VND.

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Tran Nguyen

Source: https://baocamau.vn/cap-thiet-dau-tu-ke-chan-song-bao-ve-bo-dong-a128466.html