The Western sea dike is waiting to be saved.

The Western sea dike system, combined with the coastal sluice gate system in An Giang and Ca Mau provinces, is strategically important for controlling salinity and storing freshwater. However, many sections of this sea dike are currently experiencing serious erosion and are awaiting repair.

Many sections of the western sea dike in Ca Mau are directly battered by waves at the base of the dike - Photo: THANH HUY

The 200km-long Western sea dike in An Giang , stretching from Ha Tien to Ca Mau, is considered a "solid fortress wall" against erosion, landslides, and soil degradation, ensuring the livelihoods of thousands of people in the coastal area.

Every time there's a drought and saltwater intrusion, the people living along the coast of An Giang and Ca Mau suffer.

However, during the severe drought and saltwater intrusion season of 2026, many residents shook their heads in dismay when the aforementioned sea dike was mentioned. Mr. Nguyen Van Bo, a resident of Muong Dao A hamlet (Van Khanh commune, An Giang province), said: "The western sea dike in this section has completely broken. The saltwater intrusion prevention sluice gate was grandly constructed but lacks electricity to operate."

Mr. Bo recounted that four years ago, before the western sea dike (the section passing through Van Khanh commune) was eroded and broken into sections, he and the local people felt very secure cultivating one rice crop and one shrimp farming crop combined with raising sea crabs in the fields.

The rice crop always yielded a stable harvest, so Mr. Bo's family didn't worry about food. The shrimp and crab farming was very effective, leading to a comfortable life. However, in 2026, the severe drought and intense heat caused saltwater intrusion. As a result, the shrimp and crabs raised on Mr. Bo's 20 acres of land grew slowly, resulting in losses and inefficiency.

"About 500 meters of the dike have broken, the sluice gates can't be closed, and my 20 acres of land are left untouched. With this intense heat, the salinity in my family's shrimp ponds has been at 20-30‰ for the past few days, so the shrimp can't grow. I don't understand why the Western sea dike still broke even with a breakwater," Mr. Bo lamented.

Although unseasonal rain has fallen in the An Bien, An Minh, and Van Khanh communes in the past few days, it has not been enough to alleviate the heat and saltwater intrusion.

Local residents sometimes measured the salinity of the canal water at 40‰, exceeding the safe limit. Especially during low tide, the inland canals in Muong Dao A hamlet drain quickly, exposing soft mud on both banks.

"Now, to operate the sluice gate, we have to use a generator, which significantly increases costs. The local authorities invested in an electricity system to operate it, but there's a section that hasn't been completed yet," said Phan Trong Thu, a resident of Van Khanh commune, sadly.

In Ca Mau, many households in U Minh commune still face daily storms, strong waves, and the fear of losing their land and homes. Despite the construction of reinforced embankments, many sections of the dike remain vulnerable to natural disasters, especially as the rainy and stormy season approaches.

The coastal saltwater intrusion barrier in Van Khanh commune was well-invested in, but to this day it still lacks electricity to operate - Photo: CHI CONG

Why is the Western sea dike still not finished being repaired?

The People's Committee of Van Khanh commune confirmed that a section of the national defense dike in the Kim Qui B area (Kim Qui B hamlet) has collapsed and broken for about 500 meters, directly threatening local shrimp farmers. The breached dike also affects the production, business, and transportation of goods for the local people.

"Due to the impact of climate change, heavy rainstorms, and frequent waves, the sea dykes have been severely affected and eroded as a result of changes in currents."

"Two coastal sluice gates in the locality are still not operational due to the lack of electricity. The commune has submitted a report and a proposal requesting the competent authorities to intervene and repair them so that people can feel secure in their production," said Mr. Phan Huu Phuoc, Head of the Economic Department of Van Khanh commune.

According to the An Giang Provincial Irrigation Department, the section of sea dike from Kim Qui B to Muong Dao (Van Khanh commune) is made of earth and is approximately 5km long. Due to severe erosion of the coastal forest area, some sections of the dike have lost soil and broken in half.

Despite remedial measures, including the installation of gabion cages, the dike continues to erode due to significant soil erosion in the protective forest. The An Giang Provincial Department of Irrigation has conducted a survey and submitted a proposal to the Provincial People's Committee requesting approval for a solution. This involves assigning relevant units to assess wave action, sedimentation, and beach formation; repairing the eroded sea dike; reinforcing the dike base with gabion cages at an elevation of 2 meters; and restoring the dike body with earth fill along a length of approximately 1.5 kilometers. The estimated cost for this project is over 13.5 billion VND.

To date, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang province has submitted to the Department of Finance for appraisal the report proposing the investment policy for the project "Complete and comprehensive treatment of coastal erosion in An Bien - An Minh area".

"Due to remaining forest land, the three-phase power line to operate the sluice gate section passing through Van Khanh commune has not yet been completed," informed Mr. Nguyen Van Tu, Director of the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Projects in An Giang province.

Meanwhile, Ca Mau is the only locality in the country that borders both the East Sea and the West Sea. This advantage has helped to form a distinctive mangrove forest ecosystem, following the natural pattern of "mangroves first, then Rhizophora apiculata, and Melaleuca alternifolia closely following".

However, due to the impact of climate change, the amount of sediment has decreased, and the deposition process is no longer as rapid as before. The western coastal area is beginning to shift from deposition to erosion, forcing the dike system to struggle to withstand it.

Faced with this situation, Ca Mau province has proposed several solutions to protect the western coastal dike system, including: a plan to build an additional 19km of dike from Cai Doi Vam to Kenh Nam, combined with sedimentation, beach creation, and planting more than 2,000 hectares of new coastal protection forests; and implementing wave-reducing and erosion-preventing embankment projects with a total length of more than 11km, aiming to restore mangrove forests and protect coastal residential areas...

According to leaders of the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee, landslide response efforts in the past have been reactive due to a lack of funding and the absence of a long-term plan.

In the landslide prevention plan until 2030, the province prioritizes engineering solutions to protect land, forests, and people's lives. Among these, the construction of sea dikes combined with transportation infrastructure, breakwaters, and reforestation are considered long-term strategies.

CHI CONG - THANH HUYEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-bien-tay-cho-duoc-cuu-20260505075823233.htm