Efforts to Prevent Landslides in the Mekong Delta Region

Scene of a landslide incident in the area near the Can Lo canal (section close to Tra Bong temple, Nhi My commune, Cao Lanh district, Dong Thap province). Photo: VNA

Although being a particularly important strategic area in terms of politics, economy, society, national defense, security, foreign affairs and sustainable development, the Mekong Delta is facing many challenges such as impacts of climate change, sea levels rising, severe land subsidence, saline intrusion, environmental pollution and high-tide flooding in many urban areas.

An embankment line protecting a residential area at the mouth of the river in Kien Giang province. Photo: VNA

According to local reports, the impacts of climate change leading to sea levels rising, and land subsidence and other extreme weather events have worsened landslides and riverbank and coastal erosion in the Mekong Delta provinces.

With a dense system of rivers, canals and a coastline of over 740km, since 2016 the provinces and cities in the region have reported 779 landslide areas with a total length of 1,134km, including 666 riverbank spots (744km) and 113 coastal spots (390km).

In recent years, ministries, sectors and localities have implemented many solutions with a focus on managing riverbanks, riverbeds and coastline, strengthening communication and the handling of violations, investing and assessing the current state of riverbank and coastal landslides, and building a landslide prevention map. Since 2016, the government has invested and planned to allocate 16,223 billion dong in building 218km anti-erosion embankment projects with a length of 324km in the Mekong Delta.

To prevent, control and mitigate damage from landslides, riverbank and coastal erosion, and flash floods, the prime minister asked localities to support and stabilize the daily activities of households in landslide areas and to fully grasp the situation and proactively take necessary measures to ensure the safety of residents in areas highly prone to landslides and flash floods, including evacuating them and their assets to safe areas, providing them with food and necessities and raising public awareness of risks. In addition, localities continue to take measures to handle and control the development in particularly dangerous landslide areas to ensure the safety of residents and important infrastructures.

The prime minister also directed relevant ministries and sectors to further analyze the causes of this situation before giving out assessments and basic and long-term strategic solutions, such as sea dyke encroachment in places which have suitable conditions (both for developing traffic, breakwater, preventing landslides, erosion and intrusion, and retaining alluvium for sea encroachment), balancing and allocating state resources and proposing appropriate mechanisms and policies to socialize and mobilize nonstate resources, and invest in landslide prevention and control works.

The most urgent task is to ensure the safety and assets of residents, and projects of the state. The residents’ livelihood must be in harmony with nature and development must be sustainable in accordance with the directive of “not sacrificing social progress and justice to pursue economic growth” by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. It is a difficult and complex issue, but with a strong determination, great efforts and drastic action, the problem will be definitedly gradually improved./.

Story: VNP    Photos: VNA    Translated by Hong Hanh