Worry about losing land, precarious livelihoods
The coastal erosion situation in Dong Hai commune, Vinh Long province, which has lasted for many years, is leaving heavy consequences for people's lives. According to local statistics, the total area of land swept away is more than 325ha, of which most is coastal protection forest. More than 50 houses are directly affected, causing people to always live in a state of anxiety and insecurity when natural disasters may occur at any time.
Mr. Hoang Van Thuy (Dong Thanh hamlet, Dong Hai commune) said that his family used to have nearly 2,000m2 of land for growing crops, which was the main source of income. However, after many years of landslides, the entire area was swept away by the sea. "Losing land is losing livelihood, now even wanting to rebuild is not possible" - he said. According to Mr. Thuy, although the locality has supported reinforcing the shore with stone cages, some sections are showing signs of degradation, no longer ensuring safety, causing his family and many other households to continue to face the risk of losing more land.
Not only economic damage, safety concerns are also always present in people's lives. Ms. Ly Thi Ut Em (from the same hamlet) said that her family lives near the landslide area, so every night they are anxious: "Hearing the waves hit hard, I don't dare to sleep deeply, I'm just afraid the land will collapse suddenly." According to her, in the monsoon season, the situation becomes even more tense when big waves continuously hit the shore, causing the land to erode faster. For families with young children, the worry multiplies when the risk of insecurity is always close.
Construction of dyke to prevent landslides is expected to start in early 2027
Faced with the complicated developments of landslides, local authorities said that the length of the affected area is currently about 7.5km, many sections have penetrated deep into the mainland. Not only causing immediate damage, this situation also reduces the area of protection forest, affecting the ability to block waves and protect the coastline.
Mr. Le Quang Rang - Deputy Director of Vinh Long Department of Agriculture and Environment - said that the situation of coastal erosion in Dong Thanh and Ho Thung areas has been monitored since 2015 and is increasingly complicated. The level of erosion is increasing year by year, leading to many damages to land, infrastructure and coastal residents' lives. This is one of the areas that needs to be prioritized for handling to limit negative impacts in the coming time.
Statistics show that the total area of land lost is about 325.2ha, including more than 80ha of production land and 245ha of protection forest. Many infrastructure projects are also seriously affected with hundreds of meters of traffic roads landslides, power lines collapsed, water supply systems damaged and embankments broken. In addition, dozens of people's houses have been affected, forced to relocate or temporarily reinforce to ensure safety.
In the overall landslide area, the section about 2.5km long is identified as a key point, requiring early investment in solid embankment works to protect the coastline. The province has proactively developed an investment plan to preserve land, preserve forests and create conditions to stabilize people's lives and production. This is considered a long-term solution, replacing previous temporary measures.
Mr. Rang added that the Provincial People's Committee has submitted to the Central Government a proposal to support capital of about 200 billion VND to implement a landslide prevention embankment project in this area. The project has been approved in principle and is expected to start construction in early 2027. When completed, the project will not only contribute to controlling landslides but also help protect protection forest areas, infrastructure and create a foundation for people to feel secure and stabilize their long-term lives.
