(VEN) – Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) Consultant Reynaldo Molina when addressing the workshop focusing on discussing the national assessment on coastal erosion on July 17 in Hanoi said that Vietnam needed to adopt policies in order to manage coastal erosion.
Coastal erosion in Vietnam
Oceanographic Center of the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Director Le Van Cong said that coastal erosion in Vietnam was complicated and serious. In the north from Quang Ninh Province to Ninh Binh Province, five banks have been getting eroded since 1930, including Cat Hai and Bang La (Hai Phong Province), Thuy Xuan (Thai Binh Province), Xuan Thuy and Hai Hau (Nam Dinh Province). In particular, Cat Hai and Bang La banks in Hai Phong Province are seriously eroded.
In the central region from Thanh Hoa Province to Binh Thuan Province, coastal erosion is taking place in almost banks. In particular, 121 coastal sections have been seriously affected by erosion, causing negative impacts on people’s living conditions.
In the south from Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to Kien Giang Province, coastal erosion has occurred since 1960. In particular, banks in Can Gio (Ho Chi Minh City), Dong Hai (Tra Vinh Province) and some districts in Ca Mau Province have been seriously affected. Coastal erosion has threatened the economic livelihood projects and broken banks, causing serious effects to food security and socioeconomic development.
Solutions
The management and dealing with coastal erosion are one of Vietnam’s most important tasks. However, the low community awareness in response to coastal erosion and difficulties in financial resources have caused negative effects. In particular, policies in terms of resource management and environmental protection have been not clear, causing difficulties for the management of coastal risks.
To effectively carry out measures in response to coastal erosion, Le Van Cong said that Vietnam should comprehensively implement direct and indirect solutions from the macro to micro level. In particular, the country should consider propagandizing to raise the community awareness about the consequences of coastal erosion and natural disasters, directly contributing to protecting forests, water resources and the environment. In addition, the establishment of observational network based on the coordination between the central authorities and local technical units in order to identify coastal erosion areas was necessary. Adopting action plans to protect banks in each province, strengthening the legal framework and preventing illegal exploitation were also underlined.
These solutions were received the consensus of domestic and foreign delegates attending the workshop.
Coastal erosion is a common phenomenon taking place in almost COBSEA members, such as Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. Therefore, the workshop focusing on discussing the national assessment on coastal erosion was an opportunity for Vietnam and its partners to find out appropriate solutions, contributing to ensuring the sustainable development, social security and coastal environment./.
By Thanh Tam
Đăng ký: VietNam News
