Erosion along Vĩnh Định River bank in Triệu Hòa Commune, Triệu Phong District in Quảng Trị Province affects safety of residents and reduces the amount of land available to grow crops. VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG TRỊ — The Vĩnh Định River bank section running through Triệu Phong District in the central province Quảng Trị Province has been seeing severe erosion, leaving hundreds of households living along the river in a state of unease.

According to local residents, since 2020, the Vĩnh Định River bank in Vân Hòa Hamlet has been eroding at a rapid pace, particularly during the rainy season from September to November each year.

To date, the riverbank has eroded over a length of nearly 1km and has extended inward by up to 30m, directly threatening the safety of more than one hundred households.

This erosion has led to the loss of arable land, damaged crops, and increased the risk of damage to houses and infrastructure near the riverbank.

Nguyễn Thuận, a resident of Vân Hòa Hamlet whose house is near the Vĩnh Định River, reported that five years ago, his house stood tens of metres away from the river's edge.

The river bank has now reached his house’s wall, posing the risk that his house could collapse into the river at any moment.

In the evening, he and his wife take turns staying awake to monitor the erosion so if anything happens they can quickly move to a safer place.

To cope with the worsening situation, residents have in past years planted rows of banana and bamboo trees along the riverbank to stabilise it, but erosion continues to persist.

From late October to early November this year, heavy rains raised the water level in the Vĩnh Định River and increased its flow velocity, resulting in further severe erosion.

Rows of banana trees, standing 3-4m tall with base diameters of 30-40cm, were uprooted along the riverbank due to the erosion.

Similarly, rows of bamboo, known for their soil-holding capacity along riverbanks, were also toppled into the river.

Many homes and solid structures of residents living along the Vĩnh Định River are now at high risk of damage or collapse, with only two or three metres left between them and the river.

Riverbank erosion has also led to the loss of arable land, impacting residents’ livelihoods.

Lê Quang Bổn, head of Vân Hòa Hamlet, Triệu Hòa Commune, said that Vĩnh Định River used to be only 20-30 metres wide, making it possible to swim across.

In recent years, however, due to bank erosion, the river has widened to 70-80m, he said.

The erosion may be due to changes in the river’s flow. Recently, strong whirlpools have appeared close to the riverbank, carrying away soil and vegetation, he added.

Nguyễn Văn Đức, Chairman of Triệu Hòa Commune People’s Committee, said that erosion along the Vĩnh Định River section through the commune is severe, large-scale and complex, directly affecting the safety of over one hundred households, as well as various structures and homes.

The local community and residents urgently call for the provincial authorities to allocate funds to promptly construct embankments to protect the Vĩnh Định River bank.

Vĩnh Định which is a man-made river, with construction started in 1825, has been dredged and cleared multiple times.

The river flows through communes in Triệu Phong and Hải Lăng Districts and connects to the Tam Giang Lagoon in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. — VNS