Seawater has approached the western sea dyke in Cà Mau Province, threatening to compromise its integrity. — VNA/VNS Photo

CÀ MAU — The People’s Committee of the southernmost province of Cà Mau has announced an emergency situation as landslides have occurred at many sections of the sea dykes along the western coast in the locality.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyễn Tiến Hải assigned the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate with the People's Committee of U Minh and Trần Văn Thời districts to zone out and set up safety barriers along dangerous erosion areas and landslide-prone ones.

He stressed the need to keep a close watch on the situation, and urgently build plans to protect critical locations, and asked for the installation of warning signs and the arrangement of forces for guarding eroding dyke routes.

Authorities of relevant localities must urgently evacuate people and property out of areas with dangerous erosion, the official stressed, adding communication campaigns must be organised to raise public awareness of the danger.

Cà Mau has been suffering from impacts of erosion along its sea and river dykes. Up to 80 per cent of the 254km of sea dykes that run along both the eastern and western coasts in the province have been eroded. The sea has encroached into land by 20-25m each year, even 50m in some sites, swallowing up large parts of protection forests. The province has lost nearly 9,000ha of forest over the past decade. 

Since the beginning of this year, the provincial administration has accelerated the projects on reinforcing sea dykes ahead of the storm season. — VNS