HCM CITY – The General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the Bến Tre People’s Committee organised a scientific seminar on Friday (August 3) on coastal erosion control in Thạnh Phú District.

Tân Đại Hưng Company, ACE Geosynthetics Company of Taiwan and scientists proposed measures to combat erosion, deputy director of the department, Nguyễn Trường Sơn, said.

Tân Đại Hưng proposed a VNĐ6 billion project to protect 200m of coastal land in Thạnh Hải’s Cồn Bửng area expected to be completed by September.

If it proves efficacious, similar projects will be carried out in other risk-prone areas in the province.

ACE Geosynthetics proposed carrying out its project along the southern coast of Thạnh Phú District.

According to province People’s Committee chairman Cao Văn Trọng, landslides have worsened in recent years, especially in Ba Tri District’s Bảo Thuận Commune, Thạnh Phú’s Thạnh Hải Commune, Chợ Lách District, Thành Thới Commune, Mỏ Cày Nam District and others.

Bến Tre has lost more than 100 hectares of land a year for the past five years, and more than 55ha of forests have been damaged, he said.

In Long An Province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, led by general director of the Water Resources Directorate, Nguyễn Văn Tỉnh, carried out inspections of some flood-prone districts on August 2.

The province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that Đồng Tháp Mười currently has 152,450ha of summer – autumn rice crop.

If flood levels rise quickly, around 12,500ha would be adversely affected, it warned.

According to forecasts for the period up to August 10, flood levels can rise to 2.5m in Tân Hưng and Vĩnh Hưng and 1.5m in Mộc Hoá.

By August 15 they can reach more than 2.8m in Tân Hưng and Vĩnh Hưng and more than 1.5m in Mộc Hoá.

They are expected to peak in mid-October, the forecast said.

Tỉnh said relevant authorities in each district have taken the initiative to combat the floods and instruct locals to build embankments and raise dyke heights.

Relevant authorities should remain abreast of event and be prepared for emergencies, he said. – VNS