The Tà Lức Sluice prevents saltwater intrusion and stores fresh water for agricultural production in Kiên Giang Province’s Hòn Đất District. – VNA/VNS Photo Lê Huy Hải

KIÊN GIANG — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang plans to invest VNĐ4.92 trillion (US$214 million) in infrastructure projects to cope with natural disasters and climate change in the 2021 – 25 period.

Funds will be used for erosion prevention, saltwater prevention sluices, freshwater reservoirs, storm shelter areas for fishing boats, and irrigation systems, according to the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Households in areas prone to natural disaster and erosion will be relocated, including 126 households in the eroded area of Ba Hòn Mountain in Kiên Lương District and households in flood-prone areas caused by rising sea levels.

Coastal erosion

The province will build embankments along coastal areas to prevent erosion. It will upgrade its sea dykes, start the second phase of Dương Đông Reservoir in Phú Quốc City, and build storm shelter areas for fishing boats on the estuaries of Cái Lớn and Cái Bé rivers, and in Phú Quốc City.

Three urgent coastal erosion-prevention projects are being carried out in An Biên District’s Mũi Ranh area, An Minh District’s Kim Quy estuary, and a coastal section from Kênh 9 Canal to Kênh 7 Canal in Hòn Đất District. 

More than 50 kilometres of coast in An Minh District’s Vân Khánh and Vân Khánh Tây communes face dangerous erosion and need embankments, at a total cost of VNĐ1.16 trillion ($50 million).

The province has petitioned the Government to allocate funds to build the erosion-prevention embankments. With a coastline of about 200km, the province has 80 km of eroded coast areas identified as dangerous or extremely dangerous.

Coastal erosion has caused damage to protective mangrove forests, sea dykes and facilities, affecting the livelihoods of local people and the environment.   

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in co-operation with localities is checking dykes and sluices, and ensuring that they operate effectively.  

The province has also planted mangrove forests to prevent erosion along coastal areas in An Biên and Hòn Đất districts in recent years. It planted a 35ha new mangrove forest to protect sea dykes in An Biên District’s Nam Thái Commune, and a 50ha new mangrove forest along coastal areas from Bình Sơn Commune to Bình Giang Commune in Hòn Đất District. – VNS