The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre’s Con Bung area in Thanh Hai commune, Thanh Phu district has suffered from serious erosion that causes heavy land loss and seriously affects the living conditions and production of locals. 

Coast erosion threats many shrimp farm in Ben Tre (Source: http://biengioibienbentre.vn)

Dao Cong Thuong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Thanh Phu district said the erosion spans over 10km along the coast, intruding the mainland by about 100m. It has deprived 97 households of about 100 hectares of farm land.

Provincial authorities said that by the end of 2020, the sea is likely to invade the mainland by 56m and cause land loss of about 98 hectares, or about 28 hectares each year. Erosion also threats many public works as well as tourism sector of Thanh Phu district, he said.

Thuong underscored that the cost for fixing the problem is high, while the district is facing budget difficulties. Along with asking for support from the province, Thanh Phu has also called for private investment in constructing dykes. However, the results remain modest, while erosion is becoming more and more serious.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Lap said that the province could not allocate money for dyke construction now due to limited budget. At first, the province will support locals in affected areas to increase their resilience, he said.

Lap also pledged that the province will promptly seek financial resources for anti-erosion work in Con Bung sea area to ensure long-term effectiveness.-VNA