VietNamNet Bridge - In Vietnam and the Mekong Delta in particular, landslides along rivers and coastal areas are becoming more serious and more frequent.

Landslides are becoming more serious

Reports show that there are 562 landslide stricken areas in the Mekong Delta, with the total length of 786 kilometers. At least 42 areas of 148 kilometers in length are in a dangerous situation.

Every year, more than 500 hectares of land are eroded, causing the loss of residential land, protective forest land, specialized and production land, and causing damage to infrastructure and ecosystem.

The main geological characteristics of the river and coastal areas in Mekong Delta are the sparse soil structure and weak compression resistance of soil layers. When the water runs quickly and waste crashes onto shore, the soil becomes very soft.

The land lost due to landslides will be increasing as hydropower dams on the upper course become operational. This will worsen from climate change and rising sea water levels, massive sand exploitation, the overuse of underground water and forest exploitation.

The Prime Minister has approved the allocation of VND2.5 trillion to localities to prevent landslides in 2018.

It is estimated that it costs VND30 billion to build one kilometer of concrete dykes in Mekong Delta’s coastal areas. As such, the money from the PM is just enough to build dykes on 10 percent of total landslide-stricken areas in length. 

Meanwhile, many dyke sections were damaged just several years after they were put into operation.

Le Anh Tuan, an expert on Mekong Delta, in his article on Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon, has suggested using tires in the fight against landslides.

According to the Vietnam Register, in 2017-2018, Vietnam has over 3 million cars, trucks and specialized vehicles, and 15 million motorbikes, which means a huge volume of scrap tires. 

Meanwhile, it is very difficult to recycle tires because products are made with a mixture of many different materials.

Research has. Ben conducted on using scrap tires for lining roads, creating anti-impact materials for boats, docks, safety barriers for raceways’ sides, or tire slippers like in Vietnam.

In many countries, scrap tires have been used for anti-erosion works on rivers, coasts and mountains. In Quang Ngai province, a farmer used old tires to cover ponds for fish farming. 

Tires are a durable, inexpensive and effective material. Authorities can save money to treat waste. Moreover, it is easy to assemble tires, and the maintenance cost is very low. 

The only disadvantage is that torn tires may dissolve in sea water, thus polluting the ocean. However, this can be fixed by regular examination.

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