Nhat Tri Islet, spanning over 21 hectares in Vinh Phuoc Ward, Nha Trang City, is home to more than 1,400 households. This community, rooted in a traditional fishing village, has evolved over generations. Houses are built along the Cai River and the coastline, with fishing being the primary livelihood.

However, the annual stormy season brings waves that crash into the residential areas, leaving the community on edge.

At the edge of Nhat Tri Islet, particularly where the island meets the sea, residents have taken measures to “build walls and fortifications” to combat the onslaught of waves. Despite these efforts, several houses near the shoreline have been severely damaged.

Tran Van Phuong, a 53-year-old resident, shared his distress: “We’ve lived here for years, but every year-end, we can’t rest easy. Our lives are upended as the waves threaten our homes.”

One house has been nearly destroyed by the continuous pounding of waves. Its front section has lost parts of the foundation and walls, leaving a scene of crumbling bricks and debris. The family that once lived there has relocated.

Next door, Nguyen Thi Be, 51, has faced similar challenges. She has been reinforcing her home with stone cages, wooden planks, and sandbags.

“My husband is a fisherman and is away often, so every storm season, I live in constant fear,” she said.

On December 27, strong waves struck the area again. Be took advantage of a brief lull in the rain to inspect her improvised wave barriers.

“All the money my husband and I earn is spent on buying materials to reinforce the embankment because we fear losing our home to the waves,” she lamented.

Phan Thi Man, 70, who has lived in Nhat Tri Islet for over 30 years, described the annual anxiety that grips the community.

“When the storm season comes, we’re all worried and pack up our valuables, fearing the waves might strike,” she said.

Man keeps a stockpile of wood and other materials to repair wave barriers around her home. She noted that the waves often strike unpredictably.

“Sometimes, we shore up the barriers in the morning, only for the waves to wash them away by the afternoon. We have to start all over again,” she explained.

Over the years, the situation has worsened. Erosion caused by the waves has progressively eaten away at homes, forcing some residents to move elsewhere. Houses near the water’s edge are increasingly abandoned, left derelict and unsafe.

Authorities have installed warning signs at erosion-prone spots to ensure public safety. Residents themselves have created makeshift defenses with sandbags and wooden barriers.

Linh, a 40-year-old resident, revealed: “Some years, my family spends nearly 30 million VND (around $1,200 USD) on materials and labor to repair and reinforce our embankments after they’re damaged by the waves.”

In the past, local authorities announced plans for a project to construct embankments and roads around Nhat Tri Islet. Surveys were conducted, and markers were placed, but nearly two decades later, no project has materialized.

According to the People’s Committee of Vinh Phuoc Ward, the Nha Trang City administration has plans to build a temporary embankment to prevent erosion in Nhat Tri Islet by 2025. Local authorities have gathered input from residents and reported the situation to the city government for support measures.

Residents of Nhat Tri Islet have built makeshift barriers to defend their homes from powerful waves.

A house near the shore suffers severe damage after repeated wave strikes.

The remains of a home abandoned by its residents after it was damaged by coastal erosion.

Sandbags and wooden planks form temporary defenses against the relentless sea.

Phan Thi Man, 70, who has lived in Nhat Tri Islet for over 30 years, described the annual anxiety that grips the community.

Xuan Ngoc