VietNamNet Bridge – The central province of Quang Nam is seeking long-lasting, environmentally-friendly approaches to prevent erosion, which have left ugly scars on the coast of its world heritage site Hoi An town.

The over 7-km-long coastline in Hoi An, home to many high-end tourist facilities, has been seriously eroded, triggered by tidal waves.

Studying the situation, Professor – Dr. Hitoshi Tanaka and his colleagues from Japan’s Tohoku University agreed that current protection measures using concrete or bamboo piles, sand sacks, and big rocks are not sustainable and environmentally-friendly.

Data collected on changes in the coast over decades and a recent study conducted in two consecutive years of 2013 and 2014 showed Hoi An coast features a long stretch of soft sand, which is easily impacted by sea waves and water rise.

Sand dredge and the construction of upstream Thu Bon river structures kept sand and sediment from reaching the sea and were partly blamed for the current coastal erosion.

The professor suggested supplementing sand for the coast, building embankment system, underground dikes and banks, among others, to absorb wave impact and reduce loss of sand and sediment, thus recreating sand beaches.

Sharing the view, Director of the Research Institute for the Management of Seas and Islands under the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands, Vu Thanh Ca stressed the need for strictly banning sand dredge in downstream areas of the Thu Bon river and along the province’s coast.

Experts proposed to delve into conditions of topography, geology, hydrogeology, wind regime , and wave currents in Hoi An coastal waters and its vicinity so as to take suitable, feasible technical solutions to prevent sea water intrusion and erosion.

Professor - Dr Nguyen The Hung from Da Nang University of Technology said his team has used cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly concrete and polymer piles to create a sandbank that helps prevent coastal erosion while protecting sand beaches for tourism purpose.

Suggestion and experience shared by the experts will help the province establish a scientific foundation for the launch of productive prevention measures, Nguyen Phu, Director of the provincial Department of Construction, affirmed.

VNA