Experts and authorities in a central Vietnamese city that houses a UNESCO-recognized old town have been spooked by the grim prospect that a stunning beach along its coastline could disappear altogether due to alarming soil erosion.

Cua Dai Beach, which is a gem of Hoi An City's tourist industry and a major draw to international tourists, is being wiped out by sea waves at an alarming rate.

Cua Dai Beach, located in Hoi An City, has sustained extensive, irreversible damage from coastal soil erosion.

Located in Quang Nam Province, Hoi An City includes the famous Hoi An Ancient Town that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

The beach has seen relentless, devastating coastal erosion since October last year, with the damage spiraling out of control recently.

Experts at several seminars held to address the issue have unanimously agreed that the malady is mostly put down to hydroelectric dams, which block the silt and sand currents from upstream, and rampant sand mining along the Vu Gia-Thu Bon, a major river system in the area.

(Source: Tuoitrenews)