The Da Nang authorities are focussing on developing effective ways to curb the increasingly serious erosion along some parts of the coastline in Ngu Hanh Son District. Especially, many locals voiced their deep concern over this issue which might be worse during this ongoing stormy and rainy season.

A part of the sidewalk of coastal Vo Nguyen Giap Street, near the My An drainage system in the district’s My An Ward, was destroyed following torrential rains slashing this place 21 and 22 October.

It was reported that a part of the sidewalk of coastal Vo Nguyen Giap Street, near the My An drainage system in the district’s My An Ward, was destroyed following torrential rains slashing this place on 21 and 22 October.

Meanwhile, an about over 2m-deep waterhole had been previously created at the Sao Bien swimming area, as a part of the beautiful My Khe Beach.

Local male resident Nguyen Van Vinh said, late last year, the Sao Bien area suffered devastating erosion.

Parts of the embankment that runs along this swimming area were worn away by wave action and tidal currents, exposing the steel bars inside the structure and creating deep waterholes on the beach. 

A part of the embankment that runs along the Sao Bieb swimming area was worn away by wave action late last year

According to recent inspection reports, coastal erosion at My Khe is expanding and getting more serious, causing seaside buildings to suffer from subsidence and structural damages.

Meanwhile, families residing in the district’s Hoa Hai Ward have raised their concern over the safety of beachgoers at the erosion-ravaged Non Nuoc swimming area.

Mr Huynh Van Do, a resident living on Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street, complained that since 2012, stone dykes constructed by coastal project developers have been worn away by strong seawaves, leaving a huge amount of debris. As a result, this has adversely affected the aesthetics of this area and the safety for beachgoers.

Mr Do, therefore, highlighted the importance of urgently building firm embankments to protect the Non Nuoc swimming area.

Besides the above-mentioned erosion-ravaged sites, there are a series of eroded locations stretching a total of 950m along beaches in the districts of Son Tra and Ngu Hanh Son.

Included are areas behind the coastal My Hanh Seafood Restaurant, in front of the Grand Tourane Hotel, and opposite the intersection of the Nguyen Van Thoai and Vo Nguyen Giap streets.

Swimmers are now advised to stay away the erosion-ravaged swimming areas so as to avoid any unexpected incidents.

Relevant agencies are joining forces to identify the cause of the erosion and give solutions to the problem.

At a recent workshop held in the city, an expert from the Viet Nam Academy for Water Resources said the intensity of coastal erosion depends on assemblage endogenous, exogenous and human factors, of which the exogenous factors are of the most important role.

Amongst the exogenous factors, the physico-chemical properties of the coastal formations are one of the decisive factors. In addition, the construction of buildings along erosion-prone areas might cause this issue.

Mr Hoang Thanh Hoa, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, following recent instructions from the municipal People's Committee, his agency is focusing on conducting research work in which scientists and consultants will be invited to find out the overall anti-erosion solutions for the city.

More recently, the municipal People’s Council has approved a funding of 18 billion VND from the city budget to upgrade the existing embankment systems with a length of 96m and 25.3m respectively at the Sao Bien and Sao Viet - Non Nuoc beaches.

The municipal Steering Board for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has also asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to support the construction of a meteorological and marine observation system at the My Khe area for collecting data on coastal erosion.

Alongside, the city authorties have asked for help from the Ministry and national government concerned agencies to facilitate the implementation of anti-erosion projects in Da Nang.