People struggle to drive in a section of Ben Phu Dinh street, flooded by tides in HCM City early October (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Sinking land in the Mekong Delta is causing aheadache for the local administration.
In recent years, average land subsidence rate is 1.1cm every 12 months.
This can lead to major economic losses such as structural damage and highmaintenance costs for roads, railways, dikes, pipelines and buildings.
The situation is more serious in cities and industrial parks with thesubsidence rate of 2.5cm per year. In HCM City, the land subsidence alreadyreached up to 7.3cm per year.
Underground water overexploitation, sea level rise as well as substandarddrainage system are blamed for the situation, the Thanh Nien (YoungPeople) online newspaper reported.
Data from the provinces of Soc Trang and Bac Lieu showed that about 100,000cu.mof underground water were exploited every day in Soc Trang and the number was400,000cu.m daily in Bac Lieu province.
The two provinces, which have a range of industrial parks, were among thelocalities that suffered the most in the delta.
Research by the Utrecht University released by the Hanoi-based NetherlandsEmbassy in June 2017, said the speed of the land subsidence caused by theoverexploitation of underground water continuously rose over the past of 25years.
In the meantime, the sea level rise was only 3mm per year. It meant the speedof 1.1cm per year was also higher than the speed of sea level rise, the researchsaid.
The report described the situation as ‘very alarming’.
In HCM City, the land subsidence also has spread in many districts in recentyears.
A study conducted by Associate Professor Le Van Trung and his colleagues at HCMCity University of Technology pointed out that the land subsidence was onlydiscovered in some areas of Binh Thanh district and District 6 in 1998. A fewyears later, it was found in a range of districts of 7,8,9,11,12, Tan Phu, BinhTan, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh and Nha Be.
Trung said this combined with the sea level rise would more severely threatendaily life of local residents if the city administration failed to plan forwater drainage and flood prevention.
In an attempt to curb the water overexploitation, the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment has compiled a draft decree to tighten control.
The ministry will not allow new construction to exploit underground water. Itwill also review and make adjustments for current works.
Additionally, experts suggest the local administration of the delta’s provincesshould calculate the base level of foundation for construction works.
It aimed to minimise impacts of flooding on the local residents’ daily life.
|Architect Le Cong Sy said the adjustment of the base level of foundation forconstruction work should be carefully calculated based on current and futuredata.
Currently, the base level of foundation for construction work nation-wide isregulated to be two metres higher than the sea level, he said.
However, with the current speed of land subsidence and sea level rise, somelocalities, especially, HCM City was advised to adjust the base level offoundation for construction work to prevent flood, he said.
In a related move, the Southern Institute for Spatial Planning under theMinistry of Construction wants to raise the base level of foundation forconstruction work to 2.5-3.2m by 2030.
Improvement of drainage system was thought to be one of methods to cope withfloods, experts said.
Nguyen Hoai Nam, former deputy director of HCM City’s Department of Planningand Investment said the authorised agencies were asked to learn from theNetherlands’ model.
The Mekong Delta is home to nearly 18 million people, and is the most importantrice and fishing region in the country. HCM City is the largest city in Vietnam,with a population of more than 8 million.-VNS/VNA
In recent years, average land subsidence rate is 1.1cm every 12 months.
This can lead to major economic losses such as structural damage and highmaintenance costs for roads, railways, dikes, pipelines and buildings.
The situation is more serious in cities and industrial parks with thesubsidence rate of 2.5cm per year. In HCM City, the land subsidence alreadyreached up to 7.3cm per year.
Underground water overexploitation, sea level rise as well as substandarddrainage system are blamed for the situation, the Thanh Nien (YoungPeople) online newspaper reported.
Data from the provinces of Soc Trang and Bac Lieu showed that about 100,000cu.mof underground water were exploited every day in Soc Trang and the number was400,000cu.m daily in Bac Lieu province.
The two provinces, which have a range of industrial parks, were among thelocalities that suffered the most in the delta.
Research by the Utrecht University released by the Hanoi-based NetherlandsEmbassy in June 2017, said the speed of the land subsidence caused by theoverexploitation of underground water continuously rose over the past of 25years.
In the meantime, the sea level rise was only 3mm per year. It meant the speedof 1.1cm per year was also higher than the speed of sea level rise, the researchsaid.
The report described the situation as ‘very alarming’.
In HCM City, the land subsidence also has spread in many districts in recentyears.
A study conducted by Associate Professor Le Van Trung and his colleagues at HCMCity University of Technology pointed out that the land subsidence was onlydiscovered in some areas of Binh Thanh district and District 6 in 1998. A fewyears later, it was found in a range of districts of 7,8,9,11,12, Tan Phu, BinhTan, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh and Nha Be.
Trung said this combined with the sea level rise would more severely threatendaily life of local residents if the city administration failed to plan forwater drainage and flood prevention.
In an attempt to curb the water overexploitation, the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment has compiled a draft decree to tighten control.
The ministry will not allow new construction to exploit underground water. Itwill also review and make adjustments for current works.
Additionally, experts suggest the local administration of the delta’s provincesshould calculate the base level of foundation for construction works.
It aimed to minimise impacts of flooding on the local residents’ daily life.
|Architect Le Cong Sy said the adjustment of the base level of foundation forconstruction work should be carefully calculated based on current and futuredata.
Currently, the base level of foundation for construction work nation-wide isregulated to be two metres higher than the sea level, he said.
However, with the current speed of land subsidence and sea level rise, somelocalities, especially, HCM City was advised to adjust the base level offoundation for construction work to prevent flood, he said.
In a related move, the Southern Institute for Spatial Planning under theMinistry of Construction wants to raise the base level of foundation forconstruction work to 2.5-3.2m by 2030.
Improvement of drainage system was thought to be one of methods to cope withfloods, experts said.
Nguyen Hoai Nam, former deputy director of HCM City’s Department of Planningand Investment said the authorised agencies were asked to learn from theNetherlands’ model.
The Mekong Delta is home to nearly 18 million people, and is the most importantrice and fishing region in the country. HCM City is the largest city in Vietnam,with a population of more than 8 million.-VNS/VNA
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