HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development is seeking approval from the Government tobuild a Vung Tau – Go Cong sea dyke in an effort to combat waterlogging in HoChi Minh City.

In recent years, the city has spent a great dealof money to prevent waterlogging, which occurs when the soil is saturated withwater.

However, rapid urban development, together withpoor management and inefficient urban planning, has reduced the city’s waterstorage space and limited water transport capacity of the city’s canal system.

The impact of climate change and rising sealevels have also increased flooding and salt intrusion in the Dong Thap Muoiarea and HCM City, according to experts.

Heavy rains along the Dong Nai – Sai Gon River,together with high tides, have placed pressure on the city’s drainage system,worsening waterlogging.

The city is a flood-prone spot as it is locateddownstream of the Dong Nai River system, and has low-lying terrain, accordingto Dr Tran Ba Hoang at the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research.

The proposed Vung Tau – Go Cong sea dyke wouldbe extended from Tien Giang province’s Go Cong commune to a point 5km from BaRia - Vung Tau province’s Vung Tau city, where it would connect with anotherdyke 13km long extending to Can Gio Biosphere Reserve in HCM City.

The main dyke would be 28km long and 25m wide,with an average water depth of 6.5m. The dyke scale would be 600m to 2,000mwide.

In addition to the main dyke, the projectincludes construction of multiple drainage ditches, a Long Tau sluice, and damsalong Dong Tranh and Soai Rap rivers.

The project is based on a regional irrigationmaster plan, the technological capacity of Vietnam, and similar projectexperiences from the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

Total investment of the Vung Tau – Go Cong seadyke project would be about 74 trillion VND (3.2 billion USD).

To be implemented in three phases, it would alsocontribute to socio-economic development in the region, experts said.

In addition to preventing floods and salineintrusion in HCM City, the project would bring other benefits.

Professor Nguyen Quang Kim, president of WaterResources University, said that even if the sea level increases by 75cm by2100, the Vung Tau – Go Cong sea dyke would still prevent floods across thedownstream of the Dong Nai –Sai Gon River and canal system.

The project would help conserve the Can Giomangrove forest ecosystem, since it would leave an open space at the Ganh RaiGulf, allowing a natural exchange of fresh and salt water in Can Gio.

Compared to other projects, this proposal wouldbe less harmful to the environment.

Meanwhile, Dr Nguyen Ba An from the DevelopmentStrategy Institute under the Ministry of Planning and Investment said HCM Cityand neighboring areas would see less damage if the sea dyke was completed.

As it does not require land clearance, the dykeis expected to be completed within two to three years and the ditches within threeto four years.

In general, construction progress would notaffect the Can Gio forest and traffic to Cai Mep – Thi Vai deep-water port,while in the next 70 years, it would not affect water traffic to HCM City.

For locals who now grow clams at the river gateand outside Can Gio forest, authorities will help them find jobs in travel orservice industries.

The Vung Tau – Go Cong sea dyke project is alsoexpected to lead to the formation of new urban areas along the river and seacoasts.-VNS/VNA