Illustrative photo (Photo: nongnghiep.vn)Ca Mau (VNA) – The southernmost province of Ca Mau is mobilisingcapital from various sources, including the Climate Change Programme and official development assistance (ODA) loans, forthe urgent construction of sea embankments on its western coast.
Nguyen Long Hoai, chief of the office of the provincial steering committee fordisaster prevention, search and rescue, said about 5.5 kilometres of theprovince’s western coastline have been eroded seriously.
Those include 3.3 kilometres from Bac Mai Huong in U Minh district to Tieu Duain neighbouring Kien Giang province, 1.7 kilometres from Da Bac to Kinh Moi inTran Van Thoi district and 800 metres in on the route of T29 Khanh Hoi, U Minhdistrict.
With funding sourced from the State budget, the province urgently embarked on aproject to construct 14 kilometres of underground embankments on the westerncoast. However, just almost 12 kilometres of the embankments were completed andthe project was halted due to the shortage of capital.
Vice Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentTo Quoc Nam said that construction of one kilometre of underground embankmentcosts more than 20 billion VND (881,800 USD).
The province has a 254 kilometre coastline, including 100 kilometres facing theeastern sea and 154 kilometres facing the western sea. A dyke along the westernsea shore was constructed in the 1990s while the eastern sea dyke has yet to bebuilt.
The province’s coastal areas are home to 260,000 households and 130,000hectares of farming land.
Local authorities said that the province is suffering from serious erosionand saline intrusion with seawater affecting cultivation land. Meanwhile, thedestruction of protective coastal forests and the polluting of the environmenthave created unsafe living conditions for the locals.-VNA
VNA
