QuangNam (VNS/VNA) - The central province of Quang Nam has allocated a fundof 300 billion VND (13 million USD) to build an underwater dyke systemprotecting Cua Dai beach from erosion.

Anofficial from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Developmentconfirmed to Vietnam News thatthe project, which will be built between 2020-2023, would bea protective solution for the beach after measures put in place overthe past decades.

Deputydirector of the department Vo Van Diem said the 1km long underwater dykesystem will be built 200m from the beach to retain sand from tides andreinforce the beach.

“It’sa sustainable solution at the moment to save the beach from seriouserosion. Concrete dykes could only protect the beach from high waves and tides,but sand at the bottom was washed away with a higher sea level rise and tides,”Diem said.

“A1m high underwater dyke wall would pull back a huge amount of sand tobuild up a large sandbank on the beach. It’s a measure to protect thebeach from erosion

“Ofcourse, it’s not only one solution, but various measures (dredging of Cua Daiestuary, ban on illegal sand mining activities, forest plantation and overviewof upstream hydropower plants) should be planned to stop the beach from disappearing,”he said.

Headded the project will be assessed by experts and a technical council as wellas seminars on the effectiveness of the system.

Hesaid construction on the system would be commenced in the fourth quarter ofthis year after earning approval from the technical assessment council.

In2012, a group of hotels and resorts on Cua Dai beach, in cooperation withpartners in the Netherlands, proposed an underwater sea dyke as anemergency measure for the beach. But it failed to raise funds.

Accordingto the latest report from Hoi An city, more than 20ha of beach washed away in2009-14, and the Cua Dai beach area saw sea encroachment of 50-200m annually.

Nearly200 billion VND (8 million USD) was used to build sea dykes or temporaryembankments with bamboo and sandbags, as well as the Geotube sandbag toprotect the beach, but a section of dyke on Cua Dai beach was brokenby rising sea water and waves in 2017.

Expertssaid the beach stretched 200m just 10 years ago, but now it has narrowed to 40mdue to rapid erosion and climate change. Nearly 70 percent of protective forestof Cua Dai beach was washed away by large waves, intense rains and a higher sealevel since 2018.

Apristine stretch of sand spanning from An Bang beach to Cua Dai beach is a popularspot for foreign tourists in Hoi An.

Anexpert from Hoi An city blamed the erosion on the construction of resorts onthe beach and the lack of proper environmental assessments before dredging theestuary. Construction of hydropower plants on the upstream Thu Bon River andthe over-exploitation of sand were believed to have caused the shortage ofmuddy sand.

HoiAn city has been calling for investment in replanting 140ha of nipa palm (aspecies of palm native to the coastlines) along the Thu Bon river to reducesand erosion in Cua Dai beach./.