The increasing number of visitors coming to Cu Lao Cham Natural Reserve, Quang Nam province, is leaving a toll on the surrounding environment. Waste treatment facilities on the island are running on full speed to keep up with the amount of waste discharged, but still their capacity cannot meet the demand. The waste treatment plant of Cu Lao Cham is being strained to deal with about 4 to 5 tonnes of waste a day, while its capacity is only about 500kgs, which is just more than half a tonne. Local authorities have resorted to incinerating and dumping waste landfills, causing serious health issues for residents in Cu Lao Cham, as well as affecting the water sources for daily life. The landfills are overloaded, and garbage incineration in open air emits harmful toxic fumes.

Tran Dinh Phuong said: "Back when our tourist sector wasn’t developed, the plant could handle the waste nicely. Now, there are too many people and the waste treatment facility can’t keep up with the demand."

 Vice Chairman of Tan Hiep’s People’s Committee, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province, Mai Quoc Bao said: " Cu Lao Cham welcomes almost half a million domestic and international visitors annually, and the total discharged waste rakes up in several tonnes. The waste treatment plant is overloaded, and the rest of untreated waste can cause environmental pollution."

The department of Natural Resources and Environment of Hoi An has began building a new waste treatment plant to meet the demand of Tan Hiep island. Waste is now the number one concern of Cu Lao Cham authority, hindering the growth of Cu Lao Cham Natural Reserve as well as other tourism products of the island./. -VNA