Transcript

Coastal Protection in Binh Thuan Viet Nam

Protecting Viet Nam’s long coastline against erosion is a major challenge in an era of accelerating climate change, sea level rise, and extreme weather events. A project now in preparation by the Government of Binh Thuan Province, ADB, and Invest International aims to protect coastal beaches near the capital, Phan Thiet, an important fishing port and tourist destination. A concrete seawall has been built to protect the city, but beyond the wall the shoreline has retreated 50 meters due to erosion over the past two years. Without protection measures coastal beaches could erode by up to 150 meters over the next 30 years.

Alexander  Nash, Senior Urban Development Specialist, ADB

Coastlines are dynamic places, but when we build a city on the coastline, we typically seek to prevent that movement because we built a whole lot of buildings there. The way we do that traditionally has been through the construction of hard protection measures, such as concrete seawalls or breakwaters. Now an issue with these types of interventions is that they interrupt the natural processes at work and that can cause erosion, particularly if they interrupt the natural movement of sand along the coast. 

Beach erosion threatens the coastal economy and local communities which may be forced to relocate inland.  People from fishing communities consulted during project preparation welcome the coastal protection project but are concerned that access for their small boats to the sea will be affected if a seawall is constructed.

Vo Van Nhat, Retired fisherman, Tiến Thành village

You have to ensure people’s livelihood. People living on Ngang beach use basket boats. Now if you build a seawall our boats will hit the rocks and break. There must be a sandy beach.

Beach erosion also affects the growing Phan Thiet tourism sector.  More frequent flooding could cause physical damage and spoil the attractiveness of the seashore. 

Do Thi Kim Lan, Owner, Orchid Boutique Beach Resort

Seawater has been crashing a lot on the beach in recent years. Some of the trees on the beach near our fence were knocked down. If the impact of the waves can be reduced it will be great. But we hope the original natural features will be retained.

The coastal protection project design is sensitive to the needs of local communities and the tourism sector.  The strategy is to employ a mix of gray infrastructure and green solutions to preserve beaches,  promote marine biodiversity and eco-tourism while preserving access to the sea for fishermen. 

Jean Roussillon, Consultant, EGIS Group

We will have the road with light seawall protection that will be designed to ensure the access to the sea for fishermen. We will have sand nourishment. Offshore, we will have detached breakwaters that will reduce the wave energy and facilitate beach nourishment. On top of the breakwaters and around it we will have nature-based solutions and eco-design models such as artificial reefs that will promote biological activities and the recruitment of marine species.

Phan Nguyen Hoang Tan, Chairman, Phan Thiet City People’s Committee

We will have solutions that have not been implemented before in Vietnam such as artificial coral reefs, beach nourishment, and breakwaters.  We can test solutions and learn from experience which are the most effective.

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The Secondary Cities Environment Improvement Project – Binh Thuan is being prepared by the Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee, ADB, and Invest International. Invest International has proposed a $21.5m grant to support the innovative, nature-based coastal protection infrastructure