Quynh Luu: The effectiveness of coastal dike systems

(Baonghean.vn) - Nghe An province has 82 km of coastline, of which Quynh Luu district alone accounts for 34 km. In previous years, people in the 12 communes along the district's coast lived in constant fear of rising sea levels, tidal surges, and erosion. However, now, with 80% of the sea dike system already built or under construction, that fear has significantly decreased.

Sitting in his newly built house, pointing to the garden in front, Mr. To Van Dai, from Hamlet 2, Yen Dai Village (Quynh Thuan), said: "To have this spacious house, lush vegetable garden, and fish pond that's almost ready for harvest, it's all thanks to the sea dike right in front of my house. Before this dike was built, the entire garden, several thousand square meters in size, left by my father, only had a simple, dilapidated house surrounded by vast pine trees. Fishing wasn't a very lucrative profession, yet every year during the storm season, we had to spend a considerable amount on repairing and rebuilding the house, and we couldn't grow anything in the garden except pine trees because it was always damaged by high tides, waves, or seawater erosion."

Meanwhile, the family of Mr. Pham Ngoc Son and Ms. Dao Thi Huong (Thanh Cong hamlet, Quynh Long commune) has built a two-story house worth nearly half a billion VND, which is in the final stages of completion. Mr. Son happily said: "This is the land my father left behind - a piece of land that my wife and I thought would never be our family's home because 'Previously, even though our parents gave us land, we didn't dare take it, for fear that if we built a house, it would be swept away by waves and wind. Now that the government is allowing the construction of a dike, my wife and I dare to move back to live on our ancestral land.'"

These are just two of hundreds of households in three coastal communes (Son Hai, Quynh Thuan, and Quynh Long), which are strategically important and often suffer the most severe damage whenever typhoons hit Quynh Luu district. In Quynh Thuan commune alone, out of 5,700 inhabitants, 1,700 are from the coastal hamlets of Tan Xuan, Yen Tho, and Truong Tan. Previously, during the rainy season and typhoon season, over 1,000 households had to evacuate. Often, upon their return, their houses and gardens were devastated, and their crops completely destroyed. Over 200 households have had to abandon this coastal area entirely and migrate to higher ground due to seawater intrusion. In addition, the remaining 500 households, along with dozens of hectares of agricultural land, constantly live under the constant threat of waves, rising sea levels, and severe environmental pollution.

Mr. Pham Hong Chuoc, a land management officer in Quynh Thuan commune and one of the people directly supervising the construction of the coastal dike through Quynh Thuan commune, said: "The project to build the Quynh Thuan coastal dike, with a length of 3 km and an elevation of 2.5 m, has been implemented and completed. For the people here, it's like a lifeline when they encounter difficulties at sea. Since the dike was built, not only have many spacious and modern houses sprung up, but many households have also boldly invested in clam farming, bringing very high economic efficiency. During stormy days, people can feel secure. This year's rainy season did not cause any problems in the commune, and the fishing industry's logistics are also developing more and more."

In Quynh Luu district, out of 43 communes and towns, 12 are coastal. Of these, 7 communes are directly affected by the sea. These are also the communes that often suffer the most severe damage to people, property, and crops whenever they are directly impacted by storms. To minimize the impact of natural disasters on the lives of coastal residents, in recent years, with the support of various programs and projects, Quynh Luu district has built and reinforced approximately 80%, or about 28km, of coastal dykes. These dykes have contributed significantly to stabilizing the lives and production of people in coastal areas.

In particular, with a dike design of 5m wide and 2.5m-3.5m high, these dikes also create a convenient transportation belt for coastal residents to travel and trade, promoting socio-economic development in the coastal region. To continue maximizing the long-term effectiveness of these dikes, a high sense of responsibility in protection is required from all levels of government and the local people.

Phu Huong