The survey has been carried out since February 2017, collecting necessary data and information in the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river basin with an aim of analyzing the problems and causes relating to sediment transport in river basin and coastal areas in the Central region, and suggesting the future direction for the comprehensive sediment management in river systems.
Mr. Ryutaro Kobayashi, Senior Representative of JICA Vietnam Office, delivered his speech at the workshop. (Photo: Quynh Anh)
It is recognized that human activities, such as sand mining and the construction of dams and other infrastructures, have had a significant impact on the sediment supply and the continuity of sediment transport flow in the entire watershed, causing serious coastal erosion.
Besides, the survey has identified several problems, such as: great impacts by the construction plans for dams and regulation of sand mining on changes of sediment supply in the downstream areas have not been sufficiently considered based on scientific knowledge; in addition, there is no design standard for comprehensive measures against coastal erosion, though design standards for individual facilities such as dykes exit.
Addressing the workshop, Mr. Ryutaro Kobayashi, Senior Representative of JICA Vietnam Office, encouraged the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) to utilize the outcomes of this survey for the consideration on the future measures against coastal erosion and river bank erosion in the Central region.
In addition, he introduced a new data collection survey on “Strategy development of disaster risk reduction and management” that JICA started in December 2017, in which the future direction for the JICA’s cooperation would be explored through the consultation between the Government of Vietnam and JICA.
Several counter-measures have been proposed by the JICA's survey team. In the short run, it is essential to promote the discontinuity of sediment transport and of the imbalance in the movement direction through beach nourishment and modification of flow direction.
While from the long-term perspective, it is necessary to strengthen human resources, legal and institutional systems as well as technical capabilities for sediment management, also to develop plans based on scientific data and knowledge./.