Quảng Nam restores Hội An coastline with sustainable and eco-friendly solutions

The central government of Quảng Nam Province is applying sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions to restore Hội An coastline. - VNA Photo

HỘI AN — The central government of Quảng Nam Province is applying sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions to restore Hội An coastline to ensure safety for visitors, promote tourism development and maritime economy.

Đoàn Minh Thắng, a visitor from HCM City, said that a few years ago, Cửa Đại Beach had to be cordoned off with warning ropes and signs prohibiting swimming to prevent dangers due to coastal landslides.

But now, tourists can swim and enjoy the fresh air on this beach, he said.

Thắng said that along with An Bàng Beach, Cửa Đại Beach deserves to be a beautiful beach on a continental level.

Nguyễn Thế Hùng, deputy Chairman of People's Committee of Hội An City, said that to meet the current tourism demand for Cửa Đại Beach, the central government has invested hundreds of billion of đồng to restore this coastline, which is frequently eroded.

Most recently, in 2021, with over VNĐ300 billion invested by the central government, Quảng Nam Province put into use a 1.6-kilometre underwater dike system to reduce waves under the water surface.

After three years of operation, withstanding two rainy seasons and many high tides caused by tropical depressions, this underwater dike system is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way to reduce waves and minimise the risk of coastal erosion in Hội An City, he said.

Associate Professor Doctor Mai Văn Công from Vietnam Netherlands Centre for Water and Environment said that some solutions for the coastal erosion prevention project in Hội An City are to use an underwater dike, low-crest offshore breakwater, and beach nourishment.

These solutions apply advanced Dutch coastal protection technology tailored to Hội An City's natural condition, he said.

These solutions have limited the direct impact of waves on coastal erosion and restored the beach along the coast, he said.

With funding from French Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans, these solutions will be expanded to ensure both safety and livelihood for local residents, while contributing to restore Hội An's image and promote tourism development and maritime economy for the locality, he said.

Before the construction of this underwater dike system, Hội An coastline frequently faced increasingly deepening erosion into the mainland.

The central government and tourism businesses have invested tens of billions of đồng in constructing solid embankments, soft embankments, rock revetments, and bamboo piles to protect the city’s buildings.

However, the above solutions are only temporary and lack synchronisation, so they are often washed away and swept into the sea after a few storms, low pressures causing high tides, or strong waves.

Nguyễn Thị Lan, an owner of guesthouses in Thịnh Mỹ beach, Cẩm An Ward, said that in 2022 and 2023, high tides and strong waves have caused extensive erosion along Thịnh Mỹ beach, where attracts lots of visitors.

Many houses, architectural structures was swept away by strong waves, dozens of restaurants and tourism businesses in Thịnh Mỹ beach had to move to other places to ensure safety, she said.

Nguyễn Ngọc Tân, deputy Director of the Project Management Board for Agricultural and Rural Development Projects in Quảng Nam Province, said that the province is working with central government and the French Development Agency (AFD) to implement the project to prevent erosion and sustainably protect Hội An coastline with a total investment of 42 million euros.

Millions of cubic metres of natural sand will be added to nourish beaches, he said.

An Bàng Beach in Hội An City was voted by the online tourism platform TripAdvisor as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in Asia in 2024. Việt Nam has two representatives in TripAdvisor's list of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in Asia in 2024: An Bàng Beach (Hội An City) ranked 5th, and Mỹ Khê Beach (Đà Nẵng City), ranked 6th.