Landslide danger high in Kien Giang

The southern province of Kien Giang has more than 380km of seashore and river banks vulnerable to landslides, according to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Experts from the department said landslides would be serious because the storm and flood season was approaching, and landslides would harm residents' manufacturing businesses and lives.


Funds to prevent a landslide exceeded the province's abilities, according to officials.

In the past, landslides were reported along the 200-kilometre seashore from Ha Tien District to An Minh District, which is contiguous with Ca Mau Province.

Reasons for landslides include climate change and rising seas. Further, many parts of the coastal protective mangrove forests were damaged, so they no longer protect the seashore. Fishing near the seashore also eliminated aquatic product sources, preventing the forest's from reproducing, said the department.

Landslides also occurred near rivers and canals along Highway 80, 61 and 63 due to the large number of ships and vessels passing and creating strong waves striking the shores.

Moreover, heavily loaded lorries travelling on highways create great pressure on highways, especially damaging weak sections.

Meanwhile, Deputy chairman of the Kien Giang People's Committee, Lam Hoang Sa, said the province had created a project for restoring the coastal protective mangrove forests to cope with climate change.

The project is expected to kick off next year.

In the short term, provincial authorities are to join with localities to check for sliding river banks and seashores so they might upgrade them, and plant protective trees.

The province will quickly conduct projects for restoring coastal protective mangrove forests in An Bien, An Minh, Hon Dat and Kien Luong districts.

Forest protection tasks are to be assigned to local residents.