Dong Thap (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap hasemployed several measures to tackle increasingly erosion of river banks.

From 2017 to early 2018, Dong Thap has recorded 36km of eroded areasalong the banks of the Tien and Hau Rivers, encroaching the mainland from0.5-30m. Compared to 2016, the eroded area increased by 8.3km in length,causing a loss of 13 hectares of land.

At the same time, sections with high risks of erosion increased to 66,10 sections more than in 2016, with an economic loss of 30 billion VND.

Currently, 2,400 local households are living in risky areas and needurgent evacuation.

Erosion has been seen in 25 communes, wards and towns in eight out of 12district of the province, mostly in Hong Ngu, Thanh Binh, Chau Thanh districtsand Cao Lanh city.

As of early 2018, 258 households were moved to safe places.

According to Nguyen Van Duong, Chairman of the People’s Committee ofDong Thap, the province has directed localities to keep a close eye on riskysites and plant alert signs, while strengthening communications on preventivemeasures among the community.

The province has mapped out a corridor of erosion to lay a foundationfor the evacuation of locals to safer places.

Meanwhile, it has constructed public infrastructure works inresettlement areas. More than 13,000 households have moved to the areas.

At the same time, Dong Thap has applied measures to fix eroded areas inThanh Binh district, while building dykes along the bank of Tien river with alength of 460m.

Dong Thap has proposed the addition of 54.7 billion VND (2.4 millionUSD) from the central budget in 2018 to support locals to evacuate to saferareas.

Alongside, the locality has asked for capital for the construction of 12residential areas for some 2,400 households in risky areas to resettle at acost of about 657 billion VND (28.9 million USD).

At a working session with representatives of13 Mekong Delta localities in Hanoi on May 9, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc listedDong Thap, along with An Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu as the most affected byerosion.

The PM decided to allocate part of the State budget to Mekong Delta localities,helping them build urgent and important facilities, and part of the country’sODA fund to form a climate change fund in the region.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that erosionhave occurred at 562 locations of river banks and seashores, with a totallength of 786km, of which 42 spots stretching 149km in specially dangerousconditions.

It needs about 6.99 trillion VND (307.56 million USD) to reinforce sucheroded locations, the ministry said.-VNA