Experts have rejected a proposal to develop garden islands on a Saigon River section in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, saying that projects should not obstruct and break the natural rules of the waterway.

A consortium of the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts and the L'institut Paris Region had earlier suggested constructing the garden islands accompanied with footbridges.

Dr. Pham Viet Thuan, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Economics Environmental and Resources, said the idea was not reasonable.

Such islands would obstruct the water flow in the river, he noted.

If the city conducts the project, it will make huge changes to the environment and the natural ecosystem, while smashing up landscapes and urban esthetics.

“We must not obstruct and break the natural rules of the river," Dr. Thuan said.

According to Thuan, the city is encountering climate change, and it must follow natural rules to prevent consequences that are hard to deal with.

Ho Chi Minh City does not face a shortage of spaces for ecosystem development projects, making the proposal for garden islands on the Saigon River unacceptable.

Thuan noted that this does not account for the impact on river traffic and the safety of waterway travel if the water flow is adjusted.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Nguyen, a member of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, stated that such islands would encroach on the river’s surface, altering water pressure and flow, potentially causing erosion and landslides.

He also noted that allowing business activities on these islands would lead to environmental pollution. The green space provided by the islands would be insignificant in terms of environmental improvement.

Dr. Nguyen emphasized that it is better not to disrupt the environment of the Saigon River. He pointed out that encroachment on rivers is different from sea invasion because the sea is vast, whereas rivers are not.

The Saigon River has no isles like many other rivers, so the development of islands on it will bring more harmful effects than benefits to the environment and transport.

According to architect Ngo Viet Nam Son, experts wanted to apply the planning model of the Seine River in France to the Saigon River.

However, the two banks of the Seine River mainly accommodate five- to six-story buildings, while along the Saigon River are 20- to 68-floor skyscrapers, not to mention other high-rise building projects which have been planned.

With floating islands, the river will be narrowed and look like a canal.

“We acknowledge French experts’ idea of building floating islands to enhance the connectivity of the two sides of the river section in the downtown area,” Son said.

Connectivity is needed but the development of islands is not appropriate, he added.

The city should also avoid building too many footbridges to connect the two sides of the river and instead focus on enhancing public transportation.

The architect noted that no country in the world has four to five footbridges in its central region.

Building only footbridges will not be effective, Son said, suggesting linking footbridges with an electric vehicle route or constructing a tunnel from the office building of the municipal People's Council and People's Committee in District 1 to the Thu Thiem Urban Area in Thu Duc City.

The consortium had proposed developing garden islands on the Saigon River section from the Ba Son Bridge to the Saigon River Tunnel.

These garden islands would be temporary stops connected to land via footbridges.

The consultancy consortium said the islands could either be fixed in place or float in areas with a slow water flow to minimize the impact on the circulation of vessels.

They will house businesses and entertainment activities, such as cafés and restaurants, to create a highlight in the downtown area.

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