Land subsidence has continued to plague Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, resulting in around 300-500 hectares of land swallowed by rivers or the sea, and causing tens of thousands of local homes to be displaced each year, according to data released at a conference held in the southernmost province of Ca Mau on Monday.

The event was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai.

The delta has sunk 10 times faster than the sea-level rise over the past three decades, with lots of places in the region witnessing a decline in groundwater levels by more than five meters and thereby experiencing land subsidence.

Saline intrusion has taken a heavy toll on the delta and upended local inhabitants' production and daily activities.

Ca Mau authorities revealed at the event that the southern province is in need of some VND2 trillion (US$78.7 million) to cope with riverbank subsidence and sea dyke erosion.

With limited capital and resources, the province is unable to promptly tackle land subsidence at a rapid pace, said Huynh Quoc Viet, chairman of the provincial administration.

Ca Mau is seeking the green light from central agencies for putting in place special mechanisms so as to bolster its socio-economic growth like other neighboring provinces, the official added.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh said that the Mekong Delta is confronting challenges in terms of water security and requires urgent measures to address the issue.

Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, elaborated that 15 major irrigation facilities have been developed over the past decade to supply water for production activities across the region.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has already introduced plans to build more irrigation works in the upcoming time, but land subsidence and the shortfall of fresh water due to drought and saline intrusion are major hindrances to the region.

Speaking at the event, Lam Minh Thanh, chairman of the administration of Kien Giang, another province in the delta, said that the development of the Cai Lon and Cai Be irrigation systems have enabled Kien Giang to better control salinity and to spur the growth of the local agricultural sector.

However, sea dyke erosion and riverbank collapse have wreaked havoc on Kien Giang, driving the province to spend around VND500 billion ($19.6 million) executing anti-erosion projects, Thanh continued.

Deputy PM Khai concluded that the Mekong Delta has achieved considerable growth in recent years, but collaboration among the delta provinces remains modest and the region is vulnerable to climate change.

He asked the delta provinces to continue boosting their prioritized sectors, such as rice, fruits, and aquatic products, while concentrating on developing sea tourism and renewable energy.

The deputy prime minister noted that they have to ramp up efforts to address land subsidence, bolster economic expansion, and at the same time preserve and promote cultural as well as historic values.

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