A three-kilometer section of the coastline in Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam has been swallowed by the sea since late July, taking a heavy toll on daily activities of local inhabitants.

Residents of Hoang Hoa’s Hoang Truong Commune elaborated that they had previously walked for more than 500 meters through a casuarina coastal forest to reach the coast in the commune.

Recently, as the tide comes in, the water’s edge is just some two meters away from a coastal road there due to severe erosion.

Some coastal communes like Hoang Truong, Hoang Thanh, and Hoang Phu have been affected by rapid and dangerous erosion since the end of last month, with several sections of the sea dyke being destroyed by sea waves.

Severe erosion has hit the coast of Hoang Truong Commune, Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam. Photo: Ha Dong / Tuoi Tre

The sea has encroached by between 15 and 20 meters in these locations.

In Hoang Phu alone, the sea has come approximately 100 meters inside, with eroded spots stretching more than 1.7 kilometers.

The administration of Hoang Hoa explained that the rapid and complex erosion and encroachment along the coast have been exacerbated by high tides, large waves with high frequency, floods and rain since the end of last month.

Coastal erosion has been creeping inland, wreaking havoc on some 25 hectares of land for farming and business purposes, 205 local homes, an anti-erosion embankment at the Hai Tien tourist site, coastal roads, and other public structures.

The situation is forecast to keep worsening in the upcoming time.

The concrete embankment along the coast of Hoang Truong Commune, Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam cracked and collapsed due to erosion. Photo: Ha Dong / Tuoi Tre

The administration of Hoang Hoa recently proposed that the provincial People’s Committee develop a project to build a coastal embankment in response to further encroachment and erosion.

Authorities in the district also erected warning signs, banning people and vehicles from entering the eroded areas.

The chairman of the provincial administration on Friday signed a decision declaring a state of emergency over the coastal erosion across the communes of Hoang Truong, Hoang Thanh, and Hoang Phu.

Several concrete slabs at the coastal embankment of Hoang Truong Commune, Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam collapsed after being hit by sea waves amid severe sea encroachment. Photo: Ha Dong / Tuoi Tre

The chairman asked Hoang Hoa District to keep a close watch on the situation and promptly report any dangerous developments to upper authorities.

The district’s administration was told to urgently develop a disaster prevention and control plan for the coastal locations in these communes to ensure safety of residents and property; stay ready for evacuation operations; and take measures to avoid further erosion.

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