Seawater has been rising in Loc Ha District, Ha Tinh Province, taking over cherished land in the community.
Speaking to DTiNews, the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Loc Ha District, Pham Van Duong said, “The land just disappears so quickly.”
Duong believes that the cause is changes in the water flow or climate. Land in Loc Ha District is swiftly being saturated by water. As a result, sand along the beach has been lost and farmers have lost their fields.
According to statistics from relevant agencies in Loc Ha District, seawater has consumed 300-350 metres of land in the last 10 years. 100 metres have been lost from 2006 alone. The areas effected most are Thach Kim, Thach Bang and Thinh Loc communes.
Giant sea waves and hurricane devastated 150 houses and damaged many other assets of the local people in Thach Kim Commune.
Four years ago, Xuan Hai Beach in Thach Bang Commune was considered to be an ideal tourism site, not only of the district, but the whole province. Restaurants and resorts were built yet after four years, the beach and infrastructure have been destroyed.
Bui Duc Tai, an owner of a restaurant in Thach Ha District shared sadly, “We leased this land from the district for 5 years. I spent hundreds of millions of dong building this restaurant hoping to improve our lives but last year, half of my restaurant was ruined by the sea. Our business will be more difficult to keep running because of the rising sea.”
Duong added that they submitted a breakwater construction project to the Ministry of Planning & Investment, Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment and Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development. However, the project has not been approved yet.
Below are some pictures of the devastation:
Rotting trees due to the seawater
Restaurants have collapsed along Xuan Hai Beach in Thach Bang Commune
Roads have been ravaged
Electric towers ruined
Foundations abandoned because owners fear the sea
