The emergency covers erosion along the Tra Noc River in Thoi An Dong Ward; Canal No. 1 and the Mang Ca-Dai Thanh River in Dai Hai Commune; and a 2.7-kilometre stretch of the Vinh Chau coast in Lai Hoa Commune and Vinh Phuoc Ward.
Tran Chi Hung, vice chairman of the Can Tho People's Committee, said urgent projects were needed to protect lives and property, restore transport links and stabilise conditions in affected areas.
Along a 2.1-kilometre section of the Tra Noc River in Thoi An Dong Ward, six dangerous erosion sites have been identified, threatening a riverside road and about 130 households.
Several sections have been undercut, leaving the ground unstable and at risk of further collapse. Authorities attributed the erosion partly to heavy vessel traffic on the Tra Noc River, which connects directly with the Hau River.
Waves generated by large, fast-moving vessels, combined with strong currents, have eroded riverbanks and removed sediment, contributing to bank collapse.
In Dai Hai Commune, erosion is directly affecting roads, residential areas and public facilities.
Along Canal No. 1, a 225-metre reinforced-concrete embankment has been severely damaged, shifting by up to 0.9 metres, while pavements, drains and half the road have subsided by up to 0.5 metres.
The affected area is close to the Dai Hai Commune People's Committee headquarters, two schools, residential neighbourhoods and Mang Ca Market.
Erosion near the market in early 2026 damaged 10 houses and forced eight households to relocate. With half of Road 932B severely subsided, four-wheeled vehicles have been banned from the affected section.
Authorities warned that without urgent reinforcement, the remaining road surface could collapse, disrupting access to local government offices and schools.
At the Mang Ca ferry terminal, erosion along a 20-metre section destroyed the reinforced-concrete embankment and caused part of the road to collapse into the river.
Further erosion could sever the Mang Ca-Dai Thanh route, disrupting travel, trade and students' journeys to school.
The emergency also covers about 2.7 kilometres of the Vinh Chau coastline in Lai Hoa Commune and Vinh Phuoc Ward.
A roughly 150-metre section adjoining an existing submerged breakwater is considered particularly vulnerable after the protective forest outside the sea dyke was completely eroded, leaving the dyke directly exposed to waves.
In late 2025, waves eroded the entire outer slope of a roughly 100-metre section of the sea dyke, prompting temporary reinforcement with melaleuca piles and rock.
The remaining protective forest is only 20-40 metres wide and rapidly eroding, threatening the sea dyke, nearby communities, shrimp farms and public infrastructure.
The city has instructed relevant agencies to monitor erosion, reinforce dangerous sites, install warning signs, alert residents and prepare for possible evacuations while longer-term solutions are developed.