At several coastal communities, residents have repeatedly relocated their homes as advancing erosion continues to eat away at the shoreline.
At Ganh Hao Estuary, many households remain at risk despite moving further inland multiple times. Residents say large waves and high tides continue to erode land close to their homes.
More than 56 kilometres of Ca Mau's eastern coastline are experiencing severe erosion. The province loses an estimated 250-300 hectares of land annually, particularly in Tan Thuan, Tan Tien, Tam Giang, Tan An and Phan Ngoc Hien communes.
In Tan Thuan Commune, one of the province's erosion hotspots, authorities recorded 12 erosion incidents during the early months of the rainy season.
Officials warned that some erosion sites had advanced significantly within just one or two nights, threatening homes, roads, power lines and telecommunications infrastructure.
Nguyen Thanh Tung, head of Ca Mau's Irrigation Department, said the province would need about VND 3.27 trillion (USD 125 million) to build sea dykes and wave barriers along the severely eroded eastern coastline.
Authorities said surveys were being conducted to identify suitable engineering solutions for affected areas.
The province aims to relocate 40 per cent of households living in high-risk erosion and disaster-prone zones this year, address 100 erosion hotspots and build 50 irrigation projects to strengthen resilience against drought, flooding and saltwater intrusion.
Local authorities have also been instructed to prioritise urgent erosion sites in densely populated areas and improve drainage infrastructure to reduce urban flooding.
