Quang Tri is one of the provinces in the Central Coast region that annually suffers from the impact and great damage from storms, floods, climate change, and saltwater intrusion. The dike system in the province has been invested in and upgraded by the State in recent years, making an important and practical contribution to the local socio-economic development, ensuring production for both winter-spring and summer-autumn crops; protecting the lives, property, and infrastructure of the State and the People.
Trieu Van Salt Dam - Photo: Q.HAI
Affirming investment efficiency
In April 2022, the Hieu River saltwater intrusion prevention dam was inaugurated and put into use. This project is included in the list of irrigation planning for the Central region for the period 2012-2020 and orientation to 2050 under the conditions of climate change and rising sea levels.
The project is responsible for controlling salinity and fresh water; providing production water for nearly 1,300 hectares of agricultural land and nearly 200 hectares of aquaculture land; creating a source of domestic water for about 25,000 people; connecting road traffic infrastructure on both sides of the Hieu River; creating urban environmental landscape and developing tourism. The total investment of the project after completion is over 440 billion VND.
As expected, the Hieu River saltwater dam has proven its effectiveness in alleviating the worries and insecurities of the people upstream of Cam Lo about the saline water source. For generations, the main water source for agricultural production of the people here has depended heavily on the Hieu River.
According to the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cam Lo District, Pham Viet Thanh, the effectiveness of the Hieu River salinity dam is amazing. “Before the salinity dam was built, in years of severe drought, saltwater intruded up to the Duoi Bridge pumping station, making it impossible to irrigate the rice fields below. Since the salinity dam was built, people no longer have to worry about salinity. The pumping stations along the river operate well, ensuring timely irrigation during the drought season. People are very excited,” said Mr. Thanh.
For a coastal commune like Trieu Van, Trieu Phong district, the impact of saltwater intrusion is very severe in the face of increasingly severe and unusual saltwater intrusion and climate change.
Chairman of Trieu Van Commune People's Committee Nguyen Van Lam said that before the saltwater intrusion dam was built, 20 hectares out of 140 hectares of agricultural land in the commune were affected by saltwater intrusion all year round, forcing people to abandon them. All efforts to combat saltwater intrusion by the people and local authorities were almost ineffective. But since the saltwater intrusion dam was built, things have changed positively.
The Hieu River saltwater dam has resolved the worries and insecurities of people upstream of Cam Lo about the salty water source - Photo: Q.HAI
Specifically, in 2021, the project to prevent saltwater intrusion through the fields of teams 1 and 2 of village 9, Trieu Van commune was built with a total investment of 2.8 billion VND. The dyke is 300m long, including 3 opening and closing sluices with the function of preventing saltwater intrusion and preserving fresh water. "After the saltwater intrusion dam was completed and put into use, 100% of Trieu Van's production land area was used by people to grow rice and crops.
In particular, the 60 hectares of rice fields of the people in village 9 have been basically guaranteed in recent years. Thanks to the saltwater barrier, the rice productivity of the farmers has increased, the crop in 2023 and 2024 reached 46.6 quintals/ha," Mr. Lam happily informed. Obviously, the saltwater barrier has brought practical results to the agricultural land of Trieu Van commune.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, basically all the dikes and dams to prevent saltwater intrusion in the area have been effective, contributing to promoting production and socio-economic development in many localities. For example, Vinh Thai sea dike (Vinh Thai commune, Vinh Linh district) basically ensures the ability to prevent water levels due to the combination of average tide frequency of 5% combined with level 9 storms.
Or the estuary dike system in the whole province has the ability to prevent minor floods, early floods with a frequency of 10%, prevent water levels caused by a combination of average tides with a frequency of 5% combined with level 9 storms and is safe when the main flood overflows the dike. The dike system also ensures prevention of minor floods, early floods with a frequency of 10%: from (+1.50 ÷ +1.70)m.
Need attention investment, upgrading
It can be affirmed that the dike system in Quang Tri province has been invested in and upgraded by the State in recent years, helping to reduce the impact and great damage from storms, floods, climate change, and saltwater intrusion, making an important and practical contribution to the local socio-economic development.
The system of dykes and dams, after being built and upgraded, has created vital traffic routes serving the needs of people's lives, production, and rescue during the flood and storm season, thereby contributing to changing the appearance of the countryside along the dykes, creating favorable conditions for communes in the province to supplement criteria on irrigation and traffic to soon complete the goal of building new rural areas.
Currently, Quang Tri has invested in the construction of over 500 large and small irrigation works of all kinds, including: 124 reservoirs (including 123 irrigation reservoirs and 1 combined irrigation and hydroelectric reservoir), 221 dams, 243 pumping stations, 17 saltwater prevention sluices and 2,125 km of canals of all kinds. The dike system in the province has a total length of 181.45 km, with the following routes: Vinh Thai sea dike is 11.17 km long; estuary dike is 57.43 km long including Ben Hai left dike, Ben Hai right dike, Thach Han left dike and Thach Han right dike; 58.15 km long embankment dike including dike against minor floods and early floods in Hai Lang district; Ben Tam - Huynh Thuong dike belongs to Vinh Lam commune (Vinh Linh); Hoi Cut dike belongs to Trung Hai commune (Gio Linh); Hoang Ha dike belongs to Gio Viet commune (Gio Linh); Dong Soi dike belongs to Gio Mai commune (Gio Linh); Ha Cui dike belongs to Trieu Phuoc and Trieu Trach communes (Trieu Phong). |
However, currently, through the process of exploitation and use, the dike system has been damaged and degraded, along with the frequent impact of natural disasters, making the damage increasingly serious, affecting the service capacity of the project.
Typically, the Vinh Thai sea dike system, due to its close proximity to the coast, the dike body is made of sand, the dike slope along the route has not been uniformly reinforced, there is no wave-breaking tree strip in front of the dike, and every year it is directly affected by sea waves, so the foot of the dike is often eroded, the dike slope and body subside.
The un-upgraded dykes have low elevations, narrow cross-sections, and the dyke slopes have been eroded, washed away, and eroded in many areas along the route, affecting the safety of the structures and the ability to prevent tides and storms of the dykes. Meanwhile, the estuary dyke system in the whole province has not been invested in completely, especially the un-upgraded sections have low elevations and narrow cross-sections, which do not ensure the ability to prevent tides and storms.
With the attention and financial support from the central government and a part of the local budget, Quang Tri province has gradually overcome and handled some urgent incidents and damages. However, the current situation of landslides, damage and the need to upgrade and repair dike works is very large.
In the context of the province's budget still facing many difficulties, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Ho Xuan Hoe has just signed a report to request the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control to submit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for attention and consideration of supporting funding to continue investing in upgrading the remaining dikes and dams in the area. At the same time, regularly repair dikes, maintain the operation of the people's management force when established to ensure long-term use, serving the production of the dike system in Quang Tri.
Quang Hai
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/hieu-qua-nhung-cong-trinh-ngan-man-189477.htm
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