Hoi An keeps tourist from beaches as severe erosion plagues coastline

Foreigners walk past a “No swimming” board along the coast of Hoi An. Erosion has badly destroyed the town for years. Photo: Minh Hoang/Zing

The much loved tourist town of Hoi An has shut down several beaches after severe erosion left many deadly traps along its coastline.

Nguyen The Hung, vice chairman of the town, said half of the seven-kilometer coastline has been badly eroded.

“Rough waters have created deep holes and made several beaches dangerous for tourists,” Hung said, as cited by news website Zing.

Strong waves have eaten up to 15 meters deep into the beaches and destroyed concrete stairs built for beachgoers.

A local named Hung said the situation could be worse in typhoon seasons. “Waves might swallow the entire coastline.”

Local officials said the town has spent around VND25 billion (US$1.12 million) since the end of 2014 setting up poles and sand bags along the coastline but the stopgap measures have been rendered useless.

Quang Nam Province has organized conferences and called for studies on the problem but it has not come up with an effective solution.

Experts have blamed the problem on heavy tourism activities along the coast, but said the major cause is the construction of hydropower plants on upstream rivers. The projects hold back sediment and leave the downstream area more vulnerable to erosion, they said.

Strong waves during high tides have eaten 15 meters into Hoi An coastline over the past year. Photos: Minh Hoang/Zing

The waves have broken concrete stairs built for beachgoers.

Wood poles and sand bags put up by local officials seem not strong enough.

Hoi An keeps tourist from beaches as severe erosion plagues coastline

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