HCMC seeks Japanese cooperation in sinking land response

The proposal by the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment was made after JICA sent a draft for a project to survey and respond to sinking land in Ho Chi Minh City, based on what's being done in Tokyo, Jakarta and Bangkok.

According to the proposal, HCMC will allow JICA to cooperate with relevant authorities by providing information to survey the city's sinking status, along with deploying response policies and measures.

The survey serves to figure out the geological characteristics and causes of sinking, among other purposes.

HCMC is sinking by around 4-7 centimeters a year, a high rate of sinking compared to other Vietnam localities. A 2019 survey by the Department of Water Resources Management on 24 locations in HCMC revealed that An Lac Ward in Binh Tan District has sunk the most, sinking by 81 centimeters from 2009 to 2019.

Scientists said the sinking in HCMC is caused by urban and traffic development, weak geological structures and over-exploitation of groundwater.