Downpours, strong waves devastate Hoi An beach

By Dac Thanh October 20, 2020 | 06:36 am PT

The sea has encroached over 15 meters inland in Hoi An in the last few days as prolonged downpours and strong waves breached an anti-erosion embankment on Cua Dai Beach.

In recent days, the 7.5-kilometer-long Cua Dai beach, a famous tourist destination in the ancient town of Hoi An, has been severely eroded as strong waves have demolished a soft embankment supported by large sacks of sand. Dozens of restaurants and seaside resorts have been washed away, hurting the local tourism.

The 7.5 km-long Cua Dai Beach, a famous tourist destination in Hoi An Town in the central province of Quang Nam, has suffered severe further erosion for several days now with strong waves demolishing an embankment supported by large sacks of sand.
Dozens of restaurants and resorts have seen seawater intrusion.

More than 10 coconut trees at a seafood restaurant were blown away by the strong waves. Earlier, a concrete embankment was previously built but was also knocked down by strong waves, said a caretaker of the restaurant.

More than 10 coconut trees at a seafood restaurant were uprooted.
"A concrete embankment had been broken earlier by the waves," said a caretaker of the restaurant.

Since 2014, strong waves and tropical storms have caused severe erosion on Cua Dai beach, forcing its closure for three years. The beach opened again in 2017.Cua Dai is a popular beach tourism hotpost in central Vietnam and has attracted many European tourists during the peak travel season during the year-end.

The beach had been closed to the public for three years since 2014 after it was badly eroded by tropical storms and strong waves. It reopened in 2017.
Cua Dai is a popular beach tourism hotspot in central Vietnam, attracting many European tourists during the peak travel season towards the year-end.

Four-meter-high waves knocked on the shore. Since early October until now, prolonged torrential downpours, tropical depressions combined with cold spell caused the floowater on Thu Bon River to rise, coupled with high tide, triggering high big waves, said the owner of a restaurant on the beach.

Waves four meters high lash the shore.
"Since early October until now, prolonged torrential downpours, tropical depressions combined with a cold spell have triggered high, big waves," said the owner of another restaurant on the beach.

A section of the wall made of stone, brick, and cement was knocked down by the waves while the upper part was broken in two. To avoid inward erosion, business owners used hundreds of sandbags to reinforce them.

A section of a wall made of stone, brick, and cement knocked down by the waves.
To avoid inward encroachment, business owners used hundreds of sandbags to reinforce the local embankment.

Staff of a restaurant put bags of sands down to prevent erosion. Everyday, about 500 bags are washed away, then we continue to use new bags to replenish, said Luong Tan Loc, a restaurant owner.

The employees of a restaurant throw sand bags.
"Everyday, about 500 bags are washed away, then we use new bags," said Luong Tan Loc, owner of the restaurant.

Restaurants along Cua Dai Beach used canvas to cover the erosion area and then put sandbags overlapping it.
"This is a temporary solution to prevent seawater intrusion, if not, tens of meters of land will be washed away and restaurants and resorts collapse," said a local resident.

On Tuesday morning, the Hoi An government mobilized more than 100 people, including soldiers, to use sacks of sand to fight erosion along Cua Dai beach. Work is expected to last for three days.

On Tuesday morning, the Hoi An administration mobilized more than 100 people, including soldiers, to use sacks of sand to check erosion along Cua Dai Beach. The work is expected to last three days.

Authorities use a net nearly two meters high to prevent residents and tourists from entering dangerous areas.

Authorities have installed a net nearly two meters high to prevent residents and tourists from entering dangerous areas.

A resort in the south of Cua Dai Beach was destroyed by waves. To prevent erosion, the investor is constructing a concrete embankment to protect the resort from seawater intrusion.Hoi An, an ancient town and popular tourism destination in Vietnam, has routinely suffered from erosion. Much of Hoi An is at or less than two meters above sea level, making it vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm surges, according to a joint report by the United Nations Environment Program, UNESCO and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The town’s Cua Dai Beach, a major tourist attraction, has been losing between 10 and 20 meters of land to erosion annually for several years now.

A resort in the south of Cua Dai Beach destroyed by waves.
To prevent further erosion, the investor is constructing a concrete embankment.
The ancient town of Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s top tourist attractions. However, it has suffered from serious erosion for many years now. Much of the town is at two meters or less above the sea level, making it vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm surges, according to a joint report by the United Nations Environment Program, UNESCO and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The town’s Cua Dai Beach has been losing between 10 and 20 meters of land to erosion annually for several years now.