Sluice proposed to curb flooding in Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam News: Scientists have proposed the construction of a sluice to regulate tidal flow in and out of the Soai Rap estuary in HCM City, in an effort to reduce salination and flooding in the city as well as Dong Nai and Long An provinces.

Prof Nguyen Tat Dac of HCM City University of Industry, who has conducted research on the proposal, said HCM City's topography had 65 per cent of low land, and as a result, the city could easily be hit by tidal flooding, especially now with climate change. Prof Dac also added that work to prevent salination and flooding was direly needed. However, any construction must ensure good irrigation towards the sea, smooth waterway traffic and low environmental impact.

The proposed sluice should be built to work well with 12 other small sluices that have either already been built or will be built on several estuaries in Long An Province. Dac recommended building an 1km wide sluice on the three-km Soai Rap estuary.

The estuary, which is part of the Sai Gon – Dong Nai river system, lies on the border between the city Can Gio mangrove forest and Long An and Tien Giang provinces. Tidal flow and salination through the estuary, and the nearby Long Tau estuary, could affect the city as well as Dong Nai and Long An provinces....