On 9th September 2023, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province and French Development Agency (AFD) co-organize the workshop "Hoi An coastline management strategy for sustainability". The objective is to discuss the measures to protect the entire coastline of Hoi An and re-establish the beaches here, contributing to the sustainable development in the central region of Vietnam. This workshop is organized under the framework of the project "Erosion prevention and sustainable coastal line protection for Hoi An, Quang Nam province" co-funded by AFD loan and EU’s grant through the Water and Natural Resources Management Fund (WARM Facility).

Cua Dai beach close to the ancient town of Hoi An is subject to severe erosion with extensive damage and financial losses to resorts along the once popular beaches. This is severely affecting the tourism potential and the economy of Hoi An, which is on the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage sites with tourism being a major contributor to the local economy. Past piecemeal protection schemes have not been effective or long-term sustainable, and there is an urgent need for an integrated protection strategy that is in line with best practice coastal zone management. 

Erosion Coastal line

The workshop provides information on the state of coastal erosion, the adopted adaptation approaches, and the actions to be taken in a short and long run through this investment project funded by AFD loan. Three main measures are proposed in the open discussion that are sacrificed nourishment, breakwater, and groynes. The multi-stakeholders mechanism including private sector and local population towards sustainable coastal line management is subject discussion amongst participants. 

With the participation of all related stakeholders including local authorities, private sector, foreign donors, and international and domestic consultants, the workshop aims at raising awareness of the root causes of erosion, the urgency in implementing comprehensive measures to prevent erosion, then mobilizing their all participation in strengthening the protection of infrastructure and aesthetic value of Hoi An's coastline.

Mr Hervé Conan - Director of AFD in Vietnam

At the workshop, Mr. Denis Vasseur - AFD Task Team Leader shares long-term solutions: “To cope with the impacts of erosion and restore beaches, interventions under this project include a combination of infrastructure and non-infrastructure solutions with a holistic approach for a sustainable integrated coastal zone management and shoreline monitoring plan, enabling to address the root cause of imbalance in the sand supply, and ensure the restoration of the whole region.”

Mr. Vo Van Diem - Director of the Project Management Unit also affirms the impacts of the AFD's project toward a sustainable marine environment in Hoi An: “The project is expected to bring a new approach to climate change response, in particular erosion response measures on Quang Nam coastline, for instance the annual sacrificial nourishment, that helps restore the natural beach, protect life and property, as well as to ensure the livelihoods of local people and businesses.”

About the project

In recent years, the impact of climate change has made the problem of coastal erosion in Quang Nam province more serious. In particular, the problem in the Cua Dai sea area is very complicated. According to the assessment report of the Hydrometeorological Journal published on April 25, 2022, the coast of Cua Dai, Quang Nam province has had up to 112 ha of land lost to erosion (data recorded in 5 years from 2016 to 2022) and the situation tends to increase.  In 2021, 78% of the 24km length of Cua Dai coastline was eroded, compared to 36% in 2016. Under the influence of the increasingly extreme weather phenomenon, the lives of residents as well as large hotel and restaurant businesses along the coast are suffering very heavy losses. Every year, especially at the time of each rainy and stormy season, people are saddened to witness the unusually strong erosion of the coast, washing away both their businesses and their lives.

Current state of the coastline

The project “Erosion prevention and sustainable coastal line protection for Hoi An, Quang Nam province" managed by the People's Committee of Quang Nam province through Quang Nam Provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Project Management Unit, is co-funded by AFD’s loan of EUR 35 million and a grant of EUR 2 million from the European Union through the WARM Facility. The project aims to ensure protection of the entire coastline and reestablish beaches ​​from the Cua Dai estuary area and the northwest coast of Hoi An, meeting the urgent needs of housing stability and economic development of the local community in the project area, in compliance with the planning and development strategy of Hoi An City in particular, and adaptation to climate change in coastal areas of Quang Nam province in general.

Mr Ho Quang Buu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Nam

The investment project financed by AFD will improve the whole coastline protection and re-establish the beaches through:

(i) a combination of structural protection (submerged breakwater and groins) and beach nourishment for the section from the river-mouth to Victoria Resort of 5,000m long;

(ii) application of holistic approach for the whole coastal cell from Son Tra to Tam Hai: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) with Integrated Shoreline Management Plan (ISMP) for annual re-nourishment in Hoi An beach; and

(iii) sacrificial nourishment of an extension segment north-westward from the ending point of the Northern Project to address the underlying imbalance in the sand supply to the northern part of the coastline.

The project is supported by WARM Facility in providing technical assistance with international expertise. It promotes, in particular, integrated shoreline monitoring mechanism, which engages multi-stakeholders, including private businesses, local communities and Hoi An city authority; and supports the development of a legal framework related to off-shore sand mining for annual