More solutions needed to fight floods in HCMC The Saigon Times Daily Residents in HCMC wade through floodwater in this file photo – PHOTO: TL HCMC – The HCMC government has spent trillions of Vietnamese dong on flood control, but its efforts have yet to pay off. More effective solutions are needed to cope with the situation, experts said at a meeting in HCMC on June 20. Organized by the Environmental Technology Center under the Vietnam Association for the Conservation of Nature and the Environment, the meeting was aimed at finding ways to cope with floods caused by heavy rains and high tides, Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper reported. The city has spent more than VND22 trillion (US$963 million) dealing with the situation for over 10 years. The figure will likely amount to a staggering VND120 trillion (US$5.25 billion) by 2020. Vu Hai, former deputy president and general secretary of the HCMC Water and Environment Association, noted that the city’s flooding situation worsens, as more flood-prone sites emerge every year. Antiflood projects that are under construction are not properly examined, resulting in exorbitant costs and lengthy execution, according to Hai. He stressed that the flooding situation has affected the quality of life of local residents and created economic losses for them. A study on the impact of tidal flooding on residents of District 7, conducted by the Vietnam National University in HCMC, suggested that households suffered an average loss of VND13 million (US$569) each, while household businesses lost VND13.4 million,… [Read full story]
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