Hoi An, Vietnam rescue plan

Hoi An, Vietnam rescue plan.

WhatsOrb Global Sustainability X-Change

“It was only since the 60^th that we got our first glance on our planet from space. It was one of the biggest mind changers ever. At that moment we started to realize that we are all united in one big Eco system on a planet named ‘Mother Earth’! It’s all we have, be respectful to it.”

Click also on: http://greenapplehoian.blogspot.com/2013/08/green-apple-hoi-blog.html
                                http://greenapplehoian.blogspot.com/2014/10/hoi-vietnam-in-dire-state.html 

Hoi An's rescue plan!

• 1. Dike & Lock building in 3 phases
• 2. Public transport system
• 3. Separate lanes for bicycles
• 4. Construct buildings which integrate in the existing landscape
• 5. Education on all levels

1. Dike & Locks

Before writing about the solutions which Hoi An could save from further decay on the environmental and tourism front there are some very important issues where all who are involved have to be convinced of to make this ‘rescue operation a success!

• Start to accept advice from engineering bureaus who built up expertise around the world about tackling flooding and erosion problems.

• Use the funds you have or get offered for the fully 100 % to save your town.

• You have to start today! No delays, no excuses. There is a tomorrow and your children and the world expect something left to make a living of.

• This problem is so big you need to make it a national & international issue!

• Get foreign companies involved with expertise in this field to manage this immense project.

About the erosion problems at Cua Dai- and An Bang Beach!

Erosion always has been on our planet! It’s the same with climate change. But humanity can accelerate certain processes.

We all can agree that if you stick your head in a car and connect the exhaust pipe inside you are dead in 5 minutes. For that reason we can conclude that all this CO2 in our environment isn't a good idea!

One of the many local residence area's and sand dunes bulldozed away. An Bang.

It’s the same with erosion: bulldozing sand dunes away, cutting all the trees, building hydro dams which stop sediment flowing down and fresh water, taking away mangrove, water coconut trees, re-routing rivers, building into the sea, etc accelerates erosion!

So we start today or just say we don’t take Hoi An’s problems serious!

A project of 5 to 10 years

I suggest to build protection for the erosion- and seawater level rising in 3 phases which can be done in a time-frame of 5 to 10 years.

So stop the Cua Dai Bridge project partly and make only a connecting road from the bridge directly west in the direction of Hoi An.

Something about Phase 2 and 3

Phase 2 and 3 are to keep water out of Hoi An and suburbs and to regulate the water flow in such a way that the damage to houses is as little as possible.

Flooding on Cam Nam Island.

Hoi An is situated in a delta and therefore prone to flooding. Because the enormous urbanization in this area – An Hoi, Cam Nam and Cam Kim - some flooding will always be part of the environment.

What can be done at An Hoi, Cam Nam and Cam Kim

What can be done is change a lot of concrete and asphalt by ‘road cover’ which is water permeable. Also all the self made ‘concrete connections’ between gardens and streets have to be removed. One of the biggest problems with flash rain fall is that the rainwater can not be absorbed by the soil because of all the hard cover!

Roads have to be better constructed with the surface of the roads made in such a way that water flows in the direction of rivers instead of houses!!

Drainage system is from a very poor quality and should be revised.

Poor drainage, hard road surface.

No more building on any island and sand plate in the Thu Bon-, Hoi An- and Coco River

Phase 1:

Build wave breakers before the coast to get most of the kinetically power of the waves reduced before it reaches the ‘beach’.

Wave brakers and a protective dike along 'Cua Dai Beach'.

Build underground shore protection, dikes and locks. Start with demolishing all the resorts south of Cua Dai Street. Use the created space for a dike which is anchored in the ground below. Also make artificial sand dunes and plant them with native plants which grow and root fast.

Build groins to catch up drifted sand. By building them in different lengths there is a chance to build up some small beaches for small scale recreation.

Groins to catch up-drifted sand.

Do some tests with mangrove to get more coastal protection.

Phase 2:

Start building a north & south dike in Cam Thanh where original the road to the Cua Dai bridge was planned. It’s an extra buffer to stop a possible influx of water.

Extend it all the way to the dike at Cua Dai Beach and build locks in the river.

An example of a dike with road.

Stop with all the shrimp farms direct south of the Hoi An river and start replanting water coconuts. Use this area as an extra overflow area in case of flooding.

Phase 3:

Start building an east & west dike all along from Cam Thanh along Hoi An till Thanh Ha, the pottery village. From here build it land inwards till a ‘level where flooding stops.

A protective dike all the way from Cam Thanh till Thanh Ha.

Under the dike from Hong Lanh bridge till Cam Thanh it’s possible to make a waste water pipe all the way to Cam Chau or Cam Tanh where a waste water treatment plant has to be build.

This way it’s easy to connect all the waste water outlets which already exist with the main waste pipe to the waste water treatment plant.

The dike in front of the old quarter should be about 2 meter high, wide enough for a footpath, some small trees, a fence and street furniture. Material should be used which fits the old quarter.

Locks should be build in front of the canal mouth between An Hoi and Hoi An. Also a lock between An Hoi And Cam Nam. In combination with a better regulated water flow from the Hydro dam it should prevent damage to the old town.

Generally

Rivers should be dredged for a better water drainage. Especially the Thu Bon River mouth needs a lot of attention.

Hydro electric dams should be better managed.

An Hoi, Cam Nam and Cam Kim - with this solution - will always be effected by floods. A dike around these islands would be very complex and water needs to spread out.

First priority is the old quarter of Hoi An.

Sure people will oppose this idea but it has a lot a of benefits.

Cons:

• The direct view on the river from street level on Hoi An gets lost.
• View from An Hoi to Hoi An gets limited.
• An Hoi, Cam nam and Cam Kim still get flooded.

Pro:

• The old quarter is protected.
• Pedestrians can walk save ‘at all times’ along the river on the dike.
• Pedestrians have an ‘elevated’ view on the river, Hoi An and An Hoi.
• It’s still possible for tourists to have a view on the river from the first floor of restaurants & cafes. 
• Easy access to a waste water pipe.
• A lot of jobs in hospitality will be saved.
  
     
  
  
  Now this is all a simplified way of summing up what has to be done but it's get your   act together or just tell you are not serious about tourism and saving Hoi An.