See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/315628840

River bank erosion and mitigation strategies in Vietnam

Article · January 2005

CITATION READS

1 1,963

3 authors:

Gerrit Klaassen Krystian W. Pilarczyk

Self-Employed Consulting Engineer Hydropil Consultancy
29 PUBLICATIONS   697 CITATIONS    73 PUBLICATIONS   551 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

San Dinh
Southern Institute of Water Resources Research
6 PUBLICATIONS   52 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Safety of dutch coast View project

Study on the erosion/accretion process in the LMDCZ and on the measures to sustainably protect the coastal zones of Go-Cong and U-
Minh from coastalerosion. View project

All content following this page was uploaded by San Dinh on 25 March 2017.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Floods, from Defence to Management – Van Alphen, van Beek & Taal (eds)
© 2005 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 0 415 38050 2

River bank erosion and mitigation strategies in Vietnam

Gerrit J. Klaassen
Individual Consultant & UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

Krystian W. Pilarczyk
Rijkswaterstaat, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Institute, Delft, The Netherlands

Dinh Cong San

Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, Center for River Training & Natural Disaster Prevention,
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

ABSTRACT: In Vietnam serious bank erosion occurs along the two major rivers in the country, notably the
Mekong and the Red River. In this paper some information on the extent of bank erosion problems in Vietnam
is given and in addition a review is given of some technical, organizational, institutional and legislative aspects
of protection against bank erosion. An Action plan is proposed to allow the Vietnamese institutions to better
cope with the challenges posed by bank erosion. Part of this action plan is the development of a long-term strat-
egy for management of these two rivers.

1 INTRODUCTION
Red River
The two most important rivers in Vietnam are the Red
River in the northern part and the Mekong River in
the southern part of the country (see Figure 1).
The Mekong Delta in Vietnam is the most down-
stream part of the Lower Mekong River Basin and it
is of great importance to the Vietnamese community
Vietnam
and economy. It is potentially an area of great produc-
tive capacity and its development is of crucial impor-
tance to the nation’s economic prosperity and food
balance. At the same time the Delta is a difficult area,
with both considerable physical resources and envi- Mekong Delta
ronmental constraints: great annual variety in the
Mekong’s hydrological regime, large tracts of lands
with acid sulphate soils and vulnerable wetlands. It is
also an area, which is heavily and frequently affected
by flooding and bank erosion resulting in loss of live Figure 1. Vietnam with the Red River in the north and the
and high economical damage. Mekong delta in the south.
Similar problems are noticed in the Red River area.
Flood control projects in Red River have generally
adopted the traditional structural method of using caused significant technical, social, and environmental
embankments (dikes) to confine river floods. These problems. In recent years, efforts to control riverbank
embankments are regularly threatened by bank ero- erosion and stabilize floodplain land were carried out
sion necessitating the construction of costly bank pro- on the major rivers using usually high-cost protection
tection structures. measures. However, because of lack of funds these
In the Mekong Delta, the low embankments retain- measures were only applied at the most critical loca-
ing only low floods and the principle of “Living with tions. The funds available for tackling these problems
Floods” has been adopted. Results of these measures are extremely limited. It is surprising to note however
in some cases have been positive, but in others have that even under such difficult conditions (under strict

269
financial and other constraints), the responsible Viet-
Tien River
namese agencies are able to generate acceptable results.
However, the work done can be classified rather as
emergency management than as a planned develop-
ment of the river systems. Besides the financial and
technical matters, the organizational matters and coop-
eration (and thus the optimal use op human potential
and facilities) needs further improvement. The Viet-
namese Government has recognized this problem in
recent years and it has been decided to undertake the
necessary remedial actions.
Within the framework of a twinning agreement Hau River
between Vietnam and The Netherlands the Department
of Dike Management and Flood Control (DDMFC) of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(MARD) requested the Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Public
Works Department) to assist in the preparation of a
plan for tackling the problem of bank erosion in the
country. In 2003 a Dutch mission visited Vietnam to
inspect problem areas and to discuss with the authori- Figure 2. River pattern and flood levels in the Mekong Delta.
ties involved their approach and to propose in close
consultation with DDMFC future actions. The paper
describes the main features of Red River and Mekong
Delta and the finding of the recent mission regarding
riverbank erosion problems in Vietnam and it presents
recommendations and a proposed action plan.

2 SUMMARY OF MAIN FEATURES OF

LOWER MEKONG DELTA AND
RED RIVER

2.1 General
It is important to study the characteristics of the
Mekong Delta and the Red River to identify similari-
ties and differences, which undoubtedly will have a
bearing on any river management strategy to be applied.
Methods, which have proven successful in the case of
the Red River, might not be applicable to the Mekong
River. Hereafter some characteristics of the two rivers
are presented.
Figure 3. Faults and their possible impact on the planform
of the Lower Mekong River.
2.2 Mekong Delta
The catchment area of the Mekong is about
800,000 km2, of which about 65,000 km2 is in Vietnam.
The total length of the Mekong River is about 4,200 km, almost MSL. This implies a flood-low water range of
of which only about 200 km is in Vietnam. The average 4 m decreasing in downstream direction. As the length
discharge of the Mekong River is about 15,000 m3/s. of the Mekong River in Vietnam is about 200 km each,
Flood discharges of the two branches combined vary water level slopes are very gentle, and are even gentler
over the years between 20,000 and 35,000 m3/s. Hence during the low flow season.
the ratio between the flood and average discharges is The planform of the Mekong River is characterized
small. The difference in flood levels in Vietnam is not by two separate branches (called Tien and Hau Rivers)
excessive. The maximum water levels near the Cambo- plus a number of lateral connections, mostly man-made
dian border are about 4 m above Mean Sea Level (Figure 2). The river having two parallel branches is
(MSL) (see Figure 2), and the lowest water levels are quite unique, and this is probably due to the fact that in

270
geological times, the Mekong was not yet connected to
the Tongle Sap lake (see Figure 1) and the Bassac
River. Under this assumption the Tien River is the rem-
nant of the “original” Mekong River, whereas the Hau
River is the original drainage channel of the Tongle Sap
system. The Tien River (northern branch) is slightly
meandering, whereas the Hau River (southern branch)
is virtually straight. Probably there is a strong influence
of neotectonics and active faults on the river planform.
The Hau River and the lower reach of the Tien Rivers
coincide with active faults. Near Tan Chau an active Possible fault
fault crosses the Tien River, and this may be the cause
of the almost square angle the river channel is making
at that location (see Figure 4(a)). In the other reaches of
the Tien River the curvature of the river bends is much (a) Bank erosion possibly triggered by neotectonics
larger and appear to correspond to a “normal” alluvial (presence of a fault, see Figure 3)
river (see Figure 4(b)).
The alluvial reach of the Mekong is composed of
sand with mud and clay. The bed material of the
Mekong River is fine sand. Le Manh Hung & Dinh
Cong San (2002) show that the D50 of the Tien chan-
nel reduces in Vietnam from 0.25 to 0.1 mm. The sed-
iment load of the Mekong River is low. According to
data provided in Jansen et al. (1979), the sediment
load of the river at its mouth is about 80 million ton
per year. In view of the catchment area of about 0.8
million km2, this corresponds to an average denuda-
tion rate of (only) 0.07 mm/year. Some other rivers in
South-East Asia have much higher denudation rates
(Yangtse 0.2 mm/yr, Yellow River almost 2 mm/year),
but the Chao Phrya has a comparable denudation rate
(0.05 mm/yr). Average sediment concentrations in the
Mekong are about 200 ppm. This all suggests a river,
which is morphologically not extremely active. (b) Normal bank erosion near Sa Dec
In the Tien River some large islands are present
where the river bifurcates. These islands appear to be Figure 4. Differences in bank erosion along the Tien chan-
quite stable. They are characterized by dense and old nel of the Lower Mekong River (source Le Manh Hung &
vegetation and many settlements. These islands, the Dinh Cong San, 2002).
areas in between the two Mekong channels and the
floodplain on both sides of the river are flooded yearly.
2.3 Red River
Flood protection is virtually absent, although the
Mission feels that the road building which is going on The total catchment area of the Red River (locally
over the last decade, is creating obstacles to the flow. called the Hong River) is about 169,000 km2, of
The population is apparently adjusted to the regular which about half is located within Vietnam. The total
flooding pattern. length of the Red River is about 1150 km, of which
Local bank erosion is noticeable at a number of about 500 km is in Vietnam. The main tributary is the
places, mostly along the Tien River. Also at the Da River with a catchment area of about 53,000 km2.
upstream part of some stable islands bank erosion Most of the river basin is mountainous and of a high
was observed. Typical bank erosion rates are in the altitude (70% over 500 m). The forest cover continues
order of 10 m/yr and apparently do not exceed 40 m/yr to decrease over time. Some data for the Da River
(based on information provided by the provinces show that the forest cover has decreased from 77% in
visited by the mission). Erosion depths of up to 30 m 1943 to 9% in 1981. This will have had an enormous
have been observed in front of eroding banks. Bank impact on peak flows and sediment load of the river.
protection works are constructed where important Only in the lower part of the Red River the river is
areas are in danger of being eroded. At other less flowing through an alluvial valley.
important locations population is removed from the The Red River is flowing through a seismically
eroding areas and re-located more inland. active area. The general direction of the river seems to

271
coincide with a fault like is the case with the Hau
River as part of the Mekong. The Red River zone is
characterized by a substantial earthquake risk, high
levels risks being incurred by the various structures
built in the Red River area (see Experco (1994)). In
the alluvial reach is made up of quaternary sediments
and comprise of (in the Hanoi area, see Experco
(1994)) a 1 to 6 m deep layer of clayey silts overlying
fine sands and at some places a layer of impervious
clay. During floods the floodplains are continuously
supplied with sediments rich in organic matter. Experco
(1994) mention representative particle sizes of 0.2 mm
for the silty sand and 0.5 mm for the sand.
The average annual discharge of the Red River is
about 4300 m3/s, whereas the maximum recorded
flood in the last decades is about 34,000 m3/s and the
minimum (after construction of the Hoa Binh dam on
the Da River) about 1200 m3/s. The most striking
aspect of the river is the great difference between the
flood and the low-flow discharges (about 20:1). The
water level variation is between 1 to 3 m above the
floodplain level during flood to 5 to 6 m below flood-
plain levels during the low flow season. The flow
width during low flow varies between 200 and 600 m,
while during flood the width of the river reaches 2 to
3 km (Experco, 1994).
In the Red River the dikes confine the river floods.
During flood the Red River is characterized by a sin-
gle channel, which is essentially meandering. During
low flow a transition to braided is noticeable, and
islands can be observed. The location of these islands Figure 5. Meandering Red River and location of bank
and of the main flow channel is changing over the protection works on one side of the river.
years, and this contributes to changes in bank erosion
location along the Red River. The sandy islands are At many places bank protection works are present in
quite unstable and hence they allow only for some front of the dikes (see the dark lines in Figure 5). Note
minor vegetation. that the map from which this figure is taken indicates
The slope of the Red River is not varying with the the bank protection works are drawn for one province
stage in the river. Only in the lowest reach of the Red (and hence for one bank of the river) only. The fact that
River is the slope affected by the backwater effect of no maps were available where the bank protection on
the sea level. During low flow the slopes of the Red both banks was marked, suggests that until now no
River vary between 3 and 6 cm/km. During flood the attempts has been made to consider the river as a whole.
slope of the reach upstream of Hanoi increases to about
10 cm/km. Sediment concentrations of about 2,000 ppm 2.4 Comparison of the Mekong and the Red River
have been observed, indicating that at present the Red
River is morphologically much more active than the In Table 1 a comparison between the Mekong River
Mekong River. According to Nguyen Tuan Anh & and the Red River is given. The differences between
Tran Xuan Thai (2000) the Red River is aggrading the two rivers should and will have an impact on the
with a rate of 1.5 cm/year. long-term strategy for coping with the river and for the
Bank erosion along the Red River is in the order of river training works (see report DWW/MARD 2004).
several tens of meters per year at those locations
where bank erosion is actually taking place (of course
3 UNDERSTANDING OF RIVERBANK
at other locations the river bank might be stable tem-
EROSION PROCESSES IN VIETNAM
porarily, bank accretion might take place or islands
are increasing in width). Nowadays a continuous dike
3.1 Dominant erosion mechanism
system is present along the Red River. In some cases
where bank erosion might become serious a retired The dominant erosion mechanism (for both rivers)
embankment is present as well. in the upstream reaches of the river seems to be

272
Table 1. Comparison of river characteristics of the Mekong and the Red Rivers.

Aspect Mekong River Red River

Catchment area (km2) and
length of river (km)
Number of channels
Planform
Geological setting
Discharge (m3/s)
Difference between flood
level and low water
Sediment yield, load and
concentrations
Islands and bars
Stability river
Flood protection
Bank protection
Catchment area 800,000 km2 Total
length of river 4200 km of which
about 200 km in Vietnam
Two separate branches plus a number
of lateral connections
Tien river slightly meandering;
Hau river straight
Alluvial plain with strong effect of
fauls and neotectonics
Average 15,000 m3/s; flood between
20,000 and 35,000 m3/s
Maximum about 3 m and reducing
towards the sea; tidal motion appreciable
even near Cambodian border during low flows
Low (0.07 mm/year
80 million tons/yr);
average concentration 170 ppm
Almost stable islands with dense vegetation
and many settlements
Stable
Virtually absent (roads)
Some local bank protection works
Catchment area 143,600 km2 Total
length of river 1150 km, of which about
500 km in Vietnam
Single channel
Meandering, with transition to braided
during low flow conditions
Alluvial plain with possibly some
impact of geology
Average 4,300 m3/s; flood discharge
about 35,000 m3/s
Difference much larger; and tidal
motion not appreciable in more
upstream reaches
Higher (about 0.6 mm/yr
114 million
tons/year); average (flood?)
concentration 2,000 ppm
Unstable sand islands with some
vegetation; nevertheless about 600,000
people living on islands and in floodplains
Aggrading (1.5 cm/yr?)
Continuous dike system
Along most if not all outer bends

underwater slope erosion and toe scour with conse-
quent collapsing of the saturated bank after passing
the flood. In the downstream reach the tide causes an
alternate inflow and outflow of groundwater, which
washes out minerals and fine soil particles from the
banks, after which sheet erosion occurs. Bank erosion
can also be explained in terms of the planform devel-
opment of the river. The development of a curved
channel will induce outer bend scour, which in turn
will cause deep scour holes in front of the bank which
will result in a collapse of the bank by a bank slide.
The ultimate cause of the bank erosion in this reason-
ing is thus the overall planform development of the
river, including the occurrence of islands. These
islands become apparent during the low flow period,
but probably they are also remaining to be present
during the flood period as well.
3.2 Possible causes for accelerated bank erosion
In the Mekong Delta as well as in Red River area it
was suggested by people that the erosion problems
have increased from early 90-ies.
• Increase of population and associated increase of
occupation of riverbank areas in combination with
destroying or removing of the natural vegetation
have probably resulted in accelerated erosion in
recent years. Other causes may be:
– increase of flood magnitude
– increase of flood frequency
– monsoon winds (surface waves)
– navigation (ship waves)
– sand mining (at some location it can be a main
reason of local erosion problems)
– increase of fishery area
– increase of population and use of riverbanks,
also for economic activities
• In some areas in the Mekong Delta the increase in
number of small dikes and embankments for roads
must have reduced the area available for storage
and conveyance of floodwaters resulting in an
increase of flood levels and flow velocities. An
in-depth study should be carried out to identify the
real causes of any increased bank erosion and to
counteract these whenever possible.
• In Mekong Delta it appears that recently there
are more extreme floods: extreme floods have
occurred in nearly every year in the period of 1977
to 2002. Because extreme floods accelerate mor-
phological processes, this has, of course, resulted
in a rise of the erosion problems is a very short
time-period.
• In HCMC area (Saigon River), erosion problems
are evident especially at sites where natural banks

273

Figure 6. Bank erosion along the Red River due to bank
slides probably caused by toe erosion.
have been adapted for local urban and industrial
developments.
• Besides bank erosion of the main rivers in the
Mekong Delta, accelerated erosion of (inter-) con-
necting canals was mentioned, which might suggest
that the present stage of development of the Mekong
delta is a transitional one and more erosion can be
expected. Navigation might play an important role.
• During the dry seasons the erosion of lower parts
of banks continue endangering the stability of the
bank. On the upper part of slopes the drying
process results in cracking and slope erosion due to
land saturation/overflow after heavy rains.
• In the Red River also different types of bank ero-
sion can be identified. The most common are linked
to bank erosion along a meandering river. In the
Red River the amplitude of the meanders is more
developed and the radius of curvature is smaller
than in the Mekong River. The location of the
strongest bank erosion can be concluded from the
location of the bank protection works, which were
also shown on local maps. Near the confluence of
the Red River with the Da River also confluence
scour may play a role. Downstream of the Hoa Binh
dam degradation is taking place, which induces col-
lapse of the riverbanks.
274
• In lower Red River area the hydrograph and the
induced flow regime and morphological changes is
partly influenced by operation of Hoa Binh reser-
voir. Some people refer increase of erosion in
recent years to the operation of Hoa Binh reservoir.
However, this effect is not studied in detail yet. In
Red River more erosion is observed in the down-
stream areas influenced by tidal movement (in con-
tradiction to Mekong Delta). The main erosion
problems/damages are observed at the end of the
flood season.
• Bank erosion problems in Central Vietnam are some-
what different from the North and the South due
to specific characteristics of rivers, the specific soil
conditions and the almost absence of dikes. The
rivers in Central Vietnam small catchments and have
steep gradients, which causes rapid increase of
water levels and discharges during the monsoon
rains. There is a strong relationship between river
hydrograph and probability of erosion. Some local
studies are carried out with support of Hanoi Water
Resources University (HWRU).
3.3 Some observations on the understanding
of bank erosion processes
• The physical mechanisms causing bank erosion are
not yet studied in depth in Vietnam. Especially, the
morphological triggers and the geotechnical aspects
of erosion and stability (steep foreshore, saturation,
sliding, etc.) need more attention.
• Much statistical data is available at various institu-
tions (local agencies, research institutes, universi-
ties, ministries) but a systematic overview and e.g.
a proper data bank is not available. The Mission
strongly advocates that such a database is estab-
lished for two reasons: for monitoring the river
development and for study purposes.
• The most common bank erosion mechanism
appears to be the scour of the underwater section of
the slope, which induces the sliding of (saturated)
upper part of slope, usually after drop-down the
high water. Removing of natural vegetation accel-
erates erosion process.
• Possibly there is a risk of flow slides, which might
result in rapid bank recession and risk of dike
breaches. The possibility of the occurrence of flow
slides should be studied in the field.
Not much information is available on how predic-
tion of future bank erosion rates are made in Vietnam.
As far as understood by the Mission, until now predic-
tions of future bank erosion rates are in particular an
extrapolation of the river behaviour in the past. Recently
however, some interesting studies into bank erosion
along the Mekong River were carried out by the
Southern Institute for Water Resources in Vietnam.
 (a) Floating equipment for construction of revetment
Figure 7. Local bank erosion rates of the Mekong River at works along the Mekong at Sa Dec (see also Figure 4 (b))
Sa Dec versus relative curvature (source Le Manh Hung &
Dinh Cong San (2002)).

The Ministry funded this study for Science and

Technology and the most important findings were
published recently in Le Manh Hung & Dinh Cong
San (2002). A number of promising results have been
obtained which pave the way for improved and more
scientifically based prediction methods for bank ero-
sion rates. In Figure 4 (from Le Manh Hung & Dinh
Cong San, 2002) the yearly bank erosion rates at
Sadec are plotted versus the parameter r/B (radius of
curvature over width of the river). This result is in line
with the work of Hickin & Nanson (1984), but the
interesting aspect of this study is that the data included
in this figure relate to the bank erosion at any point
along the bend, whereas the Hickin & Nanson (1984)
method formally only holds for the one location where
the bank erosion is maximum. Results like included in
Figure 7 suggest that this method can be elaborated to
a prediction method for a whole bend. These studies,
in combination with results from studies abroad (e.g.
Klaassen & Masselink, 1989; Klaassen et al (1993)
and Sarker & Khayer, 2002) and the introduction of
numerical models will result in improved prediction
methods for bank erosion rates.
4 SOME OBSERVATIONS ON BANK
PROTECTION WORKS IN VIETNAM
Various bank protection methods as structural meas-
ures (revetments, groins, dikes) and a number of non-
structural measures (regulations, forecasting, warning,
evacuation) have been considered and/or applied for
solving particular bank erosion problems in Vietnam.
Figure 8(a) shows a floating factory for revetments,
and Figure 8(b) is an example of a groyne combined
with revetments.
Some works are standard (conform e.g. Jansen
(1979) and Przedwojski et al (1995)). Original solu-
tions have been found in some cases. Upstream of one
(b) Groyne in front of revetment along Red River
Figure 8. Bank protection works along Vietnamese rivers.
of the protected banks in the Mekong tall vegetation is
fixed to the bank profile to divert the main current away
from the bank, which appears to be quite effective. At
another place open groynes have been attempted.
A matter of concern is the lower level at which the
bank protection works are terminated. In Vietnam this
level corresponds to the measured scour depth in front
of bank before construction of the bank protection
works. However, deeper scour may occur in due time
either due to the constructed works themselves or due
to a continued morphological development of the erod-
ing bank. It would be preferable to place a launching
or falling apron in front of the bank protection works.
Bank protection works in Vietnam are usually car-
ried out on the basis of where the need arises. When
an important reach is eroding bank protection works
are implemented over a certain length. Once bank
protection works have been implemented, economic
development of the protected areas is accelerated.
This creates a commitment to properly maintain the
bank protection and to prevent that the protected area
is eroded in subsequent years. Bank protection works

275
however cause changes in the river system, which are
noticeable both downstream and sometimes in later
stages also upstream and which may necessitate addi-
tional bank protection works. The continued morpho-
logical development of the reach with bank protection
works may thus induce the need for additional river
engineering works both upstream and downstream. It
is important to realize this in advance in view of deci-
sion making on protection, for proper siting of the
bank protection works and to limit the funds required
later for maintenance and extension of the bank pro-
tection works. Future upstream and downstream effects
of the bank protection works and morphological
developments upstream and downstream of planned
works should be taken into account in the design
of the bank protection works.
Maintenance and the related monitoring should get
more attention in Vietnam. When and where mainte-
nance is needed often indicates the weak points in the
designs and the construction of the different works
and can help improving design standards and con-
struction methods. This all also stresses the need for
the development of a long-term strategy for bank pro-
tection works along both the Mekong River in Vietnam
and the Red River.
5 LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR BANK
PROTECTION WORKS IN VIETNAM
AND IMPROVED LEGISLATION
The long-term strategy for the Mekong and that for
the Red River will probably be different, because the
best strategy is determined by the river characteristics
on the one hand and socio-economic aspects on the
other hand.
For the Mekong River the long-term strategy could
consist of:
• stabilization of the flow distribution around the sta-
ble islands (in view of vested interest)
• stabilization of islands
• protection of important areas with bank protection
works and upstream river training works.
For the Red River the preferred strategy could be:
• a continuous bank protection along all outer bends
• in due time narrowing of the river to induce bed
degradation to counter-act the present aggradational
trend.
A proper and appropriate long-term strategy for
bank protection works and river training can only be
developed when the river characteristics are properly
understood and this calls for a in-depth study of the
morphology of both rivers and other relevant aspects.
Unless such a study is carried out and such a long-
term strategy has been developed and is accepted by
276
the population, the risk is present that investments in
bank protection works in due time may turn out to be
a less effective than initially anticipated.
Implementation of bank protection works is only
one of the possibilities to cope with bank erosion
problems. In cases where the interest to be protected
are less (e.g. in rural areas) it might be preferable
to reduce the damage with the help of zoning, indica-
ting areas where it is not allowed to build houses or
infrastructure. For this purpose legislation has to be
developed which allows for zoning for reduction of
damage due to flood and bank erosion.
6 PROPOSED ACTIONS
Based on the main features of Red River and Mekong
Delta as discussed before and the findings of the mis-
sion, the recommendations on possible action plan con-
cerning of actual and future situation on riverbank
erosion have been formulated. The main items concern:
• the need for the development of Master plans for
river training and a Strategic plan for bank protec-
tion works both for the Mekong and the Red River
• capacity building for the Dike Department and the
provincial offices active in the design of bank pro-
tection works.
This can be translated into the following actions:
• to strengthen national and regional capabilities
in bank erosion prediction, prevention and
management;
• to develop a national bank erosion monitoring and
information management network;
• to strengthen the ability of country to implement
and enforce international environmental and tech-
nical codes;
• to develop and initiate sustainable financing mech-
anisms which will support ongoing activities.
Based on the findings of the Mission as described in
the report (DWW/MARD 2004), it is possible to iden-
tify actions for the coming years. Different actions are
needed ranging from pure technical studies to capac-
ity building and reinforcement of university curricula.
For these different actions funding is required. One
possibility is either from Vietnam itself or from The
Netherlands Public Works Department (RWS) within
the framework of the twinning agreement between
Department of Dike Management and Flood Control
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(DDMFC/MARD) in Vietnam and Dutch Rijkswater-
staat (RWS). However, these funds are limited. Other
possibilities are to interest international donors to
provide either technical assistance or loans. Under
such arrangements the funding might be more sub-
stantial. RWS and some members of the Mission will
assist MARD in the preparation of proposals, which components have been identified for such a capacity
depending on the interest of the potential donor could building project on the basis of learning by doing:
cover a number of proposed actions listed hereafter. • Capacity building staff DD and provincial engi-
The following actions were identified: neering bureau’s via learning by doing
• Improvement of design manuals and standards
1. Post-graduate education of Vietnamese profession- • Improved legislation
als (engineers from Water Resources Research • Setting-up data bases (probably 2 types: one national,
Institutes and provincial design offices) active in and another more technical per river)
the field of flood control, river bank erosion and • Improvement cooperation DDMFC – provincial
protection and river training for. design bureau’s
2. Organizing of a Workshops and/or Short courses • Development of Master plans and long term strate-
on Bank Erosion Prediction and Bank Protection, gies for river training for the Mekong River, the
in combination with presentation of the results Red River and for the rivers in Central Vietnam
from local studies like the project Research on the (not discussed in this paper, but also experiencing
causes and the solutions to prevent riverbank ero- flood and bank erosion problems), in cooperation
sion and deposition for the Lower Mekong Delta with the future River Basin Organizations (RBO’s)
River System (LMDRS). • Improved monitoring capability
3. Follow-up for National Bank Erosion Study • Publication of yearbooks with progress and revolv-
Program for Mekong and Red Rivers, with addi- ing yearly planning of bank protection works
tional funding from Vietnam Ministry of Science within the framework of master plans
and possibly MARD; to be carried out by the two • Training (two types: training courses in Vietnam
Water Resources Institutes. for larger audience and MSc studies of some stu-
4. Vietnamese Working Group (supplemented with dents at UNESCO-IHE in NL)
Dutch experts) on Upgrading Design Standards for • Exposure tours (to NL RWS/Delft Hydraulics/
bank protection; This working group will collect GeoDelft and to Bangladesh (CEGIS for remote
recent findings on bank protection works and rele- sensing and set-up data bases)
vant literature and apply these to the Vietnamese Some of these activities were already mentioned in
conditions, and monitor the behaviour of some the above points, but it would be advantageously to
selected structures along the Mekong and Red combine them in one capacity building project;
River; if budget allows some test structures can be
constructed and monitored as well. The time frame
of this activity could be a start in 2005 (provided
funds are available) and it should continue for a
number of years.
5. Vietnamese Working Group (supplemented with
Dutch experts) on Strategy of Bank Erosion Mitiga-
tion: This working group will collect recent find-
ings on river training master planning and relevant
literature and apply these to the Vietnamese condi-
tions; project could be part of a capacity building
project for the Dike Department supplemented by
staff from the Water Resources Institutes and staff
from provincial design offices to bring in field
experience with river response to bank protection
works; the final product of these (2005–2006).
6. Setting up of data bases for bank erosion processes
and bank protection works: these data bases are
discussed extensively in the report; setting up of
data bases should be precluded by a phase in which
(in close cooperation with the potential users:
DDMFC, MARD, Water Resources Institutes, pro-
vincial design offices and HWRU and with suppliers
of data like Hydro-Meteorological Service) a
set-up for the data base(s) is made; subsequently Figure 9. Vietnamese measuring vessel equipped with
the data bases should be filled. echo-sounding, GPS and data storage on pc, a technique
7. Capacity building project for Department of Dyke which can be used for regular soundings to improve insight
Management and Flood Control. The following in performance of bank protection works.

277
 supposing that funding can be assured at short
notice, such a capacity building project could start
mid 2005 and last about 2 years (until mid 2007).
8. Proposals for extending of Curriculum at Hanoi
Water resources University (HWRU-CE); curricu-
lum to be extended with riverbank erosion and mit-
igation and possibly more general with integrated
water resources planning and management, from
which bank erosion and mitigation and river train-
ing are an integral part; this activity is foreseen as
the second phase of a HWRU-Delft University of
Technology-UNESCO-IHE project, which start in
2005 and may last a number of years.
7 CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Large-scale river erosion problems are present in
Vietnam, which are associated with many social and
economic implications and consequences. The funds
available for tackling these problems are extremely
limited. It is surprising to see that even under such
difficult conditions (under such strict financial and
other constraints), the DDMFC, the provinces and the
local agencies are able to generate acceptable results.
However, the work done can be classified rather as
emergency management than as a planned develop-
ment of the river systems. The approach is not trans-
parent enough (especially not how the urgency of
problems is evaluated) and it is far from being opti-
mal. Besides the financial and technical matters, the
organizational matters and cooperation (and thus the
optimal use op human potential and facilities) needs
further improvement.
The available time for this mission did not allow
for making detailed studies of the challenges and
problems experienced. The main recommendations
concern improvement of prediction and monitoring
techniques, setting up of database, improved designs,
strategic planning and capacity building. A lot of
emphasis is placed on:
• the need for the development of Master plans for
river training and a strategic plan for bank protec-
tion works both for the Mekong and the Red River
• capacity building for the Dike Department and the
provincial offices active in the design of bank pro-
tection works.
An Action plan is formulated together with some
suggestions for possible funding mechanisms and a
tentative time schedule. Two major projects can be
visualised, the first one a capacity building project for
those at present active in the field of bank protection
in Vietnam, and the second one a project in which the
curriculum of the Hanoi Water Resources University
is extended to include river training and river bank
278
protection possibly in the wider context of integrated
water resources planning and management.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Much of the information given in this paper and the
conclusions and recommendations presented are based
on discussions held with staff members of many organi-
zations within Vietnam. The contribution of staff of the
following institutions is gratefully acknowledged:
Department of Dyke Management and Flood Control
(and in particular it Director Mr. Sy Nuoi), Vietnamese
Institute for Water Resources Research, Southern
Institute for Water Resources Research, Hanoi Water
Resources University, the People’s Committees of the
different provinces bordering the Mekong and Red
Rivers and their engineering companies.
REFERENCES AND SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY
DWW/MARD (2004), Bank Erosion in Mekong Delta and
along Red River in Vietnam, Report mission 23
November–6 December 2003; Rijkswaterstaat, Road and
Hydraulic Engineering Institute (DWW), Delft/MARD –
Department of Dyke Management and Flood Control
(limited distribution), 96 pp.  appendices.
Experco (1994), Preliminary study Hanoi dyke rehabilitation
sub-project, Irrigation and Flood Protection Rehabilitation
Project, Volume 1.
Hickin, E.J. & Nanson, G.C. (1984), Lateral migration rates
of river bends, Journ. Hyd. Eng. ASCE, Vol. 110, no. 11,
pp. 1557–1567.
Hoffmans, G.J.C.M. & Verheij, H.J. (1997), Scour manual,
Balkema, Rotterdam, 205 pp.
Jagers, H.R.A. (2003), Modelling planform changes of
braided rivers, Twente University, Ph.D. Thesis, 318 p.,
fig., tab., ref.  cd-rom, ISBN 90-9016879-6.
Jansen, P.Ph., van der Berg, J., de Vries, M. & Zanen, (1979)
(Ed.), Principles of river engineering. The non-tidal allu-
vial river, London, Pitman Publ. Cy. (also 1994 reprint,
DUT).
Klaassen, G.J. & Masselink, G. (1992), Planform changes of
a braided river with fine sand as bed and bank material,
Proc. 5th Intern. Symp. on River Sedimentation,
Karlsruhe, Germany.
Klaassen, G.J., Mosselman, E. & Bruehl, H. (1993), On the
prediction of planform changes in braided sand-bed
rivers, In: Wang, S.S.Y. (Ed.), Adv. in Hydro-Sci. and –
Engrg., Ed.), Publ. Univ. Mississippi.
Le Manh Hung & Dinh Cong San (2002), Xoi lo bo song
cuu long (Bank erosion Mekong River), Southern
Institute for Water Resources.
Mosselman, E. (1992), Mathematical modelling of morpho-
logical processes in rivers with erodible cohesive banks,
Communications on Hydr. and Geotech. Engrg., No.92–3,
Delft Univ. of Technology, ISSN 0169-6548.
Ngaonh, M.T. & Akira, Y. (2003), River bank erosion
along in the Mekong Delta, (Internet).
Nguyen Tuan Anh & Tran Xuan Thai (2000), Some prob-
lems on river bed and flood passage of the Red River,
International European-Asian Workshop Ecosystem &
Flood 2000, Hanoi, Vietnam, 7 pages.
Pilarczyk, K.W. (1998), Dikes and revetments, A.A. Balkema,
Rotterdam.
Pilarczyk, K.W. & Sy Nuoi (2002), Experience and practice
on flood control in Vietnam, 2nd Intern. Symposium on
Flood Defences, pp. 774–785.
279
Przedwojski, B., Blazejewski, R & Pilarczyk, K.W. (1995),
River training techniques: fundamentals, design and
applications, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam/Brookfield.
Sarker, M.H. & Khayer, Y. (2002), Developing and updating
empirical methods for predicting morphological changes
in the Jamuna River, EGIS, Dhaka, EGIS Technical Note
Series 29.
View publication stats