In Vietnam, plan to level landslide-prone mountain draws caution from experts

Chairman of the provincial administration Pham Anh Tuan told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Tuesday that the provincial administration would seek approval in principle from the standing board of the provincial Party Committee before drawing up a detailed plan to address the landslide threat and redevelop the area.

Province outlines mountain-leveling proposal

The heavily weathered mountain poses a serious threat to houses on its slopes and at its foot, Tuan said, stressing the need to move residents to safety and redevelop the area.

Under a proposal by the Quy Nhon Ward administration, all 228 households in the affected area would be relocated before Mot Mountain is excavated and leveled to match the elevation of surrounding residential areas.

The project is expected to yield around one million cubic meters of soil and rock for construction fill.

Preliminary estimates put the total investment at VND500 billion (US$19.4 million), including 50 percent for compensation and site clearance and the rest for construction.

An auction of land-use rights after site clearance is expected to generate around VND850 billion ($32.9 million), a preliminary VND350 billion ($13.6 million) more than the projected investment cost.

The area could then be developed into a new residential and service zone.

According to local media, leveling the mountain remains a proposal and will undergo further study and consultation before being submitted to the standing board of the provincial Party Committee.

Experts urge caution over leveling plan

Experts have called for residents to be moved to safety while urging authorities to carefully assess whether Mot Mountain should be leveled.

Geological and urban planning experts have urged a cautious, science-based approach, emphasizing that resident relocation should be handled separately from any long-term decision on the mountain's future. 

They stressed that Mot Mountain forms a distinctive part of the local urban landscape and recommended preserving it as a green space. 

Experts also called for thorough geological surveys prior to any excavation, warning that potential blasting operations could pose safety risks to nearby homes if the structure proves predominantly rocky.

Different media outlets have highlighted various environmental, historical, and cultural concerns regarding the project. 

Reports emphasized calls to preserve Mot Mountain as a green space, noting its status on the local inventory of historical sites and scenic landscapes. 

Experts and cultural observers also warned that leveling the natural landform would irreversibly damage the landscape and erase a site associated with a historic wartime battle.

A broad consensus has emerged among experts and media outlets that authorities should prioritize relocating residents from high-risk areas while carefully weighing the mountain's historical, ecological, and landscape values before deciding its ultimate future.

Residents live in fear and seek safe resettlement

Residents say landslides, particularly during heavy rain, have increasingly threatened their homes.

Tran Van No, 48, who lives at the foot of Mot Mountain, said his family had feared for their safety since late 2025.

After a storm last year, soil and rocks slid down the slope and hit the back wall of his house, cracking the wall and supporting pillars.

No fears another landslide could cause the house to collapse. 

"Five households have recently been relocated, but around 20 others at the mountain's foot remain worried and hope authorities will arrange safe resettlement," he said.

Higher up the slope, some landslide sites are only a few meters from house foundations.

Vo Thi Suong, 63, who lives on the mountain slope, said police regularly urged residents to leave during the rainy season and stay temporarily at the ward office or with relatives until conditions improved.

Some residents have built retaining structures to prevent erosion, but these have proved ineffective as landslides have worsened in recent years.

Many households depend on low-income work, such as selling lottery tickets, driving motorcycle taxis or doing casual labor.

Suong said they hoped to move to safer homes but needed resettlement assistance because they could not afford new accommodation on their own.