Vietnam’s Lao Cai approves $505mn flood control project

The provincial People’s Council passed a resolution endorsing the plan, which includes building 20 kilometers of new embankments and raising 23 kilometers of existing ones.

The project also involves dredging and reinforcing 14 drainage canals totaling 25 kilometers, constructing new pumping stations and culverts, and upgrading drainage systems to eliminate local flooding hotspots.

Work will be divided into five sub-projects across wards and communes like Yen Bai, Nam Cuong, Au Lau, Van Phu, and Tran Yen.

Funding will come from both central and provincial budgets.

The project owner is the Lao Cai Project Management Board No. 1.

Flooding has been a persistent problem in the region.

Over the past decade, water in the Red River has repeatedly risen above alarm level 3, causing severe damage.

In 2024, typhoon Yagi triggered historic floods, with water levels reaching 3.73 meters, 1.31 meters higher than the record set in 1968.

The disaster affected about 20,000 households and caused economic losses estimated at VND8.5 trillion ($324 million) in this mountainous province.

The Lao Cai administration said the project is critical to safeguarding lives, agriculture, and urban infrastructure.

It is expected to reduce prolonged flooding, improve living conditions, and enhance urban resilience to climate change.

The plan also envisions creating new land for riverside urban expansion, modernizing landscapes, and boosting socio-economic development.

The Red River originates in Yunnan, China and flows through several Vietnamese localities including Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Hung Yen, and Ninh Binh before reaching the East Vietnam Sea via 11 estuaries.

About Yagi, it made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, 2024, leaving 318 people dead, 26 missing, and 1,976 others injured as of September 27, as well as causing economic losses of nearly $3.3 billion.

It is the most powerful storm to have entered the East Vietnam Sea over the past 30 years and the worst typhoon to have hit Vietnam in the last 70 years.