A surge in demand for sand in Southeast Asia has contributed to illegal dredging in Vietnam's rivers, which has accelerated erosion; increased erosion brings increased landslides, which threaten houses, gardens, and fertile lands along the banks.
The Strategic Foresight Group writes,
"Construction demands has caused the price of sand to double to USD15.7 (VND300,000) per cubic meter resulting in a sand rush. The surge in the demand of construction material in Vietnam’s leading cities such as Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi has led to a blatant surge in illegal dredging. This is not helped by the fact that sand is being exported to Singapore to satisfy its construction needs too."
The Strategic Foresight Group highlights that dredging occurs along rivers throughout Vietnam.
Implications
The Strategic Foresight Group writes that the loss of homes, gardens, and embankment construction works is an immediate consequence that affects local residents along the river, who lose their homes or are forced to sell at dirt-cheap prices to avoid getting caught in a landslide. In the long run, the loss of fertile land to landslides will hamper Vietnam's development. IFTF adds that demand for construction in Southeast Asia isn't likely to diminish, which means that halting these practices will likely require sharper enforcement or new construction materials that don't need so much sand. The former doesn't seem likely - authorities have issued threats but they don't have the resources to halt the practices, and any technological solutions will need to compete with the cheap price of sand. Consistent erosion may precipitate a major landslide, which could focus greater international attention on this issue.
The Strategic Foresight Group, July 2010, page 14: http://newsletters.clearsignals.org/SFG_July2010.pdf#page=14 [2]
‘Red River Sand Exploitation still a threat to local residents’. Vietnam News. 2 April 2010.
< http://www.vnnnews.net/red-river-sand-exploitation-still-a-threat-to-loc... [3] >
‘Sand dredgers leave families homeless’. Vietnam News. 29 March 2010.
< http://www.vnnnews.net/sand-dredgers-leave-families-homeless [4] >
‘Dredged Mud Threat to scenic waterfall.’ Look at Vietnam. 9 April 2010.
< http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2010/04/dredged-mud-threat-to-scenic-waterf... [5] >
‘Loss of Fertile Land blamed on Dredging.’ DTI News Vietnam. 16 April 2010.
< http://www.dtinews.vn/news/news/vietnam/loss-of-fertile-land-blamed-on-dredging.html>
Links:
[1] http://twitter.com/share
[2] http://newsletters.clearsignals.org/SFG_July2010.pdf#page=14
[3] http://www.vnnnews.net/red-river-sand-exploitation-still-a-threat-to-local-residents
[4] http://www.vnnnews.net/sand-dredgers-leave-families-homeless
[5] http://www.lookatvietnam.com/2010/04/dredged-mud-threat-to-scenic-waterfall.html