Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has asked theWorld Bank to provide loans to help fund HCM City’s flood controlplan, known as Project 1547.

On March 17, Phat andrepresentatives of the city’s People’s Committee and the World Bankvisited several flood-prevention projects in the city.

The plan for Project 1547 includes the building of a river dyke systemand tidal sluices to control tides at the mouth of big rivers andcanals.

The proposed 146-km dyke system runs from Ben Suc in Cu Chi district to the Kinh Lo River in Long An province.

The city has already built a dyke along the right bank of the Sai GonRiver and sluices, including the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe, Biình Trieu, RachTra, Vam Thuat and other small sluices, according to the HCM CitySteering Centre for Flood Control.

Project 1547 hashelped to prevent floods in these areas, but, downstream of Thu Ducdistrict, where the project has not been implemented, rain and hightides have caused severe flooding.

This area has alsohad the highest incidence of riverbank erosion in the city, accountingfor six of the city’s 29 erosion prone sites. The dyke section in thisarea is about 11km long, and investment is estimated to be 2.6 trillionVND (123 million USD).

In the near future, the city will build four tidal sluices at Kinh, Phu Xuan, Vam Thuat and Tan Thuan rivers.

It will also build dykes and dredge rivers and canals in the city’s low-lying areas and southern area.

However, the city continues to struggle to find investment capital.-VNA