Tens of billions has been spent on building dykes and embankments to protect Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An Town, Quang Nam Province from coastal erosion, but the situation has worsened.

Many restaurants and hotels are being threatened by the problem.

Two villas and one kilometre of embankment at the FuSion Aliaa Hotel complex have been completely destroyed. The embankment’s foundation even damaged nearby palm trees when it was dragged down. 50-year-old Nguyen Lay, a guard for FuSion Aliaa Hotel said he had never seen such damage to the beach in seven years working there.

Lay said, "This complex is completed two years ago but it hasn't opened because so many villas are damaged. There's no solution to protect the coastal area from strong waves."

According to the locals, the waves have become stronger in recent years. This has eroded large parts of land and damaged hundreds of metres of the embankment. Thousands of sand bags that local people use to prevent the water have also been swept away.

"We've been living and fighting against erosion long ago but we never thought that it would get so bad so fast," a local said. "At this rate, all of the embankment and our make-shift barrier will be gone."

Nguyen The Hung, vice chairman of Hoi An Town, said he had sent reports to the government and relevant agencies to repair 1.3km of Cua Dai Beach at the cost of VND55bn (USD2.4m). The prime minister has agreed to provide Hoi An Town with VND40bn.

Hung said, "The work is hindered by recent floods and rains which have caused more damage to hundreds of metres of the embankment."

Last September, at a conference on Cua Dai Beach's erosion, foreign and local experts agreed that hydropower dams on the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River system might be hindering sedimentation downstream be and responsible for this severe erosion. The authorities were also encouraged to tighten inspections of sand exploitation activities and hydropower constructions upstream while carrying out other preventive measures.

Cua Dai Beach threatened by erosion

Damaged FuSion Aliaa Hotel