Posted on August 24, 2026
Emergency seawall construction to protect coastal infrastructure.
The 2025 storms caused serious damage to the Hai Tien coastal embankment and road, increasing the risk of landslides and directly affecting residents, tourists, businesses, and inland infrastructure. In response to this urgent need, Thanh Hoa province is implementing an emergency project to repair the Hai Tien coastal embankment in the Hoang Tien and Hoang Thanh communes.
The project has a total length of 2.96 km and a total investment of approximately 430 billion VND. Of this, the section through Hoang Tien commune is about 2 km long, costing 270 billion VND; and the section through Hoang Thanh commune is about 950 m long, costing 160 billion VND.
The immediate goal is to address landslide areas, protect the high embankment, roads, and inland infrastructure. This project is identified as crucial for disaster prevention and control, while also contributing to ensuring the operational conditions of the Hai Tien tourist area.
However, during implementation, the embankment plan also raised concerns for tourism businesses. Some investors worried that using soil and rocks to create embankments close to the shore could reduce the beach area in the short term; and that a thorough assessment of the impact on water flow, sediment transport, and coastal ecosystems was needed.
According to businesses, if only the coastline is protected but the beaches are not restored, the goal of developing tourism in Hai Tien will be difficult to achieve. This is because the beach is the core resource that creates the attraction of the destination.
The terraced design aims to enhance the beach’s natural self-reclamation capabilities.
In response to proposals regarding the embankment design, the design consultant stated that the solution being studied aims not only to protect the shoreline but also to create conditions for the beach to naturally replenish itself under suitable conditions.
In a detailed discussion about the implementation of the Hai Tien seawall project, Mr. Ngo Quang Dinh, Deputy Director of CEOTIC Infrastructure Consulting and Engineering Joint Stock Company, the design consultant, said that the chosen option is a stepped structure to stabilize the hydraulics, minimize wave overtopping, and at the same time create a scenic landscape and facilitate access to the sea for residents and tourists.
“The embankment slopes are moderately steep and feature ‘resting areas’ to reduce the pressure of sea waves, especially during the rainy season or high tides. The design will support the process of waves carrying sand back to shore, contributing to ensuring the safety of the embankment base and creating conditions for the beach to gradually recover,” Mr. Dinh informed.
According to Mr. Dinh, the stepped structure solution has been practically tested at several beaches in Hue and Hoi An . The selection of the option for Hai Tien was calculated based on the hydraulic characteristics, the current state of erosion, and the requirement to protect the infrastructure behind the shoreline.
“ Hai Tien currently lacks sufficient natural sand resources to quickly recreate the beach using only technical solutions. Therefore, to restore the beach, we must consider supplementing a large amount of sand from suitable external sources ,” Mr. Dinh said, adding that the problem of Hai Tien is not just about preventing erosion but requires a holistic approach to shoreline management, combining the protection of structures with the restoration of beach resources.
We need to consider options for “beach restoration” in Hai Tien.
Regarding the Hai Tien seawall project, Mr. Le Xuan Hoan, Chairman of the Hoang Tien Commune People’s Committee, stated that the immediate priority for the locality is to address the landslide incident, ensuring the safety of residents, tourists, traffic, and business assets. The project is being implemented urgently, and given the limited budget, the locality must focus on the essential items that have already been approved.
“ Repairing the seawall is not the ultimate goal. The local authorities have requested the consulting unit to continue researching solutions for restoring Hai Tien beach, ensuring both erosion control and the restoration of this important tourism resource. The goal is for Hai Tien to become one of the three national tourist areas of Thanh Hoa province by 2030,” Mr. Hoan said.
Tourism investors have previously proposed studying the option of underwater dikes or offshore wave-reducing dikes combined with beach nourishment. This approach has been applied in some areas with severe erosion, including Cua Dai – Hoi An.
Regarding Hai Tien, according to the consulting unit, it is possible to study the construction of underwater breakwaters at a suitable distance to reduce wave energy before the waves reach the shore. When wave pressure is controlled, the amount of sand added to the beach will be more stable.
However, submerged breakwaters are not a solution for creating sand on their own. Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect that simply constructing this structure will naturally restore the beach. To regenerate the beach, Hai Tien needs a genuine “beach nurturing” program, which clearly identifies suitable sand sources, the necessary quantity, the locations for additional sand, the construction process, and a mechanism for monitoring coastal changes after implementation.
