Using Fine-Grained Sediment and Wave Attenuation as a New Measure for Evaluating the Efficacy of Offshore Breakwaters in Stabilizing an Eroded Muddy Coast: Insights from Ca Mau, the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

Thai Thanh Luom, Nguyen Tan Phong, Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Le Xuan Tu and Tran Anh Duong
Additional contact information
Thai Thanh Luom: Institute of Science, Technology and Training, Kien Giang University, Rach Gia 91076, Vietnam
Nguyen Tan Phong: Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Nguyen Tuan Anh: Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Nguyen Thanh Tung: Provincial Level Irrigation & Water Drainage, Ca Mau 98110, Vietnam
Le Xuan Tu: Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, Ho Chi Minh City 72704, Vietnam
Tran Anh Duong: Institute of Applied Science, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Offshore breakwaters can be effective in reducing the energy of incident waves through dissipation, refraction or reflection. Breakwaters are increasingly constructed to stabilize eroded muddy coasts, particularly in developing countries. Accumulation of fine-grained sediment and wave attenuation are two attributes of a stable muddy coast. Effective interventions in stabilizing eroded muddy coasts include two important elements: accumulation of fine-grained sediment and wave reduction. The efficacy of offshore breakwaters in stabilizing eroded muddy coasts is, however, not yet adequately understood. A crucial question needing attention is whether accumulation of fine-grained sediment and wave attenuation should be used in evaluating the efficacy of these offshore breakwaters in stabilizing eroded muddy coasts. To address this issue, a pile-rock offshore breakwater in Huong Mai, Tieu Dua of Ca Mau, Vietnam was selected as an appropriate example in this regard. Accumulation of fine-grained sediment and wave attenuation were tested as means to investigate the efficacy of the Huong Mai structure in stabilizing the eroded muddy coast. The study was undertaken using field-based measurements and semi-structured interviews in three stages between October 2016 and December 2020. We found that this structure has had limited efficacy in stabilizing the eroded muddy coast. The structure was effective in dissipating the energy of incident waves, but we found no evidence of fine-grained sediment accumulation due to an inappropriate structural design. There was also no monitoring system in place, leading to difficulties in evaluating its efficacy in terms of wave attenuation and accumulation of fine-grained sediment. The gaps between the shoreline and the structure have not been adequately explained, resulting in substantial challenges in replicating the structure elsewhere. The Huong Mai structure should be strengthened using supplementary measures and granulometric tests in order to improve the efficacy in stabilizing eroded muddy coasts. The methods in this study provide new insights in this regard.

Keywords: fine-grained sediment; structural design; turbidity; transplantation; wave attenuation; natural regeneration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4798/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4798/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4798-:d:542894

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().