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The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) is experiencing accelerated coastal erosion, driven by upstream sediment trapping, sea-level rise, and local anthropogenic pressures. This study evaluates the effectiveness of pilot breakwater structures in mitigating erosion and supporting mangrove regeneration along the western coast of Ca Mau Province—one of the delta’s most vulnerable shorelines. An integrated methodology combining field-based wave monitoring, remote sensing analysis of shoreline and mangrove changes (2000–2024), and high-resolution Flow-3D hydrodynamic modeling was employed to assess the performance of four breakwater typologies: semi-circular, pile-rock, Busadco, and floating structures. The results show that semi-circular breakwaters achieved the highest wave attenuation, reducing maximum wave height (Hmax) by up to 76%, followed by pile-rock (69%), Busadco (66%), and floating structures (50%). Sediment accretion and mangrove stabilization were most consistent around the semi-circular and pile-rock types. Notably, mangrove loss slowed significantly after breakwater installation, with the annual deforestation rate dropping from 7.67 ha/year (2000–2021) to 1.1 ha/year (2021–2024). Simulations further revealed that mangrove width strongly influences wave dissipation, with belts under 5 m offering minimal protection. The findings highlight the potential of hybrid coastal protection strategies that combine engineered structures with ecological buffers. Modular solutions such as floating breakwaters offer flexibility to adapt with evolving shoreline dynamics. These findings inform scalable coastal protection strategies under sediment-deficit conditions. This study contributes to Vietnam’s Coastal Development Master Plan and broader resilience efforts under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 and 14, providing evidence to inform the design and scaling of adaptive, nature-based infrastructure in sediment-challenged deltaic environments.
Details
Wave attenuation;
Food security;
Rock;
Coastal erosion;
Remote sensing;
Wave height;
Floating structures;
Sediments;
Sustainable Development Goals;
Sea level changes;
Human influences;
Shorelines;
Deltas;
Climate change;
Deforestation;
Floating breakwaters;
Mangroves;
Shoreline protection;
Blue economy;
Accretion;
Sustainability;
Sustainable development;
Breakwaters;
Engineering;
Performance assessment;
Sediment;
Piles;
Tidal waves;
Coastal development;
Soil erosion;
Rocks;
Remote monitoring;
Three dimensional flow;
Wave dissipation;
Ecosystems;
Coastal engineering;
Infrastructure;
Environmental protection;
Anthropogenic factors;
Coastal zone management;
Sensors;
Regeneration (biological);
Wave power;
Modular structures
; Tran, Ty, Van 1 ; Phat Lam Tan 2
; Minh Huynh Vuong Thu 3
; Nam Nguyen Dinh Giang 3
; Downes, Nigel K 3
; Ram, Avtar 4
; Tanaka, Hitoshi 5
1 Faculty of Water Resource Engineering, College of Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho 94000, Vietnam; [email protected] (D.V.D.); [email protected] (L.T.P.)
2 Faculty of Water Resource Engineering, College of Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho 94000, Vietnam; [email protected] (D.V.D.); [email protected] (L.T.P.), Department of Harbor and River Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
3 College of Environment and Natural Resources, Can Tho University, Can Tho 94000, Vietnam; [email protected] (H.V.T.M.); [email protected] (N.D.G.N.); [email protected] (N.K.D.)
4 Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5 Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan; [email protected]
5 Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Tohoku University, 41 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8576, Japan; [email protected]