Analyzing effects of land reclamation on coastal geomorphology: Case study in Rach Gia Bay, Vietnam

Abstract

The rapid global population growth leads to considerable rising consumption of natural resources suchas air, water, and land. The demand for land has increased in the last two decades, both inland and seaside. Land reclamation along with the coastline has been preferred as a solution for modern urban development, such as three land reclamation projects in Rach-Gia Bay, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The synthetic urban facilities could cause changes in coastal geomorphology, which rare studies have been conducted. This study aims to evaluate the effects of land reclamation on changes in coastal geomorphology in Rach-Gia Bay, Vietnam. Firstly, we construct an overall finite element (FE) model of Thailand gulf to search for optimal parameters by comparing numerical data with the experimental ones. Secondly, a FE model of Rach-Gia Bay is conducted for two stages with and without artificial structure to simulate tide, wave influence, and sediment transportation. Lastly, analyzing flow characteristics suggested changes in coastal geomorphology surrounding the projects. The result reveals that the accretion appeared around the construction sites, and the sedimentation has changed significantly at some locations around the concrete structures.

Keywords: Land reclamation; urban development facilities; geomorphological change; coastal water quality.