Vietnam's sand deposits are on the verge of depletion due to high demand from construction projects.
An 11-hectare soil bank has been established in Cai Nuoc District in Ca Mau province with the purpose of mining sand and distributing it sustainably, VnExpress reports. The province was given VND20 billion (US$892,000) by the World Bank Organization to implement the construction of the soil bank.
According to vice director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province To Quoc Nam, the bank will collect mud from shrimp ponds and canals and mix it with additives to increase adhesion and consistency. The mud-based composition will then be shipped to places that need grading.
Ca Mau province is undergoing sand shortages, which makes local construction projects harder to implement due to lack of fund. "Currently, the province needs 600,000 square meters of sand to build relocation homes and regrade coastal lands," Nam said.
The province official believes building the soil bank is an effective solution for decreasing financial tolls on local construction projects. As Ca Mau province has 290,000 hectares of land devoted to aquafarming, many farmers tend to get rid of mud from fish and shrimp ponds by pumping them into the canals, preventing their water flow. By making use of these mud, the project helps save the annual cost of mud removal as well as providing an alternative resource for local projects.
