The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued a plan to address flooding in the city from 2026 to 2030, which identifies addressing flood-prone areas, improving drainage capacity, and adapting to climate change as key tasks.
Heavy rain combined with high tides caused flooding on many streets in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the plan, the city will focus on fundamentally addressing urban flooding caused by rain during the period 2026-2030, prioritizing the central area, densely populated areas, industrial zones, and major transportation routes.
One of the requirements is to conduct a comprehensive review of the drainage system after the merger, analyze the causes of flooding in each basin, and then determine the investment priorities that are appropriate to the topography, hydrology, and climate.
Comprehensive review of the drainage system.
During the period 2026-2027, the city will revise the Ho Chi Minh City Flood Control and Wastewater Treatment Plan for the period 2020-2045; review the current state of drainage infrastructure, develop a basin-based management model, and propose comprehensive solutions.
The irrigation, flood control, and drainage plans of Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau before the merger were also reviewed and updated to integrate new solutions in a cross-basin approach, in line with climate change scenarios.
Flooding affects people's travel after heavy rains .
The city also requested inspections and handling of encroachments on drainage systems and the protective corridors of rivers, canals, and streams that function as drainage channels; addressing localized blockages and ensuring that the drainage system is connected across wards and communes and operates synchronously.
In the field of irrigation, Ho Chi Minh City will develop a plan for the development of irrigation infrastructure for the period 2025-2050, with a 100-year vision; strengthen coordination with Tay Ninh and Dong Nai in operating upstream reservoirs, providing hydrological data and regulating water flow.
The operation of reservoirs in the Saigon-Dong Nai river basin, including Dau Tieng and Tri An reservoirs, will be organized in a way that proactively reduces flooding downstream and limits adverse situations caused by high tides, heavy rainfall combined with flood releases.
The city also aims to modernize its management by upgrading its monitoring and remote warning systems, early warning systems, and applying digital technology to the real-time operation of irrigation works.
Another task is to implement solutions to mitigate land subsidence, including further reducing groundwater extraction and developing a list and maps of zones where groundwater extraction is restricted.
Many tidal control and drainage projects will be accelerated during the 2026-2030 period.
Regarding engineering solutions, Ho Chi Minh City will accelerate the completion of the project to address tidal flooding in Ho Chi Minh City, taking into account climate change factors, phase 1, aiming to create a closed tidal control system, maintain low water levels in the canal system, and support drainage during periods of heavy rain coinciding with high tides.
The city is also reviewing and proposing projects to complete the protected catchment area of the tidal control gates under this project; and at the same time, completing the previously vulnerable sections of embankment in District 7, Nha Be, and Thu Duc.
In urban drainage work, tasks include maintaining and repairing dilapidated sewers, dredging sewer lines and canals, installing and operating tidal barrier valves at discharge points, connecting sewers, opening new drainage routes, and operating pumping stations to support drainage.
Major canal projects such as Xuyen Tam, Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Rach Nuoc Len, Van Thanh, and Kenh Doi are also required to complete remaining sections, while simultaneously reviewing the system of culverts, canals, and outlets to address bottlenecks that reduce water flow capacity.
According to the plan, the period 2026-2027 will see the completion of 54 projects with a total investment of 69,348,371 million VND, aimed at addressing flooding issues in 33 locations.
Specifically, by the end of 2026, it is expected that 9 projects will be completed with a total investment of 7,150,985 million VND, addressing flooding issues in 3 locations.
The drainage system, including sewers and canals, has been upgraded to improve the water drainage capacity of the river basins.
By the end of 2027, it is expected that 45 projects will be completed with a total investment of VND 62,197,386 million, addressing flooding issues in 30 locations. The city has also identified 6 severely flooded areas requiring mechanisms to expedite remediation, including Thao Dien - Quoc Huong - Nguyen Van Huong; Thu Duc Market area; the former Go Vap area and Tan Son Nhat airport; Nguyen Van Qua street; the former National Highway 13 - Binh Duong and the former National Highway 51 - Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
AI applications in drainage management
During the period 2028-2030, the city will continue to implement irrigation, drainage, and digital transformation solutions, aiming for real-time system management.
Ho Chi Minh City plans to implement a smart drainage management system that uses data on rainfall, tides, water levels, and the operation of sewers, valves, and pumping stations to forecast and simulate flooding scenarios and support operational decisions.
The city will also digitize operational processes, connect drainage and irrigation infrastructure data; standardize data, automate reporting and statistics, and enhance monitoring of maintenance activities.
Ho Chi Minh City is researching the application of AI in forecasting and operating its drainage system.
The development of a specialized digital platform integrating multidimensional data is also being considered to detect bottlenecks, incidents, duplicate repairs, or slow maintenance progress early. The city is researching the application of AI in the management and operation of the drainage system.
In addition, the plan mentions the addition of dispersed retention ponds according to the catchment area, combining underground regulating ponds beneath parks, schools, sports fields, parking lots, and public spaces to increase water storage capacity without occupying additional urban land.
Regarding infrastructure, the city will continue to complete the protection zone of the dike, embankment, and tidal control system; build regulating reservoirs in urban areas and low-lying regions; upgrade the flood control capacity of upstream reservoirs; and build and upgrade the coastal dike and embankment system.
For urban drainage, the plan aims to address all existing flooded areas that have been surveyed, through reviewing the causes in each drainage basin, classifying the level of impact, and implementing solutions such as expanding the cross-section of sewers, adding inlets and manholes, clearing waterways, and completing inter-basin connections.
Relocating houses along canals and waterways is linked to environmental improvement and the development of public spaces.
Ho Chi Minh City also plans to implement approximately 43 projects to relocate houses on and along canals and waterways, combined with environmental improvement, enhanced drainage capacity, development of public spaces, and exploitation of land along the canals and waterways.
During the period 2028-2030, the list of completed projects includes 33 projects with a total investment of VND 72,992,330 million, expected to address flooding at 17 locations.
Specifically, in 2028, 9 projects are expected to be completed with a total investment of VND 2,291,528 million; in 2029, 6 projects with a total investment of VND 20,598,131 million will be completed; and in 2030, 18 projects with a total investment of VND 50,102,671 million will be completed.
The plan also requires close coordination between construction work and traffic management at heavily flooded areas; it requires the investor to have a construction plan that ensures drainage and promptly addresses any flooding incidents.
Alongside engineering solutions, the city will strengthen public awareness campaigns, encourage people to protect the drainage system, prevent blockages in drainage inlets, and address cases of deliberate littering that cause obstructions.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has assigned the Department of Construction as the permanent agency responsible for monitoring, urging, and inspecting the implementation of the plan and compiling annual reports for the City People's Committee.
Source: https://baoxaydung.vn/tphcm-chuyen-sang-chong-ngap-bang-du-lieu-va-ai-192261003151143525.htm
