Despite billions invested, HCM City continues to face record-breaking floods, with experts pointing to subsidence and outdated infrastructure.
Despite spending tens of trillions of dong, Ho Chi Minh City remains inundated during heavy rains and seasonal high tides. Record water levels continue to disrupt urban life and put residents at risk.
Recurring nightmare for urban residents
During the mid-autumn tide event from November 5 to 8, peak water levels reached 1.78 meters, submerging numerous streets and residential areas under deep water.
Images of residents wading through streets such as Nguyen Van Linh, Tran Xuan Soan, Pham Huu Lau, Huynh Tan Phat, and Nguyen Luong Bang have become a grim seasonal ritual. Vehicles stalled en masse in the floodwaters, highlighting the city’s ongoing struggle with water management.
Pham Huu Lau Street turned into a river during the recent mid-autumn tide. Photo: Nguyen Hue
Pham The Bao, a resident of Pham Huu Lau Street, said this year’s flooding was the worst he’s seen. “Even after raising my house by 50–60 cm above street level, water still poured in. I've never seen it this bad,” he said.
In low-lying areas like Binh Quoi–Thanh Da, Phu Dinh, and Nha Be, daily life was turned upside down.
Resident Huu Toan from Binh Quoi Ward shared that his family had to evacuate to a hotel for two nights. “The flooding was unbearable. We had to leave home to stay dry,” he said, visibly exhausted.
Flooding doesn’t just disrupt traffic and damage property - it poses serious health and safety risks. On the night of November 8, a teenager was electrocuted and killed while walking through floodwaters on De Tham Street.
Despite tarpaulins at the door, water still entered homes, forcing residents to continuously pump it out. Photo: Nguyen Hue
According to the city’s Department of Agriculture and Environment, tide levels on the morning of November 6 surpassed the previous 2019 record. At the Phu An station on the Saigon River, the tide reached 1.78 meters - beating the old high of 1.77 meters.
Le Dinh Quyet, Head of Forecasting at the Southern Hydrometeorological Station, warned that from November through the end of 2025, the Southeast - including HCMC - could see up to six more major high-tide events.
Why is HCMC flooding more severely each year?
Experts point to a combination of geographic, environmental, and urban planning issues.
Ho Chi Minh City is built on soft, riverine and marine sediments. Recent studies show the city is sinking at an average rate of 1–2 cm per year - some areas up to 4–5 cm annually.
It now ranks among the ten fastest-sinking cities in the world. The worst-affected zones lie along the Saigon River - between Sai Gon and Ba Son bridges - and in the south, including Binh Chanh and Binh Tan districts, where many residential and industrial zones are located.
Buildings in An Lac Ward show cracked walls and broken floors due to land subsidence. Photo: Tuan Kiet
Associate Professor Dr. Le Trung Chon, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development at Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment, listed multiple causes for the subsidence crisis.
“First and foremost is the excessive extraction of groundwater over a long period, which leaves aquifers empty and causes the ground to sink. Rapid urbanization and the weight of high-rise buildings and infrastructure also contribute. Moreover, concrete surfaces prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, drying and weakening the soil,” he explained.
Dr. Ho Long Phi, former Director of the Center for Water Management and Climate Change at Vietnam National University HCMC, stressed that the core issue is the imbalance between fast urban expansion and sluggish development of drainage infrastructure - compounded by rain, high tides, and ground sinking.
He pointed to the widespread concretization and filling of natural canals, which destroyed the city’s ability to store and release floodwater. As a result, newly developed areas like the former Thu Duc City are now facing unprecedented flooding.
The Tan Thuan tide gate, part of a $400 million flood control project, remains unfinished after nine years. Photo: Tuan Kiet
Dr. Phi acknowledged the city's major investments in transportation and urban infrastructure - such as highways, metro lines, and airports - but noted that flood prevention projects have not received proportionate funding.
He praised the ambitious $400 million anti-tide project but expressed concern over its prolonged delays. Many canal renovation projects, such as Ben Cat–Tham Luong, Xuyen Tam, and Kenh Te, are more focused on urban beautification and sanitation than on comprehensive water management.
“The current drainage system is outdated and insufficient for handling heavy downpours. To effectively manage flooding, we need coordinated investment in enlarging underground drainage networks and restoring rivers and canals,” he emphasized.
According to Dr. Phi, flood control requires an estimated $7–8 billion. Given the limitations of the public budget, Ho Chi Minh City should prioritize mobilizing private capital through public–private partnerships.
Residents of Ho Chi Minh City brace for floods every time it rains or tides rise. Photo: Nguyen Hue
Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son proposed developing green urban planning and spaces that accommodate water.
“Green space also serves as water-retention zones, helping ease both flooding and subsidence. HCMC should limit high-rise construction on soft ground and preserve its existing river systems,” he suggested.
He also recommended that the city expand its administrative boundaries and adopt a polycentric urban model to encourage the growth of satellite towns. This would not only reduce population pressure on the central districts but also increase green areas - supporting sustainable urban development citywide.
Vietnamnet.vn
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