Nha Trang Bay threatened by ecological imbalance

Scientists are concerned about environmental pollution in Nha Trang Bay due to increasing amounts of untreated wastewater.
They warned that the bay may face ecological imbalance after the recent appearance of a ‘green tide’ phenomenon in the area.

Untreated wastewater
Dr. Nguyen Tac An, former Director of Nha Trang Oceanography Institute, said, “Nha Trang Beach is being increasingly affected by increased numbers of visitors adding to waste volume.”

According to An, the institute’s analysis showed that the amount of organic micro-oganisms in Nha Trang’s seawater was recently on the rise.
Several local wastewater systems along Pham Van Dong Avenue and Dang Tat T-junction continue to discharge untreated wastewater into the sea, affecting the bay’s marine environment.
Nguyen Van Dam, from Khanh Hoa Water Supply Company, said that almost all the local wastewater was directly discharged into the sea, with only a small amount of wastewater being released through the Tac and Quan Truong rivers, he shared.
Green tide
Dr. Le Nhu Hau, from Nha Trang Institute of Technology Research and Application, said that the accumulation of organic waste in seawater results in a rank ‘green tide’ phenomenon.
The phenomenon often happens between April and June when rainfall decreases and organic substances accumulate, together with increased development and the en masse death of some kinds of seaweed, Hai explained. The beach along Pham Van Dong Avenue often records the most serious ‘green tide’, he noted.
He warned that such kinds of incident foster the rapid expansion of some kinds of harmful seaweed that monopolise the majority of oxygen, discouraging the development of other kinds of flora and creating an ecological imbalance along the coastline.
“I do think that if no drastic measures are taken to deal with the water pollution, Nha Trang Beach will no longer remain an attractive destination to tourists,” he emphasised.
Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of Nha Trang Tourism Promotion and Information Centre, admitted that the situation was grave, saying that the discharge of untreated water into the sea has changed the colour of seawater and discouraged tourists.
Thanh said the situation had continued despite a World Bank funded project to collect and treat wastewater.
Project Director Ly Ngoc Dung said that major parts of the project including a wastewater treatment plant, pumping stations, wastewater collection systems have yet to be completed due to a lack of capital.

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