Bau Trang National Tourist Area in Hoa Thang Commune (Bac Binh District, Binh Thuan Province) is considered an attractive oasis. However, this beautiful landscape is facing various environmental dangers.
Bau Trang National Tourist Area has suddenly experienced serious landslide
Recently, there has been a serious landslide of 80m in Bau Ba Lake inside Ban Trang National Tourist Area. Local people shared that this has never happened before. They added that uncontrollable tourism activities have damaged this pristine landscape day by day.
It is not hard to spot series of terrain vehicles of tourist agencies moving carelessly on Trinh Nu sand dune. Not only that, unplanned sandboard renting services here have gradually destroyed beautiful dunes formed from winds.
79-year-old local resident Le Tien Trung shared that thanks to wind blowing at different levels, the sand patterns on Trinh Nu sand dune have always changed unexpectedly and interestingly. Sadly, over the years, human activities have gravely deformed the dunes.
Representatives of Bac Binh District People’s Committee informed that in Bau Trang Tourist Area, there are now four catering cum terrain vehicle hiring service providers. Most of these vehicles have gained no permits to work on Trinh Nu sand dune. The loose management in this place also contributes to environmental pollution and inadequacies in vehicle hiring activities.
Until now, the reasons for landslide incidents and the deformation of sand dunes in Bau Trang National Tourist Area have not been pinpointed, yet many experts blame this on human activities and natural factors.
In particular, domestic and business waste has destroyed the aesthetic beauty, while sand sports are said to increase the compaction of the topsoil, making sand unable to move freely in wind blows. This is due to the introduction of heavy vehicles on sand dunes, increasing the risk of sand filling the lake.
Dr. Dinh Kiem, former Dean of the Human Resources Administration Faculty (University of Labor and Social Affairs – Campus II), said that Bau Trang is a natural landscape easily affected by both the nature and human beings, and thus requiring careful protection under strict monitoring policies for sustainable exploitation.
“Seeing the negative impacts of terrain vehicles in Bau Trang, the tourism state agency in the locality has asked related units to prohibit these vehicles 100m away from the landslide”, said Deputy Director Vo Thanh Huy of Binh Thuan Province Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
To reasonably preserve and exploit this national tourist area, Binh Thuan Province Science and Technology Department has just submitted to the provincial People’s Committee its report on the current status of the area, along with proposed solutions to address landslides like protecting the lake banks while still maintaining the natural landscapes for tourism sake.
In 2012, Binh Thuan Province People’s Committee approved the management measure for Bau Trang eco-tourism site. It focuses on promoting eco-tourism activities, using environmentally friendly vehicles, clearly dividing different sections of the sand dune, and prohibiting any camping activities via automobile in the main area of the sand dune to avoid negative influences on the natural landscape.
Sadly, what has happened over the last 10 years is contradictory to this measure. Therefore, the locality should urgently introduce solutions to minimize harmful effects on this pristine site.
By Nguyen Tien – Translated by Vien Hong