Flooding caused by tidal surge has been Ho Chi Minh City’s long standing issue. As the city continues to gradually sink, the situation has worsened: water levels are rising, floods are becoming deeper, and daily life is increasingly disrupted.
On February 2, Ho Chi Minh relaunched phase 1 of the “Tidal Flood Control That Incorporates Climate Change Factors” project after 5 years of delay. This phase is worth VND 10 trillion VND (approximately USD 400 million). It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and put into operation in 2027.
According to Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the project has started again after being delayed and suspended multiple times. “This will be the last time. We must complete it by 2026,” he stressed.
A “mega construction site” for flood control
Over the years, Ho Chi Minh City has rolled out a series of flood control efforts, from small work to major projects; however, many of which have been delayed, scaled back, or fallen short.
Thao Dien, one of Ho Chi Minh City’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, is also among the most flood-prone areas. The situation was attributed to low-lying terrain, short bursts of heavy rainfall, and an inadequate drainage system.
In 2016, the city launched a project to upgrade drainage infrastructure and elevate roads in the Quoc Huong–Thao Dien–Nguyen Van Huong area. In August 2025, Ho Chi Minh City continued to pour money into the same area, approving an additional VND 289.3 billion (approximately USD 12 million) for further drainage upgrades.
Yet during the rainy season, Thao Dien continues to experience ankle-to-knee-deep flooding, with water flooding among luxury apartment buildings and high-end developments.
Besides Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City is simultaneously investing in seven other flood-control projects across major flood-prone areas, including the Thu Duc Market area, dredging works along Ba Lon and Bau Trau canals, and upgrades to key roads such as Bach Dang, National Highway 1, and Phan Anh Street. Investment levels range from tens of billions to several trillion dong.
With such a dense concentration of flood-control projects underway, Vietnamese media have described Ho Chi Minh City as a “mega construction site” for its battle against flooding.
According to experts, the city can no longer rely on fragmented, site-by-site flood responses. Instead, it needs a comprehensive, citywide drainage strategy. In this context, the long-delayed major flood control project is seen as a long-awaited turning point.
The large-scale project to be the turning point
According to the project’s plan, Ho Chi Minh City will build six tidal floodgates and 7.8 kilometres of river embankments along the Saigon River to prevent tidal flooding.
The tidal floodgates weigh more than 434 tonnes and operate flexibly based on river water levels. When tidal levels rise, the gates are closed to prevent water intrusion. When water levels outside the river fall, the gates are opened to allow drainage, while ensuring uninterrupted inland waterway traffic. During the rainy season, the system is also operated to create temporary storage capacity, supporting flood discharge when conditions permit.
The project was launched in 2016 but has faced repeated delays due to administrative bottlenecks and site clearance issues. According to the investor, around 94% of the construction had been completed by 2020, but they all remained idle in the following years.
According to the Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the key obstacles lie in procedural hurdles and payment mechanisms. In July 2025, the government issued Resolution 212 to address these bottlenecks. By granting Ho Chi Minh City authority over payment mechanisms and land clearance (which was previously under central government responsibility) the resolution provides a legal framework for the city and the investor to resume implementation.
By December 2025, the investor resumed and completed the remaining works. In February 2026, the Ben Nghe floodgate — the first component of the project — was officially put into operation.
“The project has been started and stalled multiple times. This will be the last time. We must complete it by 2026,” the representative of the city stressed.
Once completed, the project is expected to control flooding across an area of around 570 square kilometres, protecting more than 6.5 million residents in the right bank of the Saigon River and the city centre (the old District 1, District 4, District 7 and the Nha Be area).
It could also serve as a blueprint for larger, more integrated flood-control solutions, replacing the patchwork of small-scale measures that have dominated the city’s approach for years.
When will the final push be delivered?
This is not the first time Ho Chi Minh City’s residents have heard promises attached to large, high-investment projects. Over the years, many such initiatives have been announced, delayed, and revisited. What people ultimately want is not how much money is poured in, but whether flooding is genuinely brought under control, to relieve the distress from their daily lives.
To turn this renewed commitment into tangible results, stronger coordination, smoother implementation, and, above all, timely delivery will be crucial. This time, with city leaders insisting that “this will be the last time,” the stakes are higher than ever. If completed as promised, the project could mark a decisive shift toward a comprehensive flood-control solution, one that finally helps Ho Chi Minh City break free from its long-running struggle with urban flooding.
