During a field inspection on July 16, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Bui Minh Thanh and officials visited Tam Bo and Gia Hoet 1 reservoirs in Binh Gia Commune, the Binh Chau–Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, forests near the Long Thanh–Ho Tram Expressway in Xuyen Moc Commune, and coastal forests and the Binh Chau storm shelter.
The delegation assessed reservoir operations, dam safety, forest protection, wildfire prevention, and disaster-response capacity ahead of the rainy season.
Mr. Bui Minh Thanh stressed that reservoir safety must never be compromised for economic gain. The city will inspect all 36 reservoirs under its management, install legally required protection boundary markers, and survey sediment accumulation to develop dredging plans aimed at restoring storage capacity and improving flood-control capability.
Authorities encourage private-sector participation in dredging projects but said all works must comply with legal requirements and strict oversight. Investors will be held fully accountable for any safety incidents resulting from negligence.
In forest management, the city plans to accelerate digital transformation by building a comprehensive forest database and deploying geographic information systems (GIS), artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, and drones to monitor forest resources and detect encroachments in real time.
Mr. Bui Minh Thanh also ordered authorities to map and identify all households living in special-use and protection forests to prepare appropriate compensation, relocation and resettlement plans. He called for new support mechanisms for forest rangers and contracted forest caretakers to strengthen conservation efforts.
Performance in forest protection, reservoir safety and disaster prevention will be incorporated into monthly and quarterly key performance indicators (KPIs) for relevant agencies. Leaders will face disciplinary action if negligence results in safety violations.
According to the HCMC Protection and Special-Use Forest Management Board, about 306.5 hectares of protected forest overlap with privately claimed land, while approximately 760 households live or farm within the core zone of special-use forests. The agency has proposed relocating these residents to better protect biodiversity.
The Tam Bo and Gia Hoet 1 reservoirs are operating normally and supply irrigation water to more than 1,150 hectares of rice fields and crops. However, managers have identified 36 cases of illegal encroachment within reservoir protection corridors, including houses, fences and cultivated trees, and are working with local authorities to address the violations.
Local administrations in Binh Chau, Xuyen Moc, and Ho Tram urged the city to resolve land management disputes, finalize reservoir boundaries, accelerate dredging projects, improve drainage canals in Ho Tram, and remove sediment blocking the Binh Chau estuary to support agricultural production, disaster prevention, fisheries, and tourism.
In the second half of 2026, the city's Protection and Special-Use Forest Management Board plans to launch three public investment projects to build forest patrol roads and protective fencing while completing an ecotourism development plan linked to forest conservation and sustainable use of the reservoir system.
