Frequent inundation hotspots
Torrential rains in early August 2026 left the Thu Duc market area (Thu Duc Ward) deeply submerged, severely disrupting residents' daily lives. This location is one of Ho Chi Minh City's long-standing chronic flooding points. Whenever heavy rain strikes, Kha Van Can, Dang Thi Ranh, Ho Van Tu, and To Ngoc Van streets are plunged underwater, causing traffic gridlock and paralyzing commercial activities.
Operating a stall inside Thu Duc market, owner Ngo Thi Van moaned that whenever rain is on the way, she feels anxious because the water rises very quickly. Heavy rain lasting about half an hour brings water levels above the knees, preventing customers from entering the market and making business extremely difficult.
The Thu Duc market area is not an isolated case. Many other roads such as Quoc Huong (An Khanh Ward), Hiep Binh (Hiep Binh Ward), Le Duc Tho (An Hoi Dong Ward), Nguyen Van Khoi, Le Van Tho, and Pham Van Chieu (all in An Hoi Tay Ward) frequently flood when heavy downpours coincide with high tides.
Statistics indicate that downtown Ho Chi Minh City currently features 50 flooding locations with depths reaching 30cm or more, where water lingers for over 30 minutes following heavy rain and high tides.
In recent years, water levels at the Phu An station on the Saigon River have repeatedly exceeded the third stage alarming level, occasionally approaching record highs. According to climate change scenarios, if sea levels rise by another 50 to 70cm by 2050, nearly 40 percent to over 60 percent of Ho Chi Minh City's area (prior to administrative boundary integration) will face the risk of regular flooding.
Urban experts analyze that the majority of Ho Chi Minh City's drainage system was constructed decades ago, designed to handle rainfall of only 80 to 100mm per hour. In contrast, current downpours frequently exceed 120mm per hour, pushing drainage infrastructure past its capacity limit. Urban concrete paving and canal filling have diminished natural drainage capacity, while land subsidence has become increasingly pronounced, exacerbating flood risks. This reality underscores the urgent need to invest in synchronized drainage and tidal control systems.
Nine key flood-control projects fast-tracked
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee recently issued the 2026 Drainage and Flood Control Plan, outlining comprehensive solutions ranging from infrastructure management and maintenance to investments in key projects. The city expects to complete nine projects with a total investment exceeding VND7,150 billion (US$272.37 million).
The investment construction project group focuses on drainage works, landslide prevention, river and canal regulation, and the completion of stormwater drainage infrastructure across multiple areas. Downtown Ho Chi Minh City will complete three projects totaling nearly VND1,343 billion in investment, resolving two flooding points on Phan Van Hon and Binh Quoi streets. Anti-landslide projects on the Thanh Da peninsula will also be finalized, covering the Saigon Domaine Hotel area, Section 3 through Binh Quoi - Cay Bang - Rach Chua, and Section 4 from the Ly Hoang villa area to the La San Mai Thon Church.
According to the 2026 Drainage and Flood Control Plan, alongside investing in new construction, Ho Chi Minh City prioritizes the maintenance of existing drainage systems; dredging sewers and canals; repairing degraded sewer lines; completing drainage network connections; installing tidal flap gates; and efficiently operating pumping stations to boost drainage capacity.
Additionally, departments, agencies, and localities continue to raise public awareness and encourage residents not to litter on streets, canals, and rivers, thereby preserving the environment, enhancing drainage efficiency, and supporting the policy of building a clean Ho Chi Minh City with reduced waterlogging.
In the Binh Duong area, four projects with a total investment exceeding VND5,437 billion are scheduled for completion in 2026. These include the upgrade and expansion of Road DT.748 with an integrated drainage system, the construction of a drainage system for Road DT.744 passing through An Tay and Phu An communes, the drainage project for Di An and Tan Dong Hiep Industrial Park and the construction of a reinforced embankment along the Saigon River, spanning the section from Tho Ngu Bridge to Bay Tra Creek.
In the Ba Ria - Vung Tau area, the main drainage line project along National Highway 51, with a total investment of approximately VND366 billion, will be completed.
According to Trinh Quoc Dung, Deputy Head of the Technical Infrastructure Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the city is closely monitoring progress to ensure project completion within 2026, contributing to the resolution of flood hotspots and the enhancement of drainage capacity.
