The water level rises in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Problems

• Ho Chi Minh City formerly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam, with a population of around 9 million. Situated in the Southeast region of Vietnam, the city surrounds the Saigon River and covers about 2,061 km2.
  
  The average elevation is 5 m above sea level for the city centre and 16 m for the suburb areas. 
  Ho Chi Minh City borders East Sea to the south with a coast 15 km long. 
  
  Due to its location on the Mekong Delta, the city is fringed by tidal flats that have been heavily modified for agriculture. 
  
  Ho Chi Minh City is considered one of the cities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, particularly flooding. 

• Causes of the water level rises in Ho Chi Minh

  During the rainy season, a combination of high tide, heavy rains, high flow volume in the Saigon River and Đồng Nai River and land subsidence results in regular flooding in several parts of the city. 
  A once-in-100 year flood would cause 23% of the city to suffer flooding.
  
  Researchers from NTU pointed out that excessive groundwater extraction was the leading cause of the phenomenon. The high-rise buildings prove that this city has been making outstanding improvements in recent years, but without solid ground foundations, they are also making it more prone to land subsidence.
  To make matters worse, Vietnam is in the top five countries with the highest risk of inland and coastal flooding, according to research by Nature.
  
  Extreme flooding and sea-level rise resulting from climate change could have devasting effects as land subsidence could be more frequent but also directly led to more floods to take place.
  Ho Chi Minh city is one of 48 coastal cities in the world that are sinking faster than the sea is rising, according to a recent study by international researchers.  
  
  The team of international scientists from NTU found a rate of subsidence for Ho Chi Minh City, of 16.2 millimeters per year. The current global sea level rise is 3.7 mm per year. In a case study with Ho Chi Minh City, the team found that an additional 20 square kilometers could be submerged below sea level and flooded if the current rate of subsidence continues through 2030.