Farmers lose livelihoods as rice fields buried by landslides

Residents of Lac Tien village in Vietnam's Ky Xuan commune face a bleak future as landslides have rendered their ancestral rice fields unusable. The once-fertile land at the foot of Mount Dong Thach is now buried under hundreds of meters of rock and soil, a stark reminder of nature's destructive power.

Pham Van Thuan, 55, stood by his ruined fields, lamenting the loss of his livelihood. "The mountain collapsed during recent disasters, burying our fields," he said. "This used to be productive land with irrigation. Now, it's covered in meters of debris, impossible for people or even machines to clear."

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The mountain collapsed during recent disasters, burying our fields. This used to be productive land with irrigation. Now, it's covered in meters of debris, impossible for people or even machines to clear.

Nguyen Tien Duong, 57, shared a similar plight, having lost over half of his 10 sao (approximately 5,000 square meters) of rice-producing land. "More than 5 sao are buried under 0.5 to 1 meter of rock and soil," he explained. "We can no longer cultivate it."

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More than 5 sao are buried under 0.5 to 1 meter of rock and soil. We can no longer cultivate it.

The 50-hectare rice paddy, situated in a valley surrounded by high mountains, was once a symbol of prosperity. However, a powerful storm in late September 2025 triggered massive landslides, transforming the fertile land into a "dead zone."

"The village is facing hardship," said Chu Thi Nhung, the head of Lac Tien village. "Most people here depend on agriculture. Losing the fields means losing our livelihoods. We urge higher authorities to survey the situation and provide timely support to help stabilize our lives."

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The village is facing hardship. Most people here depend on agriculture. Losing the fields means losing our livelihoods. We urge higher authorities to survey the situation and provide timely support to help stabilize our lives.