Abstract

Coastal setback zone is one of potential tools for coastal management. There are three main criteria groups to establish coastal setback zone: i) maintain ecosystem, ecosystem service and natural landscape values; ii) mitigate effects of coastal erosion and sea level rise and iii) ensure people's right to access to the sea. Understanding about geomorphological and geological features are an important knowledge to decide above three criteria. It helps decision makers to clarify the characteristics of coastal erosion, unique natural landscapes, especially geomorphological heritages that need to be protected in the coastal zone. Understanding about the topography and its constituent materials provides important information to clarify the distribution of the ecosystems that need to be protected and maintained. Based on the newly surveyed researches under the KC.09.17/16-20 project, integrated with the statistical analysis and remote sensing and GIS, the aim of this paper is to identify the geomorphological and geological characteristics of the coastal zone in Vietnam. As a result, Vietnam's coast can be divided into 3 groups, 7 sub-groups and 18 different coastal types. The results of this study are potential assessments for establishing the setback zone in Vietnam. Accordingly, some coastal types such as delta, sand (in Central of Vietnam), rocky coasts and estuarine areas have been oriented to establish coastal setback.