Coastal Protection in Cu Lao Dung Mangroves (Soc Trang Province, Vietnam): Quantifying Wave Energy Dissipation

Mangrove forest is always considered an effective barrier to protect habitats from high waves, especially tsunami. Therefore, the estimation of wave energy dissipation is required for disater warning. The aim of this study is to calculate wave attenuation in mangrove areas by combining field survey method and mathematical modeling method. The application area is Cu Lao Dung mangrove forest, Soc Trang, Vietnam. From data measurements of hydrodynamics and mangrove characteristics, the wave attenuation coefficient r, the drag coefficient Cd were determined in mud area, mud-mangrove area and mangrove area. In addition, using WAPROMAN model, the attenuation of wave height is simulated in different cases such as without mangrove, with mangrove, breaking wave effect and wave trunk interaction effect. Both the results from the measured method and the model method show the role of mangroves in reducing wave energy. The results from modeling are smaller than the calculated results. However, both methods tend to be suitable. Such difference required more considerations not only on calculation formulas but also on modeling adjustment. The research clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of mangroves in coastal protection, with wave-trunk interaction becoming the dominant factor in energy dissipation deeper into the forest. For future, extending the study to different mangrove forests and longer time scales could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the role of mangroves in coastal protection across various geographical and temporal contexts.