Breathing Easy: Vietnam’s Five-Year Plan for Cleaner Urban Air

THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam’s two largest urban centers, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have embarked on an ambitious initiative to enhance air quality, targeting a significant improvement over the next five years. This forms part of a broader strategy to combat pollution in the country’s major metropolitan hubs.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has issued this directive, following Notice No. 153/TB-VPCP dated April 4, which outlined urgent and comprehensive measures to address urban air pollution.

The Deputy Prime Minister has urged Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to promptly conduct an extensive inventory of emission sources and assess their current air quality status.

Hanoi employs a range of strategies to combat air pollution and enhance air quality. Photo: Economic & Urban Newspaper

Both cities are mandated to formulate five-year and annual action plans, incorporating clear targets and emission quotas for specific sectors. As outlined in the directive, these plans will undergo annual evaluations to monitor progress.

Additionally, the cities are expected to swiftly implement policies encouraging the collection and recycling of construction waste. Initiatives will also be put in place to promote the use of public transportation and low-emission, eco-friendly vehicles among residents.

To expedite environmental progress, local emission limits, set from May onwards, will surpass the standards stipulated in national technical regulations.

Motor vehicles that are outdated and highly polluting, failing to meet circulation standards, will be recalled and taken off the roads. Waste and emissions from construction and urban development activities will be rigorously managed to reduce their environmental impact.

Furthermore, local authorities and community-level police will be empowered with enhanced enforcement capabilities to address environmental violations.

Industrial clusters, which significantly contribute to pollution, will undergo transformation into industrial parks or be relocated to minimize their environmental footprint.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will also increase the number of air monitoring stations and the frequency of measurements during seasonal transitions. Ensuring transparency, real-time air quality data will be made accessible to the public.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been charged with the immediate task of identifying air pollution sources across the nation and drafting a comprehensive National Air Quality Management Plan for 2026-2030.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, national emission standards for cars and motorcycles will be finalized by the end of April.

By July, inter-agency inspection teams will assess high-emission industrial zones, craft villages, and polluting facilities within the two cities, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

The Ministry of Construction is also tasked with proposing incentive schemes to encourage businesses to engage in the collection, processing, and recycling of construction material waste.

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