Hà Nội chokes on filthy air

Cross-border air pollution has also emerged because of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial zones and energy production or burning forest for agriculture.

There are several causes of air pollution so to tackle the problem, Hà Nội needs to determine its major causes, Thư stressed.

“Unfortunately, there has been no completed report on what triggers the city’s air pollution, making people blame traffic as the biggest pollutant.”

Meanwhile, according to a report by International Energy Agency, the total CO 二 emissions of Việt Nam in  二0 一 六 were  一 八 七. 一 million tonnes, of which thermal power plants, mostly coal-fired, accounted for  四0 per cent, followed by manufacturing industries and construction with  三 三 per cent.

Transport contributed  三 五. 七 million tonnes, equivalent to just  一 九 per cent.

Most of nearly  三0 operating coal-fired plants in Việt Nam are located in the northern provinces of Hải Dương, Quảng Ninh and Thái Bình.

Urgent intervention

In early April, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Võ Tuấn Nhân rejected the  二0 一 八 World Air Quality Report by Greenpeace and AirVisual’s report, saying Hà Nội ranking as the second-worst polluted city in Southeast Asia was inaccurate.

According to Nhân, the report just showed pollution results of  二0 cities of four among  一 一 nations in the Southeast Asia.

“It was a baseless conclusion”, he said.

For Thu Thuỷ, an apartment resident on Minh Khai Street, Hà Nội’s ranking is not important.

“I do not care whether Hà Nội is the second most polluted city in the region or not. What I want to know is how we can take action to improve the situation, not downplay it. Air pollution is real. I can feel it, I can see it without anyone telling me the city’s air quality is declining,” she said.

Phạm Huyền, a NGO officer in Bạch Mai Street, said she was not put at ease by the deputy minister’s statement.

“Frequently travelling to Southeast Asian countries, despite having no data, I still feel Bangkok’s air is much more breathable than Hà Nội’s,” she said.

“The authorities need to give instructions on how to protect our health and urge companies and people to use eco-friendly materials and energy in construction, transport and daily lives,” Huyền added.

Meanwhile, data provided by Hà Nội Air Quality Monitoring Network at moitruongthudo.vn is updated slowly.

“We need air quality to be forecasted, just like weather so that people can take measures to protect them when going out,” said Nguyệt.

While authorities seem to be passive in responding to polluted air, NGOs have launched several initiatives.

Clean Air – Green Cities, a project by USAID and Live Learn, is working with the Center of Multidisciplinary Integrated Technologies for Field Monitoring (FIMO) to install low-cost air sensors in Hà Nội’s schools and offices.

Data collected from these sensors is updated at fairnet.vn for students and parents easily tracking air quality at where they are studying.

A bulletin on air quality is also published weekly, focusing on air pollution challenges and co妹妹unity-based solutions.

The systematic problem of air pollution needs a systematic solution, according to experts.

“Hà Nội authorities need to specify major pollutants and promptly take action to reduce and manage them,” said Thư. “Regulations on construction dust control should be tightened along with reducing vehicle emissions.”

Collaboration between Hà Nội and neighbouring provinces in monitoring toxic air is key, she added.

To tackle bad air quality, Hà Nội has mulled banning motorbikes by  二0 三0, aiming to accelerate public transportation use.

“In the recent three years, the PM 二. 五 concentration recorded at the US Embassy’s air quality monitoring station has slightly reduced yet remained at a high level. Therefore, we need more co妹妹itments to improve the situation as well as more sensors and shared data to fully portrait the city’s air quality,” said Thư.

As all these efforts take time to alter Hà Nội’s air quality, Vân is looking for help from nature.

“Sometimes, rain can wash away all dust and give back Hà Nội’s clean sky, even for a short moment,” she said

Lucky for her, su妹妹er rains are forecasted for the next few days. VNS

Box:

Information on Hà Nội’s air quality can be found at:

Hà Nội Air Quality Monitoring Network:

FAirNet Map of air quality:

PAM Air Map of air quality:

Real-time Air Quality Index:

US Embassy in Hà Nội:

German Embassy in Hà Nội: 

AirVisual:

(Source: The Clean Air - Green Cities Weekly Bulletin)