Hanoi to use drones and sensors to fight air pollution

THE HANOI TIMES — The Vietnam Environment Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will deploy two drones to monitor straw burning in suburban areas and dust emissions from major construction sites in Hanoi.

Pham Hong Quan, a representative from the Vietnam Environment Agency, said that the activity will take place in September and October to better control air pollution.

"The results will be shared with local wards and communes and published on the media," he said.

He added that the ministry's Department of National Remote Sensing will be in charge of deploying the two drones after securing a permit from authorized government agencies.

Quan said that the environmental agency is testing 125 air quality sensors across Hanoi and Ninh Binh Province. More than half of these sensors are installed in residential areas and the remainders are placed along major traffic routes and in industrial zones. Another 32 devices and four automatic stations are being added.

“This network provides two-day air quality forecasts, updated daily at 5 p.m.,” Quan added, calling it an urgent measure alongside the development of a National Action Plan on Air Pollution for 2025-2030, with a vision to 2045.

According to the environmental official, air pollution is a rising issue year after year. In 2024, good air quality was recorded in only 22% of days of the year.

Air pollution peaks between October and April, mainly in areas with dense traffic and concentrated industrial activities.

Hanoi, ministries and relevant government agencies have teamed up to conduct unannounced checks on construction areas, traffic hubs, and places prone to open burning of waste and agricultural byproducts to penalize violations.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is currently finalizing draft standards for motorcycle emissions, which are open for feedback from the Ministry of Science and Technology and the public.

The proposed regulation sets four emission levels and is expected to be issued this year, aiming to combat air pollution in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Under the draft, motorcycle emissions testing would begin on July 1, 2027. By January 1, 2030, all motorcycles must meet at least level two standards.

Early this year, Hanoi started a test program that turns the central wards once known as Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts into low-emission zones.

Hanoi is also considering a plan to restrict vehicles running on fossil fuel on July 1, 2026 onwards.