Hanoi’s air quality, rainfall and flood-hit spots can now be viewed on hanoi.gov.vn/quantracmoitruong
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The page, hanoi.gov.vn/quantracmoitruong, is part of the committee’s efforts to turn the capital into a greener, smarter and friendlier city. It is also aimed at helping residents and tourists plan activities, and raising public awareness of environmental protection.
The city has built ten air monitoring stations, two of which will provide updated air quality data, and the other eight will serve the study, management and modelisation of air quality. The city also set up a rainfall measuring system and data transferring system at 22 locations across the city.
Air quality and rainfall data provided by the city’s relevant agencies, including the environment department and Water Drainage Ltd. Company, will be available on the newly-launched page. The city plans to provide other environment observation indexes, like the quality of surface water in lakes, waste water and underground water.
The US embassy in Hanoi also measures air quality on an ongoing basis and provides the data on its web site. The approval of the action plan aims to boost the management of air quality via controlling sources of exhaust emission and monitoring air quality towards improving the quality of air environment and ensuring public health.
The plan also acts on minimising particle pollution in terms of PM10 and PM2.5 (Particulate Matter) at major sources of exhaust, mainly in industrial, energy, construction and transport sectors, while completing the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Decision 909 on controlling motorbike exhaust in provinces and cities.
Another goal of the action plan is to determine the PM10 and PM 2.5 pollution levels in big cities and increase the national capability in controlling greenhouse gas to contribute to fulfilling Vietnam’s commitment on greenhouse gas emission. The monitoring of air quality will be strengthened by increasing the number of automated air quality measurement stations in cities.
Nguyen Huu Tien, Deputy Head of the Department of Environment under the Ministry of Transport, said the ministry would soon implement a road map on applying standards for motorbike exhaust, and develop national technical standards on exhaust for automobiles.
The national action plan on air quality control until 2020 with a vision to 2025, which aims to strictly monitor sources of exhaust fumes, especially industrial fumes, has been approved by the Prime Minister.
To achieve the plan’s goals, authorised agencies have been told to quickly fine-tune policies related to air quality control, strengthen international cooperation, mobilise financial support and raise public awareness of air pollution, according to the plan.
