Vietnam sets five-year plan to improve urban air quality
THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam’s two biggest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, are aiming to bring air quality levels to a safe threshold within the next five years, as part of a nationwide push to tackle pollution in major metropolitan areas.
This directive, issued by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, follows Notice No. 153/TB-VPCP dated on April 4, summarizing a government meeting on comprehensive and urgent solutions to address urban air pollution .
The deputy prime minister called on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to urgently carry out an inventory of emission sources and assess the current state of air quality.
Hanoi implements numerous measures to combat air pollution and improve air quality. Photo: Economic & Urban Newspaper
Each city must develop five-year and annual action plans with well-defined targets and sector-specific emission quotas. These plans will be evaluated annually to track progress, as outlined in the Directive.
In addition, the two cities are expected to quickly adopt policies that support the collection and recycling of construction waste. Residents will be encouraged to use public transportation and low-emission, environmentally friendly vehicles.
To accelerate environmental improvements, local emission limits must be applied at a higher level than national technical regulations from May.
Outdated, highly polluting motor vehicles that no longer meet circulation standards will be recalled and removed. Waste and emissions from construction and urban development activities will be strictly managed to minimize environmental fallout.
Local authorities and community-level police will also be given greater enforcement powers to punish environmental violations.
Industrial clusters that contribute heavily to pollution must either be converted into industrial parks or relocated.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will also expand air monitoring stations, increase the frequency of measurements during seasonal transitions, and ensure public access to real-time air quality data.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been tasked with immediately identifying nationwide sources of air pollution and drafting a national air quality management plan for 2026-2030.
In coordination with the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the ministry will finalize national emission standards for cars and motorcycles by the end of April.
By July, inter-agency inspection teams will assess high-emission industrial zones, craft villages and polluting facilities in the two cities.
The Ministry of Construction is tasked with proposing incentive mechanisms for businesses involved in the collection, processing and recycling of construction material waste.
