Join hands to create a livable Hanoi

Voices from people making a living on the street corner

Under the unpredictable weather of Hanoi , sometimes hot sun, sometimes sudden rain, everyone seeks safety and health. But for tens of thousands of outdoor workers, this is impossible. Because they are street vendors, cyclo drivers, delivery "shippers", construction workers, janitors... busy making a living, most of their time attached to the road and sidewalks.

The lives of outdoor workers are directly affected by the weather, caught in a double-risk spiral from extreme weather. On the one hand, there are “cumulative risks”, which include prolonged weather phenomena such as heat, air pollution and noise that gradually damage physical and mental health, although not always easily noticed. On the other hand, there are “event risks”, which include sudden weather phenomena such as storms, tornadoes, floods… that seriously disrupt livelihoods, forcing workers to temporarily stop work or work in unsafe conditions. This double risk creates a vicious cycle where the impact accumulates, reducing the ability to cope, pushing workers into a more precarious situation…

Photo caption — Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan, 74 years old, with crippled legs since childhood and having to use a wheelchair, has been selling drinks on Tran Nhan Tong street for more than 35 years.

Stories of making a living on Hanoi street corners are the clearest evidence of these difficulties. Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan, 74 years old, with crippled legs since childhood and confined to a wheelchair, has been selling drinks on Tran Nhan Tong Street for more than 35 years. Living alone, without family or children, she has to rely on a small drink stall to make ends meet. She confided that if it suddenly rains while moving, returning to her small drink stall on the sidewalk to take shelter from the rain is a problem because not every place has a convenient ramp. Under the hot summer sun or the bitter cold of winter, she has to accept it because "you have to get used to it"...

Even though it is 12:30 noon, Mr. Doan Ngoc Vinh, 54 years old (from Xuan Truong, Ninh Binh ) is still diligently pedaling a cyclo to transport passengers. This job means that he has to work continuously in all weather conditions, while his age, bones and muscles are no longer as strong and flexible as when he was young. The scorching sun, sudden showers or the bitter cold of winter... make it even harder for him and his colleagues. To cope with the heat, Mr. Vinh has to buy shirts with built-in fans, as his colleagues tell each other, wear a pith helmet to protect against the sun, cover his neck with a scarf to avoid heat shock... The small fan clipped to his bike is an indispensable item on sunny days to balance his body temperature. "It's better in winter, just wear many layers of clothes, wear a woolen hat, and cycle, and it will warm up a bit...", Mr. Vinh shared with a gentle smile...

On Truc Bach street, Ms. Le Thi Tho, 52 years old (living in Nghia Dung street, Hong Ha ward, Hanoi), pushes a small cart of spring rolls every day to earn a living. Not daring to take a lunch break for fear of losing customers, on hot sunny days, she only knows how to wear long-sleeved shirts, wear a hat and find shade under a tree to avoid the heat. But her biggest worry is still sudden rains. She confided that rice paper, malt candy, shredded coconut and roasted sesame... the things that make up a spring roll for customers, just a little bit of water will ruin it. There are days when she is sick and tired, she still tries to push her cart out to sell, not daring to rest, because once regular customers do not see the goods, they will find another place, losing the relationship...

The stories above show that, although many workers have proactively sought ways to cope, these solutions are still individual, short-term and unsustainable. On the other hand, the impact of extreme weather on workers is uneven, varying depending on the subject, the nature of the job, gender, physical condition, working hours and access to protective measures. This emphasizes that there cannot be a general formula, and that interventions are designed specifically, taking into account the differences between occupational groups in society.

In general, the life of outdoor workers in Hanoi is a long series of days facing uncertainty, where they have to manage themselves in harsh conditions. For Hanoi to truly be a livable city, each person cannot just stop at admiring the superficial beauty, but needs to listen, understand and act, for the people who are day and night cultivating the prosperity of the Capital...

Creating a livable Hanoi

Given the challenges facing outdoor workers, finding a sustainable, multi-dimensional support system is no longer an option, but an urgent requirement. To ease the burden on workers’ shoulders and to share their worries, Hanoi needs a broader vision, beyond individual efforts, towards the joint efforts of the whole society. Hanoi cannot be worth living if there are still lives left behind, silently struggling with the spiral of climate change and making a living.

From the sincere opinions of outdoor workers themselves, the social enterprise - Center for Community and Environment Development (ECUE) has proposed many practical solutions to respond to and minimize the impact of extreme weather. One of them is to improve urban infrastructure in the direction of "greening", increasing trees, building covered public spaces, airy resting areas, helping workers have safe shelter during extreme weather. Expanding public spaces not only brings environmental benefits, but also creates essential stops for workers. Along with that, strengthening environmental protection, minimizing air and noise pollution is a prerequisite to improve the quality of life and health of outdoor workers.

It is particularly important to ensure the integration and integration of policy measures to respond to extreme weather conditions into social security policies and vice versa. This means that support packages and health insurance should not only stop at the usual subjects, but should be expanded and specifically designed to reach and effectively support outdoor workers, who often work without formal contracts or adequate insurance regimes.

Another key point is to promote the participation and voice of outdoor workers themselves. There needs to be mechanisms for direct consultation and dialogue in the process of developing and implementing urban development and climate change response policies. Because no one understands the difficulties they are experiencing and what they really need better than they themselves. Listening to and respecting their opinions will help make policies more relevant, effective and sustainable.

Mr. Le Quang Binh, Director of ECUE, Coordinator of the Network for a livable Hanoi, shared that he hopes that Hanoi is not only a place to make a living, but also a livable city for everyone. People often come across street vendors, street sweepers or motorbike taxi drivers on the streets, but sometimes they do not really understand them, their livelihood and their problems, thereby raising the issue of effectively approaching and supporting this group of people, so that this group of people can live well and stay attached to the city. Mr. Binh hopes that the problems of outdoor workers will be recognized more in support programs and policies of the State in the future.

For these solutions to be most effective, they cannot rely solely on individual or individual efforts, but require a comprehensive approach, with close coordination between stakeholders. The government plays a role in creating policies and planning green and sustainable urban areas, while businesses need to demonstrate social responsibility, not only in ensuring working conditions for their employees, but also in participating in community initiatives to support outdoor workers. Social organizations will be an important bridge, listening to the voice of the community and proposing solutions. And finally, the community itself needs to understand, share and support policies and activities aimed at improving the lives of this vulnerable group.

When all parties act together, it will not only help strengthen the resilience of vulnerable workers to climate change, but more importantly, ensure that no one is left behind. From there, Hanoi will truly create a safe, inclusive and livable capital, where every citizen, regardless of their position, feels valued and has a worthy life. A livable Hanoi is not a distant slogan, but a reality built by consensus, understanding and concrete actions from all of us.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/chung-tay-kien-tao-mot-ha-noi-dang-song-20251020144037404.htm