Environmental pollution remains a significant challenge.
In late November and early December 2025, air pollution in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and surrounding provinces consistently remained at poor and unhealthy levels, with some areas experiencing very poor levels, seriously affecting people's health.
In Ninh Binh (at the monitoring station in Nam Cao Park, Phu Ly, former Ha Nam province), Hung Yen province at the monitoring station at Tan Quang commune cultural center; Hai Phong city (at the former Hai Duong City People's Committee area, 106 Tran Hung Dao street), at the monitoring station at the former Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment complex, 20 Ly Chinh Thang street (Ho Chi Minh City)... the air pollution index (AQI) measured at these locations was consistently poor and very poor.
According to Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, air pollution in urban areas in general and Hanoi in particular is "very serious." In November and the first days of December, specialized units recorded many days with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the bad and very bad levels.
According to Mr. Hoang Duong Tung, the biggest cause of air pollution in urban areas, including Hanoi, is traffic in inner-city wards and national highways, from exhaust fumes of gasoline-powered cars and motorcycles, road dust, and partly from brake friction. Millions of motorcycle exhaust pipes represent millions of microscopic sources of pollution.
"An old gasoline-powered motorbike can emit CO2 and fine particulate matter at levels 10-20 times higher than a car that meets Euro standards," Mr. Tung said.
In addition, air pollution also originates from industrial, construction, and agricultural facilities, including the burning of agricultural by-products, and from neighboring provinces. Domestic wastewater (urban and rural) is not collected and treated effectively, and the rate of wastewater treatment in industrial clusters and some small production facilities, craft villages, and recycling villages is very low, causing pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
According to information from the Hung Yen Provincial Party Committee, there are currently four locations experiencing serious air pollution: the plastic and metal production and recycling village of Dong Mai hamlet (formerly Chi Dao commune); the plastic production and recycling village of Minh Khai hamlet (Nhu Quynh town, formerly Van Lam district); the plastic production and recycling village in Phan Boi residential area (Di Su ward); and the plastic production and recycling village of Cam Xa commune (formerly My Hao town). These locations all generate large amounts of waste, with many production facilities discharging emissions exceeding permitted standards.
Recently, at the 32nd session of the Hai Phong City People's Council held on December 10, 2025, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Bui Van Thang, stated that the city generates approximately 3,300 tons of solid household waste per day. In addition, there are 482 small-scale landfills in rural areas with a processing capacity of about 820 tons per day. Since July 1st, the collection, transportation, and processing of solid household waste has been transferred to the People's Committees at the commune level, which has basically met the needs of the people and the pace of urbanization. However, environmental sanitation management in some localities is not yet rigorous, posing a risk of overload and environmental pollution, with the emergence of small, scattered landfills, especially in border areas with low population density.
Take decisive action.
Regarding proposed solutions to reduce pollution in Vietnamese cities, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tho, Deputy Director of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Strategy and Policy, suggested that units and localities need to review, inventory, and closely monitor sources of emissions to accurately determine the level of impact of emissions and dust causing air pollution; prioritize allocating resources for a sufficiently dense and widespread environmental monitoring system; and allocate resources to implement regular and continuous environmental sanitation measures. At the same time, they should tighten regulations on emission standards for road motor vehicles; promote the conversion to green, zero-emission vehicles; use clean, environmentally friendly fuels; and use public transportation.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Le Cong Thanh, the Ministry is currently requesting the People's Committees of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, and Ninh Binh to strengthen street cleaning and implement solutions to reduce road dust: directing environmental sanitation units and infrastructure construction project owners to immediately increase the frequency of street sweeping and dust removal… In the future, the Ministry will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to urgently finalize and submit to the Prime Minister a comprehensive environmental pollution control plan with a holistic approach encompassing all pollution components (air, water, solid waste...). Initially, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the two cities under the greatest pollution pressure, will be selected as focal points to develop breakthrough solutions, which will then be replicated nationwide following the principle of "If localities succeed, the whole country will succeed"...
On the morning of December 10, 2025, the National Assembly passed a Resolution on the results of the thematic supervision of "The implementation of policies and laws on environmental protection since the Law on Environmental Protection of 2020 came into effect." A notable point in the Resolution is that the National Assembly requires Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to immediately implement urgent measures to control and improve air pollution.
The resolution sets a quantitative target for Hanoi and neighboring provinces for the first time. By 2030, the average annual PM2.5 concentration in Hanoi must decrease by approximately 20% compared to the 2024 average at all monitoring points of the national monitoring network.
In the provinces and cities surrounding Hanoi, including Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, and Ninh Binh, the minimum reduction is 10%. For Ho Chi Minh City and other urban areas, air quality must be maintained at a stable level, preventing an increase in pollution levels...
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-de-quan-tam/lo-trinh-cho-moi-truong-xanh-20251231154641870.htm
