Clean Air for Hanoi

Vietnam has achieved great progress in both economic growth and poverty reduction; nevertheless, this economic growth is accompanied by an increase in resource use and other negative externalities, such as air pollution. This contributes significantly to environmental degradation and public health issues, particularly regarding air quality in some major cities in the country, including Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. The current air quality situation in Hanoi and its neighboring provinces of Bac Ninh and Hung Yen necessitates urgent action to reduce pollution levels, and, consequently, population exposure to harmful PM2.5 concentrations. Newly announced air quality-related policies, which will be in effect between 2021 and 2030, are an important step towards decreasing air pollution but do not appear to be sufficient to protect health in the medium-term, that is, until 2030. To explore management options available to policy makers in the near term, this study has developed new data and alternative scenarios analyzing the impact of various air quality measures and policies. Opportunities to achieve national standards across Hanoi and its surrounding areas were identified and provide input into policy discussions on an Air Quality Management (AQM) Plan for Hanoi and its surrounding provinces, as well as for Vietnam in general