High-rise buildings on Nguyễn Chí Thanh Street in Hà Nội are under a layer of fog. VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Đức

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội has set a target to ensure that up to 80 per cent of the days in a year have air quality index (VN-AQI) levels rated as good or moderate, based on data from standard national and city monitoring stations, according to the director of the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Lê Thanh Nam.

Nam made the statement at the fourth quarter 2024 briefing conference with leaders of the Standing Committee of the city’s Party Committee, the People’s Council and the People’s Committee held last week.

This initiative is part of Hà Nội's ongoing efforts to address the increasingly severe air pollution problem, which has become a critical issue in major cities, particularly the capital city.

Early Tuesday morning, most monitoring stations in Hà Nội and several northern provinces recorded air quality reaching the purple level – a threshold considered very harmful to human health, highlighting the alarming pollution situation in northern Việt Nam.

Monitoring results from the Department of Environmental Pollution Control under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday morning showed that many areas in Hà Nội had very poor air quality (AQI over 200), signaling severe health impacts for all individuals.

At 5.30am, the monitoring station at Hà Nội University of Science and Technology recorded an AQI of 224 (purple level), while Nguyễn Văn Cừ Street measured 217 (also purple level).

The monitoring station at Nhân Chính Park on Khuất Duy Tiến Street reached 198, close to the purple threshold.

The AirVisual app ranked Hà Nội as the fourth most polluted city globally among 126 ranked cities, following Delhi, India (the world's most polluted city), Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan and Accra, Ghana.

The air quality monitoring website of the US Embassy assessed that this pollution episode is expected to persist in Hà Nội and northern provinces in the coming days.

From December 25 to 27, pollution levels could range from red to purple, with the most severe pollution occurring at night and in the early morning. During midday and afternoon, pollution levels may decrease slightly but will still remain serious.

Over the weekend on December 28-29, pollution levels are expected to improve, with air quality mostly in the yellow range (moderate) and the poor range (beginning to affect sensitive groups).

Straw burning in Đông Anh District in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo Ngọc Hà

Chairman of the Việt Nam Clean Air Network and former Deputy General Director of the General Directorate of Environment Hoàng Dương Tùng said that Hà Nội frequently ranks among the top ten cities worldwide with the highest air pollution levels.

Monitoring data shows that during many winter days, PM2.5 fine particulate matter concentrations spike significantly, reflected in AQI levels of red and even brown, particularly in the early morning hours between 2am and 6am.

This type of air quality is extremely harmful to health. This situation could lead to long-term consequences for future generations, such as reduced life expectancy and increased healthcare and socio-economic burdens, he emphasised.

Hà Nội’s efforts

The head of Hà Nội's Department of Natural Resources and Environment outlined several measures that the city has implemented to gradually reduce air pollution.

These include developing a data infrastructure, operating a monitoring system to manage and control air quality, minimising pollution from various sources and strengthening public awareness campaigns and community engagement.

Currently, the city has two automatic-continuous air monitoring stations and six sensor-based stations in operation.

Hà Nội has directed efforts to study and propose investments in additional automatic- continuous air monitoring systems under the city's overall planning to enhance information systems and improve air quality management.

The dedicated bicycle lane has been in operation since February 1, 2024 along the Tô Lịch River in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

To reduce air pollution from emission sources, Lê Thanh Nam said Hà Nội has designed infrastructure for dedicated bicycle lanes and piloted emissions testing for old motorcycles and scooters.

The city has also optimised traffic flow to minimise congestion at intersections that cause environmental pollution and encouraged public transportation use, such as buses and elevated trains, to reduce private vehicle reliance.

To date, Hà Nội has eliminated over 99 per cent of honeycomb coal stoves, reduced 80 per cent of straw and agricultural waste burning in suburban areas, and halted operations of traditional brick kilns.

Since 2021, over 147,500 trees, 110,806 ornamental trees and shrubs and 549,449 square metres of greenery and lawns have been planted.

Regarding waste management, Hà Nội has called for investments in modern waste treatment facilities and projects. The Sóc Sơn Waste-to-Energy Plant, with a capacity to process 4,000 tonnes per day and generate 90 MW of electricity, has been put into operation, reducing the reliance on landfills.

An overview of the Sóc Sơn Waste-to-Energy Plant located in the Nam Sơn Waste Treatment Complex in Sóc Sơn District, Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo Trung Nguyên

Nam said the city aims to complete and activate the Seraphin Waste-to-Energy Plant, with a capacity of 37 MW, by the first quarter of 2025, while advancing the investment procedures for other waste treatment projects in Sóc Sơn, Phú Xuyên and Chương Mỹ districts.

He added that Hoàn Kiếm, Ba Đình, Đống Đa, Hai Bà Trưng and Nam Từ Liêm districts have piloted a model for sorting, collecting, transporting and processing household solid waste.

Approximately 380,110 kilogrammes of recyclable waste and nearly 160 tonnes of bulky waste have been collected.

Residents are beginning to sort and deliver hazardous waste to designated collection points. Non-recyclable waste is gradually decreasing, with the rest transported to the city's centralised treatment facilities.

The city processes about 6,800-7,500 tonnes of household waste daily.

Looking ahead, Nam said Hà Nội aims that all districts, towns, agencies and departments will develop specific plans and measures for sorting waste at the source, collecting, transporting, and processing solid waste.

The city will proactively identify priority areas and target groups to implement and expand successful waste sorting and reduction models, with clear timelines and periodic evaluations.

Commenting on Hà Nội’s ongoing efforts on curbing air pollution, Chairman of the Việt Nam Clean Air Network and former Deputy General Director of the General Directorate of Environment Tùng told the online newspaper Công an nhân dân (People’s Police) that Hà Nội has recently passed a resolution to establish low-emission zones, which will restrict polluting vehicles that fail to meet the required standards.

Globally, many countries have implemented and established low-emission zones to reduce air pollution caused by personal transportation. Currently, there are more than 300 low-emission zones worldwide.

Studies have shown that after establishing these zones, air quality in those areas significantly improves and air pollution decreases markedly.

“Clearly, the effectiveness of reducing air pollution depends on how the initiative is implemented and the determination of local authorities,” he said.

Tùng also noted that the practice of burning straw persists despite several directives prohibiting it.

Burning straw after harvest causes environmental pollution and significantly increases PM2.5 levels, even in urban areas. Besides generating fine particulate matter, straw burning releases harmful substances that pose health risks. Similarly, the burning of waste also contributes to pollution.

He emphasised that Hà Nội must enforce penalties for individuals who burn straw or provide farmers with alternative solutions for managing the large volumes of straw after rice harvests.

The city needs to conduct in-depth, systematic research on emission sources to obtain scientifically reliable data. With accurate and reliable data on emission sources, Hà Nội can set specific emission reduction targets and implement them according to a clear timeline, he said. – VNS