the air quality in many localities nationwide has decreased since 2018, especially in Hà Nội and HCM City. — Photo thuongtruong.com.vn

 HÀ NỘI — The 2021 National Environmental Report will focus on air quality and solutions to improve it.

The Việt Nam Environment Administration said air quality was selected as the focus for its 2021 report because the administration’s initial assessment showed air pollution in some big cities was at poor levels during 2016-20, impacting people’s health.

Per the assessment, the air quality in many localities nationwide has decreased since 2018, especially in Hà Nội and HCM City.

Air pollution in northern provinces, especially Hà Nội, had received a great deal of public attention, the administration said, adding that air pollution was a common issue in major cities in developing countries.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on March 15 sent a document to the People’s Committee and the Natural Resources and Environment Departments of provinces and cities to ask them to provide information and data related to air quality to serve the compilation of the 2021 national environmental report.

The Natural Resources and Environment Departments of provinces and cities were told to send their air quality data to the ministry before June 31.

The departments were told to report data related to air quality in urban areas, rural areas, craft villages and industrial zones, the ministry said.

The report must show the areas with the most air pollution in each locality, the ministry said.

The report will evaluate the main sources of emissions, including thermal power plants, steel mills, cement plants, incinerators, vehicles and industrial production activities. It will also analyse and identify the causes of air pollution in each locality, the ministry said.

Additionally, the report will point out effective solutions to fix the air quality situation in each locality, the ministry said. 

No publication date for the report has been set, though it is usually available a year after the start of the collection of data. — VNS