Volunteers cleaning up the streets of Hà Nội City. Photo Ministry of Agriculture and Environment

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment launched a national campaign on August 23 calling on all citizens to participate in environmental protection under the theme “The Entire Nation Participates in Environmental Protection for a Bright – Green – Clean – Beautiful Việt Nam.”

The movement, held in Hà Nội, is part of the activities marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2. It aims to inspire collective responsibility for environmental protection and create a community-driven initiative that will spread from the capital to localities nationwide.

Acting Minister Trần Đức Thắng called on local authorities at all levels to mobilise the entire political system, work closely with the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (MTTQ), mass organisations and civil society to implement the movement extensively. He stressed the need to ensure the provision of proper equipment, waste collection points and waste treatment solutions to prevent accumulation and environmental pollution.

Hà Nội is currently playing a pioneering role with multiple large-scale clean-up campaigns. At the time of the launch event, according to Minister Thắng, many communes and wards in the capital—especially Cầu Giấy, Nghĩa Đô and Yên Hòa—were simultaneously organising waste collection and environmental beautification activities.

From this example, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is calling for weekly national clean-up drives on Saturday mornings, starting today, as a practical way to mark the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2.

The Việt Nam Fatherland Front is expected to continue to act as the “conductor” uniting the spirit of community solidarity.

“Protecting the environment means protecting the health and lives of ourselves and future generations. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will continue to coordinate with other ministries, sectors and localities to synchronously and effectively implement the campaign, building a clean living environment and a sustainably developing country, worthy of our nation's proud traditions,” said Acting Minister Trần Đức Thắng.

Volunteers cleaning up the streets of Hà Nội City. Photo Ministry of Agriculture and Environment

 Hà Nội takes the lead

Representing local authorities, Bùi Huyền Mai, Permanent Vice Chair of the Hà Nội Fatherland Front Committee, stated that rapid urbanisation and population pressure from production and daily life have created many environmental challenges such as waste, air and noise pollution. “This is not just the responsibility of one sector or one locality, but of the whole society,” she emphasised.

In recent years, Hà Nội has implemented many practical initiatives such as the “five nos, one yes” streets (no smoke, no litter, no noise, no encroachment, no illegal advertising, and yes to green spaces), “Green Weekend Day” campaigns, tree-planting drives in response to Uncle Hồ’s teachings, and community-based models for waste management and source segregation.

However, problems such as indiscriminate littering, overuse of plastic bags, plastic waste, and polluted canals and lakes remain common. Mai stressed that for the campaign to be truly impactful, it must start with daily habits: disposing of waste correctly, sorting it at source, limiting plastic bags, planting and caring for greenery, and keeping residential areas clean.

“These small actions, when multiplied from each citizen to every household, will create a powerful force to improve our living environment,” she said, calling on all sectors and unions to scale up effective models and strictly enforce environmental regulations.

She added that businesses must take the lead in adopting clean technologies, reducing emissions, and moving towards sustainable production and consumption. Youth and students should unleash their creativity, volunteer spirit and green entrepreneurship to promote eco-friendly lifestyles.

“Every household, every citizen should treat environmental protection as a daily habit, starting from their own alleys, apartment blocks and villages,” said Mai. — VNS