Air pollution costs Vietnam at least 10.8 billion USD each year
Vietnam suffers around 10.8 – 13.2 billion USD worth of economic losses associated with ambient air pollution each year, equivalent to 4.45 – 5.64 percent of the country’s GDP, heard a discussion in Hanoi on January 14.
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam suffers around 10.8 – 13.2 billion USD worthof economic losses associated with ambient air pollution each year, equivalentto 4.45 – 5.64 percent of the country’s GDP, heard a discussion in Hanoi onJanuary 14.
The figure is calculated by a research project of the National University ofEconomics (NEU), according to Associate Professor Dinh Duc Truong, Director ofthe NEU’s faculty of environment, climate change and urban development.
He also cited another research project conducted by theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation which claimed that some 71,000 deaths inVietnam in 2018 were caused by environmental pollution, with around 50,000deaths directed related to air pollution.
President of the Vietnam Clean Air Network Hoang Duong Tung said that emissionsfrom vehicles are a major source of air pollution in urban areas (60 percent),adding Vietnam is the world’s fourth largest motorcycle market with 46 millionvehicles, after China, India and Indonesia.
Coal-fired power plants, cement and steel production facilities, constructionactivities and the burning of stubble, are also responsible for a largeproportion of urban air pollution, he added.
To cut pollution, Tung suggested limiting the use of personal vehicles anddeveloping public transport infrastructure. He also laid stress on the need tocomplete a legal framework, enhance environmental monitoring activities, andpublicise monitoring information for coal-fired, steel, cement and chemicalplants.
Meanwhile, Truong underlined that comprehensive measures should be put in placeto reduce activities that harm the environment.
He recommended applying carbon taxes and environmental fees, issuing greenbonds and encouraging investment in the form of Public-Private partnership inenvironmental monitoring activities and clean energy./.
Kindergartens and primary schools in Hanoi will be closed if the air quality index (AQI) hits 300 and above, equivalent to hazardous levels, city authorities announced on December 25.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has been installing a system to monitor air quality across all provinces and cities with a view to improving air quality and people’s health.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
Hanoi is suffering bad air days. (Photo: VNA) 
