A meeting was held in Hanoi on May 27 to discuss measures to control air pollution and improve air quality in Vietnam’s major cities.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan stressed that management agencies need to clarify the causes of air pollution.

According to the Vietnam Environment Administration, air pollution is becoming more and more serious, especially in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

From last September to December, the hourly air quality index (AQI) in many areas exceeded 200 and even reached 300 - the levels that are hazardous for the health.

To improve air quality and ensure community health, Nhan requested the strengthening of operations at monitoring stations and drastically improving measurement control and the use of official data sources to provide information to communities.

Hanoi, HCM City, and other cities and provinces at high risk need to accelerate the issuance and implementation of plans on public transport development and encourage people to use public transport and electric and gas-engine vehicles, while reducing the use of personal vehicles.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible for completing institutions and legal policies on environmental protection in 2020, building and promulgating technical standards on emissions and air quality, which must be close to the standards of other countries around the world.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport must develop strategies, plans, and roadmaps to increase the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles, trams, and public transport networks.

It is necessary to identify solutions to prevent and minimize dust from the construction of urban transport works, Nhan said.

The Ministry of Industry must direct and effectively manage the use of natural resources and protect the environment in industrial and commercial production, especially in preparing and approving planning.

Attention should be paid to controlling projects with significant emissions, which are likely to cause high levels of environmental pollution, such as the fields of coal thermoelectricity, petroleum, chemicals, steel, chemical fertilizers, mining, and mineral processing.

The Ministry of Construction should assume responsibility for issuing a Circular on environmental protection for construction activities; inspecting and evaluating construction management and repairing and dismantling construction works; and re-evaluating urban planning work.