At a scientific workshop on September 5th regarding the impact of transportation electrification on air pollution solutions in Vietnam, co-hosted by the Department of Climate Change (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and VinUni University, Pham Hong Quan, a representative from the Environment Administration, stated that the agency is implementing several urgent measures to control air pollution during the upcoming peak season.
Specifically, the Environment Administration is collaborating with the National Remote Sensing Department to utilize drones to monitor straw burning in suburban areas and dust dispersion from large construction sites in Hanoi. The results will be immediately relayed to local authorities for action and publicized through the media.
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Nguyen Hong Quan, Environment Administration. Photo: *Gia Chinh* |
To facilitate this, the National Remote Sensing Department is currently seeking flight permits and plans to deploy two drones in September and October to monitor key emission sources related to straw burning, construction, transportation, and industry. Specific monitoring locations will be announced once flight permits are granted by the relevant authorities.
In addition, the Environment Administration is conducting trial operations of 125 air quality sensor units across Hanoi, Ha Nam, and Ninh Binh. 65% of these are located in communes and wards, 20% along transportation routes, and 15% within industrial zones.
The agency is also installing an additional 32 devices and 4 automated stations. "This network will provide air pollution forecasts two days in advance, updated daily at 5 PM", Quan stated, adding that this is an urgent solution alongside the development of a national action plan for air pollution from 2025 to 2030.
One of the ongoing solutions to improve air quality is controlling vehicle emissions. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that the draft regulation for motorbike and motorcycle emissions standards is currently under review at the Ministry of Science and Technology. Following this review, the draft will be open for public comment. The standard, with four emission levels, is expected to be issued this year.
According to the May draft, motorcycle emissions inspections are scheduled to begin on 1/7/2027, and by 1/1/2030, all motorcycles must meet at least level two. In Hanoi, vehicles will comply with low emission zone regulations.
| Emission Parameters | Motorbikes, Motorcycles | ||||
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | ||
| CO (% by volume) | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 2 | |
| HC (ppm by volume) | 4-stroke engine | 1,500 | 1,200 | 1,100 | 1,000 |
| 2-stroke engine | 10,000 | 7,800 | 7,000 | 7,000 | |
According to the Environment Administration, air pollution levels in major urban areas are increasing. By the end of 2024, days with good air quality accounted for only 22% of the total days of the year, with some days reaching an AQI of 246. PM 2.5 levels at most monitoring points exceeded the standards, with all three locations in Hanoi (556 Nguyen Van Cu, Nhan Chinh, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology) nearly double the acceptable limit.
Typically, during the late and early months of the year, when meteorological conditions like wind and temperature are not conducive to dust dispersion, air pollution levels increase, particularly in northern Vietnam.
Gia Chinh
