Pulling Hanoi from the Pollution Precipice

A woman walks across a street amid heavy air pollution in Hanoi on 25 March 2025 | Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

In an article by Fulcrum,  Vinod Thomas argues that Hanoi’s air pollution crisis demands action in emission regulation, waste management, and climate mitigation.

Pollution concentrations in Hanoi are far above the national standard of 25 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter) and the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³. One-third of PM2.5 particles in the ambient air originates from local sources, while the rest is transported from outside Hanoi. The main sources of these polluting emissions are motor vehicles, industrial plants and construction, and the burning of charcoal and agricultural waste.

Vietnam needs tougher emissions standards and more effective enforcement controls — and a commitment to make this a top policy priority. These efforts must be pursued in tandem with solid waste management; air pollution abatement must also be integrated with climate change mitigation. Stronger regulation and implementation must tackle emissions at the source, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, switching to cleaner alternatives in energy and transport, and improving waste management.

The recently issued air pollution action plans for Hanoi signal the government’s cognisance of the pollution crisis. While these are steps in the right direction, a careful World Bank assessment considers them seriously insufficient to protect health in this decade. Even with new policies, air pollution is expected to worsen over the rest of this decade, unless Hanoi tightens measures to cut pollutants directly and takes a comprehensive approach that also reduces the carbon emitted through its waste management practices.