Hanoi’s air pollution has reached dangerous levels, with PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations exceeding safe limits, posing significant health risks for residents.

Starting in 2025, Hanoi will trial low-emission zones in Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts, raising questions about how residents and workers will adapt to stricter vehicle restrictions.

As part of a citywide pollution reduction effort, Hanoi will ban high-emission vehicles in selected districts and support residents in transitioning to clean energy transport.

Proposals for fees and charges for pollution-emitting vehicles travelling in low-emission zones are expected to be imposed too.

Ho Chi Minh City remains shrouded in dense haze caused by mixed fog, with experts warning of health risks from polluted air and fine particulate matter.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution has consistently exceeded safety standards in Hà Nội and nearby provinces such as Bắc Ninh and Thái Nguyên since 2019.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution has consistently exceeded safety standards in Hà Nội and nearby provinces such as Bắc Ninh and Thái Nguyên since 2019.

Emissions from motorbikes and cars are one of six air pollution sources in Hanoi, discharging 70 percent of toxic gases to the environment. In large cities, millions of old motorbikes are still in traffic.

Experts have raised concerns over Hanoi’s rising air pollution, emphasising the need for comprehensive data and updates on emission sources to identify the causes and extent of the city’s air quality issues.

Vietnam has about 80.6 million vehicles, one of the biggest greenhouse gas emission sources that pollutes the air and contributes to climate change.

Air quality in Hanoi tends to worsen during the winter, experts said based on observations over the past several years.

From morning until noon on October 16, many areas of Ho Chi Minh City were shrouded in thick fog, raising concerns over rising fine dust pollution. Prolonged exposure may lead to respiratory illnesses.

Vietnam is grappling with the challenge of reducing emissions from nearly 6.5 million cars, each acting as a mobile emission station, contributing significantly to the country’s air pollution.

On average, a Vietnamese person dies of a respiratory disease due to exposure to air pollution every 7.5 seconds.

Experts have said that air pollution has had an incalculable impact on public health and the economy, with cases of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses increasing yearly.

Air pollution in Vietnam stems from various sources including an aging vehicle fleet, coal power plants, industrial activities, indoor coal and biomass cooking stoves, ineffective waste management practices and agricultural practices.

On March 16, according to the Air Visual application monitoring air quality, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Hanoi ranged from 196 to 237 in the morning, a very poor level detrimental to human health.

Ninety-eight continuous automatic air quality monitoring stations will be constructed across the country between now and 2030, pushing the total number to 201.

Vietnam will build 98 more air quality monitoring stations in all 63 cities and provinces across the country till 2030.