The event was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Centre for Environment and Community Research and a number of businesses operating in Hanoi.

Under the framework of the event, a range of meaningful activities such as cleaning Bay Mau Lake and Thong Nhat (Reunion) Park, replacing garbage with trees and collecting garbage, attracted the participation of more than 1,000 volunteers from enterprises, associations and clubs of students from several universities in Hanoi.

According to the organisers, Vietnam is home to a rich surface water system, with more than 3,450 rivers and streams measuring over 10km long, in addition to thousands of ponds and lakes and a coastline stretching over 3,000 km. However, precious water resources are now at risk of severe pollution, causing immense damage to the country's economy, especially for fisheries and tourism.

Speaking about Hanoi’s lakes, Chairman Truong Manh Tien of Hanoi’s Lake Club said that the city has about 200 lakes of various kinds, however, a lot of them are facing increasingly severe pollution, negatively affecting urban landscapes and public health.

Over the years, the club has co-operated with the Women's Unions in the city to organise practical activities to preserve and improve the ecosystems of numerous lakes, making the city cleaner and more beautiful. The programmes have received warm responses from club members and proven to be effective.

Tien also expressed his hope that the practical work will spread the message of "Preserving heritage, protecting the future: Joining hands to protect Hanoi lakes” to the city's population to act together for a greener and cleaner Hanoi.

The "Cleaning Hanoi’s Lakes" campaign is expected to raise public awareness and promote community efforts in the restoration and conservation of lakes in Hanoi, thus protecting the "green lungs" and heritages of the capital city.

Following are some pictures taken at the event:

Performances by youngsters at the opening of the campaign.

Children also actively and eagerly participated along with their parents.

Hanoi university students were actively involved in the campaign.

The “fruits of labour” after the day-long event.