French Ambassador to Vietnam, Jean-Noel Poirier, spoke to Tien Phong Newspaper about Hanoi’s worsening air quality and an agreement on the supplies of French air quality measurement systems to the city.

French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Noel Poirier (left) and
the chairman of Hanoi Nguyen Duc Chung at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding on the French supplies of air quality measurement systems to Hanoi.

In early April, the French Embassy and Hanoi People's Committee signed a Memorandum of Understanding on air quality measurement systems. Can you tell us more about this?

Air pollution is an important issue and of great concern to both the embassy and Hanoi authorities. We know that the air quality in Hanoi is getting worse but there's no concrete data to prove it. France has experience in this matter so it was proposed that we could help Vietnam, especially Hanoi, build an air quality measurement system.

Since Vietnam already has a plan related to air quality, we have to work closely with Hanoi authorities to see how to carry out the project to fit the existing plan. We plan to invite a company that specialised in air quality monitoring in Paris. We have an agency that connects the government, environmental organisations, the industry and related parties to provide the data and build policies. I think it would be an interesting experience to share with Hanoi.

I can't say for sure when the project will be completed but we have started working with Vietnamese agencies. This project is our priority now.

The local media recently also reported that the air quality in Hanoi reached dangerous levels in early March. As someone who has lived and worked in Hanoi for many years, what's your opinion?

It's true that everyone can feel the drop in air quality. I have lived in Hanoi for four years so my experience is similar. I often have sore throat but when I go to Dalat or France, it's gone. What we need now is accurate data because a ‘feeling’ isn’t enough.

I know Hanoi has two air monitoring posts at the US Embassy and the United Nations International School. The data from these posts show the air quality in the last two months is bad, really bad. It's on similar level as Beijing.

An official from the Environment Administration said the management over environmental issues in Vietnam is unsynchronised and unorganised. Dust from construction sites is responsibility of the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Transport manages the emission from vehicles and finally the rest is on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Can you share the management in France about air quality?

Air pollutants are from various sources. The most difficult thing is to get everyone in one place to discuss and find solution. No ministry can just deal with its problem alone. In France, we have a inter-ministerial mechanism. When a problem that require co-operation from various ministries arises, we establish a committee or an agency under the prime minister to find solutions.

The head is an independent figure that is not an official working in the related agencies. It could be a former minister or an expert. Of course they must have good reputation and credibility to make sound judgements.