The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has introduced a national draft plan for managing air quality by 2020, whose goal is to control sources of emissions, improve the ambient air environment, and ensure a healthy environment for all people.

Viet Nam plans to control air quality (Source: mt.gov.vn)

Under the draft of the National Action Plan on the management of air quality from 2020 to 2025, the dust, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrite (NOx) arising from the cement production facilities, electricity, and chemical production, in addition to fertiliser and petroleum production, should reduce by 20 percent by 2020.

At the same time, these agents arising from other production facilities and transport vehicles would come down by 10 percent.

The mission will include activities such as completion of legal documents and technical guidelines relating to air quality management; strengthening the organisation of air quality management as well as preventive measures; and minimising emissions.

The plan would also include completion of the financial mechanism and diversifying investment sources, strengthening international co-operation on science and technology, inspection and supervision of the implementation of the law on air protection, and raising awareness about pollution and air quality.

By 2020, the production units which have excessive emissions would be equipped with automatic air monitoring systems.

Though Viet Nam is not a big greenhouse gas emitter, the emission volume of the country is on the rise, especially in the field of energy, with per capita emissions spiraling up 180 percent while the total emission volume surging 150 percent from 2000 to 2010.

(Source: VNA)