Hanoi seminar discusses ways to improve air quality hinh anh 1Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
 
Hanoi (VNA) – A seminar was held in Hanoi on October 11 to raise public awareness of the city’s efforts to improve air quality and the community’s involvement in the process.

The event was co-hosted by the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Vietnam Clean Air Partnership (VCAP) and the Live & Learn Centre.

Speaking at the event, VCAP Chairman Hoang Duong Tung admitted that many air monitoring apps and websites are now available but it is hard to verify their accuracy.

Mai Ngoc Thai, head of the department’s Environment Protection Agency, said Hanoi consumes an estimated amount of over 400 million kWh per electricity and millions of litres of petrol each day, which results in air pollution and greenhouse gas emission.

This year, Hanoi has established and operated 10 automatic air monitoring stations, and built a project on environment monitoring system with 20 fixed, 12 sensor and one mobile monitoring stations.

The city is also working to end the use of coal stoves by the end of next year and embarking on a project on strengthening the management of road vehicles to ease traffic congestion and prevent environment protection for the 2017 – 2020 period with a vision to 2030, and another on noise and dust prevention.

It also pooled the support from the World Bank, scientists and units concerned to find out the origin of dust.

Representatives from non-governmental organisations suggested calling for the involvement of the people belonging to all walks of life to take green measures, adding that eco-friendly firms should be provided with tax incentives and business opportunities./.
VNA