Southern localities to develop clean air plans by 2025

Several southern cities and provinces have accelerated research into air pollution to develop clean air plans by 2025, according to Assoc. Prof. Dr Ho Quoc Bang from the Institute for Environment and Resources at the Vietnam National University - HCM City.
Southern localities to develop clean air plans by 2025 ảnh 1Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Several southern cities and provinces have accelerated research into airpollution to develop clean air plans by 2025, according to Assoc. Prof.Dr Ho Quoc Bang from the Institute for Environment andResources at the Vietnam NationalUniversity - HCM City.

HCMCity, Can Tho, and several provinces have studiedemissions inventories, calculating the impact of air pollution on human health,as well as emissions zoning and air quality modelling, to better manage the localair environment, he said.

Anemissions inventory released by Can Tho City last year revealed that 50 percent oflocal dust emissions came from cement, brick, and paper production, and 30 percentfrom the burning of straw. Motorcycles were responsible for 46 percent of theemission of non-methane volatile organic compounds (VMVOCs), while 29 percentcame from the textile-garment industry. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions weremainly produced by motorbikes and straw burning.

Densely-populatedHCM City, meanwhile, is in a similar situation, with 37.7 percent of dustemissions originating from motorbikes and other vehicles and 11.4 percent fromhouseholds.

Toassess the impact of air pollution on human health, scientists have developedscenarios on the number of deaths from lung cancer after exposure to fine dust(PM2.5) and air pollutants and integrated them into renewable energydevelopment policies. Air pollution causes an estimated 8.8 million deathsworldwide each year.

Throughsuch studies, solutions and actions have been proposed to help Can Tho improve its air quality. The cityhas been advised to better control and reduce emissions from vehicles bysetting up working groups on vehicle inspections and requiring emissionstesting on all motorbikes.

Othermeasures include expanding public transport networks and sustainably developingurban transport, with improved pedestrian infrastructure and atrial bicycle sharing system, installing and evaluating air qualitymonitoring technology at factories, and identifying technological solutions forreducing emissions from textile, paper, and metalworking plants.

Bangcalled for greater cooperation for the studies to reach more southerncities and provinces and elsewhere. Policymakers also need to issue guidelinesfor localities on formulating and implementing clean air plans, a set ofindexes measuring emissions from industry and transport, and a guidebook onemissions inventories in Vietnam, headded./.
VNA

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