VNExpress-Mar 16
Hanoi has the second worst air quality in Southeast Asia after Pasarkemis in Indonesia, according to a 2022 annual survey by IQAir, a Swiss maker of air purifiers.
The Vietnamese capital city’s air quality worsened to 40.1 micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic meter in 2022 from 36.2 in 2021, making it the 18th most polluted among 116 capital cities. With an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 27.2 μg/m3, Vietnam was ranked the third most polluted country in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia (30.4) and Laos (27.6), and 30th in the world.
The report said power generation, vehicle emissions, industrial factories and open burning remain significant contributors of air pollution in Vietnam, where PM2.5 concentrations were worse during the dry season from November through April. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development to launch the “Reducing Pollution” project, which will invest $11.3 million over a five-year period between 2021 and 2026 targeting environmental pollution with a focus on air pollution. Among other capitals in Southeast Asia, Jakarta had a PM2.5 level of 36.2 μg/m3, Vientiane 27.6, Bangkok 18, Kuala Lumpur 17.6, Metro Manila 14.6, Singapore 13.3 and Phnom Penh 8.3. Lahore is the most polluted city globally with a PM2.5 level of 97.4 μg/m3. Chad is the most polluted country in the world, and Guam the cleanest, according to the survey. Read more at: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hanoi-second-most-polluted-city-in-southeast-asia-survey-4582193.html
