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Hanoi declared world's most polluted city
Levels of hazardous small particles, known as PM2.5, were measured at 266 micrograms per cubic metre in Hanoi early on Friday, the highest reading among a list of most-polluted cities, according to AirVisual, which provides independent global air pollution information via a phone app.
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Residential buildings are shrouded behind heavy air pollution in Hanoi on January 3, 2025. (AFP/Nhac Nguyen)
V
ietnam's capital Hanoi has been covered in thick smog over recent weeks, putting it at the top of a list of the world's most polluted cities, as the government said it would push for more electric vehicles (EVs) to alleviate the problem.
Levels of hazardous small particles, known as PM2.5, were measured at 266 micrograms per cubic metre in Hanoi early on Friday, the highest reading among a list of most-polluted cities, according to AirVisual, which provides independent global air pollution information via a phone app.
The Southeast Asian country, a regional manufacturing hub with one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, has reported severe air pollution in its major cities for years, particularly in Hanoi.
The thick smog is mostly caused by heavy traffic, trash burning and industrial activities. "We the elderly can feel it very clearly when we suffer from respiratory problems that lead to breathing difficulties," Luu Minh Duc, a 64-year-old resident of the city, said. "The situation seems to get worse recently."
Young people are also complaining.
"At first I thought it was foggy ... but later I found out that it is actually fine dusts that reduce my vision and make me feel like it is not healthy to breathe," said 21-year-old student Nguyen Ninh Huong.Speaking at a meeting with the transport ministry on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha called for an accelerated transition to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of the efforts to reduce pollution, state media reported.
So far Hanoi has a target for at least 50 percent of buses and 100 percent of taxis to be EVs by 2030.
"This is the responsibility of the state to the people, and there must be specific and timely actions," Ha was quoted as saying by the Tien Phong newspaper.
The ministries of natural resources, environment and health did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
Experts say pollution in Hanoi is a result of widespread construction, as well as emissions from the huge number of motorbikes and cars that crisscross the capital every day.
Carbon emissions from coal plants to the north and agricultural burning exacerbate the problem.
"The source of pollution emissions changes little every day," said climate expert Huy Nguyen.
Due to current unfavourable weather conditions, "pollutants seem to be locked in a giant atmospheric glass cage that they cannot escape and they accumulate day after day", Huy told AFP.
He said Hanoi residents need to "wait for a strong northeast monsoon with rain and strong convection" for the pollution situation to improve.
Rain does not typically arrive in the city until March.
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