In the early days of 2026, when Hanoi was preparing for the pilot plan for low-emission zones, the story of controlling pollution sources became hotter than ever. Although the goal of reducing pollution is clear, how to accurately measure who is emitting what, where and how much is still a major challenge for environmental managers.
Vacancies in waste source monitoring
Emission inventory is a fundamental activity to determine the pollution load from emission sources (transportation, industry, construction, people's livelihoods) contributing to the air environment.
However, reality shows that inventory activities are facing many technical and procedural barriers. Discussing this issue, Mr. Truong Manh Tuan (Deputy Head of the Environmental Quality Management Department, Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) admitted a reality, current inventory work, although identified as key, is still more "temporary" than continuous.
According to Mr. Tuan, inventory rounds are often carried out in cycles or projects, creating a certain delay between reported data and actual developments. When data is released, the pollution situation may have changed, causing the solutions proposed to be at risk of being inappropriate. For example, controlling motorbikes, with millions of vehicles moving continuously, manual inventory is an impossible task.
The lack of a synchronous database makes it difficult for monitoring agencies to make policy decisions. Without accurate data on the pollution rate of each type of waste source at each time, the issuance of solutions, prohibitions or restrictions will lack a convincing scientific basis, making it difficult to receive consensus from the people.
Digitalizing waste sources, updated in real time
Faced with the inadequacies of traditional methods, experts believe that digital transformation is a mandatory path. Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, emphasized the urgent role of digitizing waste sources.
According to Mr. Tung, the application of digital technology and building an online database will help inventory activities become more convenient and accurate. Instead of waiting for periodic summary reports that take a lot of time and manpower, digitization allows managers to grasp information quickly, even in real time.
When waste sources are digitized, from factory monitoring data to traffic flow, we will have a dynamic picture of pollution instead of a static picture. This helps management agencies easily identify which is the largest source of waste at the present time to have an immediate response," Mr. Tung analyzed.
Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Mr. Truong Manh Tuan said that Vietnam needs to access international experience, towards a mechanism to update inventory data regularly. The goal is to build a national data system to update, as a solid scientific basis for policy planning and adjustment.
Currently, Hanoi and functional agencies are gradually implementing technological solutions such as smart traffic surveillance camera systems, automatic monitoring stations and vehicle management policies. These are the first steps to realize the inventory of waste sources.
When the digital waste source database system is completed, pollution forecasting and warning will be improved. At that time, policies such as low-emission zones or restrictions on personal vehicles will be implemented based on "talking" numbers, ensuring transparency and maximum efficiency in efforts to improve air quality for the community.
