Numbers speak
According to IQAir’s monitoring system, in the first days of 2025, Hanoi regularly topped the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The AQI index exceeded red, brown, and even purple for many days - the most dangerous level for human health.
Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network, frankly said: “Hanoi residents are breathing extremely high levels of PM2.5 fine dust. This is a dangerous type of dust that can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the blood circulation system, causing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and strokes.”
According to statistics, on average a person inhales and exhales about 22,000 times a day, each time inhaling about 500ml of air, so every day needs 10,000 liters of air to breathe. Fine dust PM2.5 with toxic substances is always present in the air when breathing.
“With more than 6 million motorbikes and nearly 800,000 gasoline-powered cars operating daily, Hanoi is being suffocated by its own vehicles,” Dr. Tung pointed out. At major intersections such as Nga Tu So, Giai Phong Street or Chuong Duong Bridge, thick smoke and dust rise up, clinging to every building and sidewalk.
On Truong Chinh Street - one of the main roads of the capital - Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, a resident here, said: "Every day I have to clean the balcony, but after cleaning in the morning, the dust is all over it in the afternoon. Vehicle emissions are terrible."
Air pollution is not a story of Hanoi alone. Beijing, which used to be at the top of the global pollution list, has succeeded in controlling it in just two years. The city has adopted a series of measures such as converting all diesel buses to electric ones, removing nearby thermal power plants and tightening control over gasoline-powered vehicles.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi - Member of the 15th National Assembly - commented: "Hanoi needs to learn from Beijing's political determination and synchronous organization. Green transportation transformation is the first step, but the most important is the consensus between the government, businesses and people."
Voices from the community
At the launching ceremony of the “For a Green Capital” campaign on January 10, Vingroup Corporation announced a series of solutions to support green transformation. They not only called for public awareness but also offered practical actions such as financial support of up to VND70 million for electric vehicle buyers, discounted VinBus tickets and other incentives exclusively for Hanoi residents.
Mr. Nguyen Viet Quang - Vice Chairman and General Director of Vingroup - emphasized: "A clean and green Hanoi is not a distant dream. It is the responsibility of all of us".
Back in the Old Quarter, Ms. Le Thi Mai, 62 years old, a resident of Hang Dao Street, was busy watering a small pot of plants on her porch and said: “We find that the VinBus electric buses are much cleaner. If only Hanoi had more buses like that, the air would definitely improve.”
Dr. Pham Chi Lan - an economic expert - also said: "Green transformation requires everyone's participation. People can start with small things like prioritizing the use of public transport, limiting waste and planting more trees."
The campaign “For a green capital” is a starting signal. But to have a livable Hanoi with clean sky, more drastic actions from everyone are needed.
What the capital will be like in the future depends on the choices we make today.
