Deteriorating air quality: Time for Hanoi to make bold investments in green spaces

On the morning of March 21, 2025, Hanoi's AQI reached 180, topping the list of the most polluted cities in the world according to the IQAir monitoring system. By 9:00 p.m. the same day, Hanoi had dropped to 4th place, with the AQI still at a high level of 160. These numbers are not only a warning, but also reflect the alarming situation that the capital is facing. Air at the "red" level means that anyone exposed to it is at risk of health effects, especially children, the elderly and those with underlying respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Air pollution is no longer a distant story but has become a pressing issue in daily life. Fine dust and emissions from vehicles, construction sites, and industrial zones seep into every breath, eroding people's health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), regular exposure to polluted air can cause respiratory diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Hanoi's air quality index (AQI) reached 180, topping the list of the most air polluted cities in the world according to the IQAir monitoring system. Photo: Soha.

Sharing with the press, Dr. Doan Du Manh, Director of the International Cardiovascular Center, Phuong Dong General Hospital, warned: "Breathing polluted air in Hanoi is no different from smoking two packs of cigarettes a day". This is not only a medical issue but also a problem of sustainable urban development.

What is the solution for Hanoi?

Green space is one of the most important measures to reduce air pollution. Trees not only absorb CO₂, filter fine dust but also help regulate temperature, improve urban microclimate. Major cities in the world such as Singapore, Tokyo or Paris have invested heavily in expanding green areas, creating urban parks to improve the quality of life for people. Hanoi also needs to take more drastic steps in expanding and protecting green spaces, instead of just planting trees in batches without long-term planning. This has been reflected in the press by experts' opinions about Hanoi's tree planting often being done in batches, by species or by trend, planted simultaneously on all routes without a scenario and methodical implementation.

Locals and foreign tourists do morning exercises on the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake. Photo: Xuan Tien.

The management of the green tree system is implemented by Hanoi City in accordance with Decree No. 64/2010/ND-CP dated June 11, 2010 of the Government on urban green tree management and Decision No. 03/2023/QD-UBND dated February 28, 2023 of the Hanoi People's Committee promulgating the Regulation on urban green tree management in the area.

According to the decision, the Department of Construction is the specialized state management agency for the entire urban green tree system; planting new urban green trees, managing, maintaining, caring for, and preserving the urban green tree system, parks, flower gardens, and granting permits to cut down and move urban green trees according to the list under the management of the city.

The People's Committees of districts, towns and cities shall plant new urban trees, manage, maintain, care for and preserve the urban tree system, parks and flower gardens and grant permits to cut down and relocate urban trees according to the list under the management of the district level according to decentralization. In general, the replacement and additional planting are still implemented on a small scale and have not been implemented comprehensively.

Sharing with the press, Dr. Architect Pham Anh Tuan - Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Landscape Architects said that although many achievements have been made in the development of urban trees, the index of green land standards in Hanoi is still low, not reaching 50 trees/km. With this index, the average distance between trees is more than 20 m, which is too far for the standard of planting street trees. The distance between small, medium and large trees is 4 - 8m, 8 - 12m and 12 - 15m respectively.

In particular, Hanoi City still does not have an official list of regulations on shade trees planted, restricted and prohibited in urban areas. This has made it very difficult for management to control planting activities, and there is no basis for handling violations in urban tree planting.

According to Program No. 03-CTr/TU of the Hanoi Party Committee on urban beautification, urban development and urban economy of Hanoi City in the period of 2021-2025, the Department of Construction directs units to review crooked, ugly, dangerous, old, poorly developed shade trees, trees not on the list of urban trees on some streets.

On that basis, the Department of Construction will seek feedback from organizations, experts, scientists, and people on trees planned to be cut down and replaced; Synthesize the report of the City People's Committee to allow the establishment of a comprehensive plan to replace dead trees, trees that are not suitable for the landscape, trees with pests and diseases that cannot be treated, old trees, crooked or leaning trees that do not meet aesthetic requirements, trees at risk of falling and are not safe, and trees on the list of trees prohibited from planting in urban areas.

Peaceful morning scene at Ly Thai To flower garden. Photo: Xuan Tien.

In addition, recently, the story of moving trees in Ly Thai To flower garden has caused a lot of controversy. Hoan Kiem District proposed to renovate this space, including a plan to cut down and move some trees to serve the renovation and upgrading of Ly Thai To flower garden. Immediately, this proposal met with opposition from planning experts and architects.

According to information from the People's Police Newspaper ⁽¹⁾, Architect Pham Thanh Tung, Chief of Office of the Vietnam Association of Architects, commented that the ancient trees around Hoan Kiem Lake not only have biological value but also have profound cultural and historical significance. "It is not the optimal solution to remove trees to make room for vacant land. The rows of old trees here are not only green lungs but also part of the urban memory," he said.

Similarly, Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Vice President of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, also said that the renovation of Hoan Kiem Lake space requires a cautious approach, avoiding concretization and changing the existing ecological structure. According to him, soft renovation solutions, retaining as many trees as possible, are the sustainable approaches in modern urban planning.

In response to public reactions, the Hanoi People's Committee has directed the Department of Construction to coordinate with relevant units to re-evaluate the plan to renovate Ly Thai To flower garden. This is a necessary move to ensure that urban policies not only serve infrastructure development but also respect nature and preserve urban identity.

Looking more broadly, Hanoi's green space is being implemented in a lack of determination. Many park projects have not yet known when they will be completed, such as the project to build a park - regulating lake in the Southwest Hanoi urban area (in Trung Hoa ward and Yen Hoa ward, Cau Giay district) which is expected to be put into operation in 2016 with an initial total investment of about 1,600 billion VND.

However, up to now, inside the project, many holes have been dug up, and over time, stagnant water has become ponds causing pollution. According to the commitment of VNT Company Limited, in the first quarter of 2023, the regulating lake item will be completed and all items of the park - regulating lake project in the Southwest Hanoi urban area will be completed and put into use in the fourth quarter of this year. However, the project is currently only digging the lake, and other items have not yet been implemented. Or the Ha Dong District Cultural - Entertainment - Sports Park Project was approved by the former Ha Tay province for planning in Ha Cau and Kien Hung wards since 2008. In November 2023, the Hanoi People's Committee issued a Decision approving the detailed planning project 1/500, expected to be implemented in 2024.

Up to now, the Ha Dong District Cultural - Entertainment - Sports Park Project is still an empty lot. The project area is surrounded by corrugated iron, with security guards, limiting people from entering and exiting.

In Dong Anh, known as "Disneyland" in Vietnam, Kim Quy Park in Vinh Ngoc Commune, Dong Anh, Hanoi started construction in September 2016. With a scale of about 100,000 m2 and a capital of about 4,600 billion VND, Kim Quy Park promises to be an international-class entertainment and event complex. However, until now it is still just an empty land, becoming a grazing place for local people.

Hoan Kiem Lake not only has cultural and historical significance, but for the people of Hanoi, it also has great spiritual significance and is considered the center of Hanoi, a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers. Photo: Xuan Tien.

Meanwhile, parks and lakes, which are considered the "green lungs" of the city, have not received proper investment. Large parks such as Thong Nhat, Bach Thao or Yen So have not yet fully exploited their potential, lacking public living space, many parks have recently been renovated. Some lakes in the city are being encroached upon, seriously polluted, reducing the ability to regulate the air.

Hanoi can learn from the experiences of many large cities in the world. Singapore has applied the "City in a Garden" strategy by integrating green space into all urban projects, from roads, residential areas to high-rise buildings. Paris has restored many forgotten parks, increased green areas on rooftops and balconies. Meanwhile, Tokyo has invested heavily in the public transport system, reducing pollution from private vehicles, contributing to improving air quality.

To be more effective, Hanoi needs a clear and long-term strategy to develop green spaces, to expand the green area per capita, to ensure that each district has enough parks and public playgrounds. New infrastructure projects must take into account natural factors, many apartment projects need to monitor the implementation of green space development, to avoid the situation of concrete overwhelming the green trees. At the same time, there needs to be a mechanism to encourage green buildings, rooftop gardens and green facades to make the most of urban space.

In addition, reducing emissions from traffic also plays an important role in improving air quality. Hanoi needs to promote the development of the public transport system, encourage people to use electric buses and bicycles instead of personal motorbikes. Walking streets and public spaces also need to be expanded to create a cleaner environment for people.

Deteriorating air quality is an issue that cannot be ignored. Without drastic measures now, Hanoi risks becoming one of the most polluted cities in the world, with serious consequences for health and the living environment. Investing in green spaces not only helps improve air quality but also enhances the quality of life, creating a modern Hanoi that is still in harmony with nature. It is time for the capital to have a real green revolution, making trees, parks and lakes a top priority in urban planning.

Note:

(1).https://cand.com.vn/su-kien-binh-luan-thoi-su/cay-xanh-ven-ho-guom-co-y-nghia-van-hoa-lich-su-can-co-phuong-an-giu-gin-tot-nhat--i762772/