Reduce Vehicle Emissions in Vietnam

Abstract:

Pollution from mobile emission sources is a growing environmental problem in Vietnam. These emissions tend to be concentrated in cities where vehicle quantity and use are highest, and have resulted in deteriorating air quality. Air pollution is also concentrated in traffic congestions points, along traffic thoroughfares, and adjacent locales where people live and work, and is particularly high in areas with high motorcycle numbers and traffic, a situation typical of the region.
Within 10 recent years, the number of vehicle has increased by 4 times, thus the annual average growth of motorbikes is 16.42 percent and that of automobile is 10.08 percent. Arccording to the transport demand forecast, volume of cargo transport will be increasing 1.5 times by 2010 and 3 times by 2020 and also that of passenger transport is 1.5 times by 2010 and 5 times by 2020. With this augment, vehicle emissions will be doubled by 2020, therefore serious negative impacts on community health will be increasing rapidly.
To reduce vehicle emissions, The Ministry of Transport(MOT) has adopted a overall framework plan for Improvement of Urban Air Quality which is the Program No.23 of the National Environment Protection Strategy by 2010 and vision 2020, that includes 8 projects in which the Motorcycle Emission Control in Major Cities Program (MECCP) has been supported by the Swiss Vietnamese Clean Air Program (SVCAP) for study. On the other hand, with highly supports of United Nations Centre for Regional Development(UNCRD) in 2007, Environment Department (MONRE) and Science and Technology Department (MOT) have been drafted the “National Strategy on Sustainable Transport Dvelopment with Environment by 2020” , that includes major measures as Tightening Emissions Standards, Improving Inspection and Maintenance, Tightening Fuel Standards and Promoting Alternative Fuels use, Transport Management and Institutional Strengthening. This presentation reviews the current status of air pollution from transport and measures to reduce vehicle emission in Vietnam at present and for the near future.

Keywords: vehicle emissions, transport, air pollution, environment.