France invests €480,000 in Project Hanoi Respire to combat air pollution

"Air pollution is one of the major challenges facing many cities worldwide, including Hanoi. This is not merely an environmental issue but a factor that directly impacts public health, the citizens' quality of life, and the capital's attractiveness for investment and sustainable development," emphasized Mr. Nguyen Minh Tan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment.

In recent years, Hanoi has implemented various measures to control and improve air quality. However, according to technical experts, air pollution remains a complex challenge that is multi-source, multi-sectoral, and varies across space and time. Consequently, current requirements have moved beyond mere status monitoring to the need for analytical tools that can identify major emission sources, forecast pollution trends, and evaluate policy effectiveness both before and after implementation.

Project Hanoi Respire by FASEP is a practical initiative that helps strengthen the city's air quality management capacity. The project is built upon technical cooperation between the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment and SUEZ ARIA Technologies (France), within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding approved by the City People's Committee. The project, funded by a non-refundable aid package of approximately €480,000 from partners, will be implemented over 18 months.

Within the project scope, the parties will assist Hanoi in applying modeling tools to identify sources of air pollution emissions, conducting air quality forecasting research, and assessing the socio-economic impacts of management solutions. Notably, the project will pilot a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) - an environmental management tool widely adopted by major cities worldwide.

Furthermore, the project aims to build an integrated air quality management system that supports the city in managing peak pollution episodes and provides databases and tools for governance and policymaking.

The French representative at the meeting affirmed that the project is a testament to the effective cooperation between the two sides in environmental and sustainable development. Organizations such as the French Development Agency (AFD), the Research Institute for Development (IRD), and relevant partners have committed to providing technical support to ensure the project operates at maximum efficiency.

Participants at the conference reached a consensus that implementing the project will not only enhance the city's air pollution forecasting and control capacities but also lay a scientific foundation for developing focused, practical, and evidence-based environmental policies.

Furthermore, the project opens up opportunities to mobilize additional resources from international organizations such as the World Bank and the European Union to scale up its size and scope in the future.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tan added that, with close coordination between domestic and international agencies and organizations, Project Hanoi Respire will significantly contribute to improving air quality, aiming to build a green, clean, and sustainably developed capital.