Vietnam's capital Hanoi is grappling with severe air pollution caused by industrial activity, scooters, and vehicles, with smog posing serious health risks to residents. Despite some government actions to reduce emissions, experts say more needs to be done.
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00:00A thick veil of smog over Vietnam's capital city of Hanoi, the gray haze making some buildings
00:06barely visible from afar.
00:09More and more, the city's air quality has been categorized as unhealthy, largely because
00:13of a high concentration of PM2.5, tiny particles in the air which can penetrate deep into people's
00:19lungs and cause serious diseases.
00:21Vietnam's air pollution has been a problem for years, and it's especially bad in Hanoi.
00:39One air quality monitor has ranked it among the most polluted cities in the world.
00:42UN experts say air pollution is responsible for at least 70,000 deaths per year in Vietnam
00:48and has shortened the country's average lifespan by more than one year.
01:07The microscopic particulate pollution in Hanoi's air mainly comes from emissions from the city's
01:11millions of cars and motorbikes, as well as industry and construction, a government official
01:16told local media.
01:18Vietnam has taken some action, aiming to bring net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050,
01:24and proposing a plan to restrict high-polluting vehicles in some areas.
01:28But UN experts say the country can still do more to address air pollution.
01:32For now, ordinary people have no choice but to breathe in the smog.
01:36Isen Chen and Cadence Cuaranta for Taiwan Plus.
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