This move comes at a time when numerous cities are struggling withenvironmental issues, such as air pollution, poor sewage management and alack of green space, a seminar in Hanoi heard on September 9.
Issues such as green urban planning, and the management of waste andpollution produced by transport, industrial production, businesses andhouseholds, have yet been addressed properly or discussed by the public,experts said.
The Environment General Departmentunder the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment issued a setof criteria to evaluate the level of environmental sustainability inVietnamese cities, Deputy Minister Bui Cach Tuyen said.
The indicators facilitate the assessment and recognition of urbanareas that prioritise environmental protection in line with the globaltrend towards sustainable cities.
The central cityof Da Nang and the imperial city of Hue won the “ASEAN EnvironmentallySustainable City” Award in 2011 and 2014, respectively, thanks to theirclean air, water and urban spaces as well as the municipalities’ effortsto improve and protect the environment.-VNA