Exploring the Relationship between Economic Activity and Air Pollution in Hanoi

Following the series of research articles on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, VinUni’s faculty has published an article about Hanoi’s air quality during the pandemic on Devpolicy Blog*.

The article written by Dr Le Vu Quan, Dr Jason Nguyen and Dr Jasmine Trang Ha suggests that, despite the economic setback, the three-week social distancing has brought cleaner and clearer skies back to Hanoi. The lockdown undoubtedly stalled the economy, as major activities, including industrial manufacturing and transportation, are reduced at significant levels.

The analysis focuses on the relationship between the intensity of economic activities (agricultural production [emissions from livestock and fertilizer], industrial manufacturing activities and road traffic) and the average daily concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from January to April 2020. Overall, air quality improved significantly in March and April compared to February and the same period last year. This is due to significantly reduced economic activities during the pandemic and social distancing. Among the various contributors to air pollution, agricultural business appears to have a minimal impact on air pollution while industrial manufacturing activities and road traffic seem to contribute greatly to the air pollution issue in Hanoi.

The analysis suggests that each country’s sustainable development requires maintaining economic growth, while minimizing negative environmental impact at the same time.

Read the full article here: https://devpolicy.org/air-quality-in-hanoi-during-the-pandemic-20200615-1/
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* Established in September 2010, the Devpolicy Blog provides a platform for the best in aid and development analysis, research and policy comment, with global coverage and a focus on Australia, the Pacific and Papua New Guinea. As of November 2019, Devpolicy has published more than 3,050 posts from more than 850 contributors. The blog is run out of the Development Policy Centre housed in the Crawford School of Public Policy in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific at The Australian National University.