Vietnam is a densely populated Southeast Asian country sharing borders with Laos, Cambodia, and China. Vietnam is a developing country whose economy has long depended on agricultural exports but has recently begun producing large amounts of electronics, and textiles.
We’ll look at pollution in Vietnam on three different scales:
Summary of Pollution in Vietnam
According to Yale’s Environmental Performance Index (EPI) study of 2020, Vietnam falls towards the bottom end of the 180 countries evaluated at 141 out of 180 with a score of just 33.4 out of 100.
Download Full Report: Vietnam EPI Country Profile
Vietnam tends to rank slightly below world averages and regional averages in environmental health. While sanitation and drinking water are Vietnam’s strongest areas, they fall well behind in ecosystem services, and the overall air quality is below both the world and regional average.
Air Pollution in Vietnam
Air quality in Vietnam is poor compared to other countries evaluated. The air quality ranked 115 out of 180 with a score of 32 out of 100. This is because of the high amount of fine particulate matter, household solid fuels, and ozone exposure present in Vietnam.
The main sources of air pollution in Vietnam are:
- Transportation (fumes from cars and motorcycles)
- Industry
- Coal power plants
- Household coal and woodburning
In 2020, Vietnam had the 21st worst air quality out of 106 countries evaluated (measured by the amount of particulate matter), meaning that most days in Vietnam, the air quality can be hazardous for at-risk groups.
Learn more about air quality standards and measurement.
Water Pollution in Vietnam
Vietnam’s freshwater is relatively polluted compared to other countries. The main sources of pollution are:
- Untreated industrial wastewater
- Untreated household wastewater
- Exploitation of groundwater causing increased toxins in the drinking water supply
Compared to other countries, Vietnam ranks towards the low end in safe drinking water and has very poor wastewater management systems. Marine water is also polluted in Vietnam. In 2015, Vietnam was found to be the fourth largest contributor to marine plastic pollution.
Learn more about water pollution and how it is measured.
Water Quality in Vietnam
Drinking tap water in Vietnam is not recommended. The Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reported that 80% of diseases in Vietnam are caused by unsafe tap water. However, more Vietnamese citizens are beginning to have access to clean water as a result of government initiatives.
Drinking Water
- Rank: 64/180
- Score: 50.7
Wastewater Management
- Rank: 119/180
- Score: 0.3
Water quality in Vietnam is also affected by naturally occurring sediments in groundwater. In 2011, the WHO reported that 27% of wells in Vietnam were above the allotted amount of arsenic, and 44% were above the recommended amount of manganese. Both arsenic and manganese can cause serious health risks. The increased amounts of these toxins are due to the over-exploitation of water resources and lack of adequate water treatment infrastructure.
Land Pollution in Vietnam
Vietnam’s land is about as polluted as its water. Sources of land pollution in Vietnam include:
- Untreated wastewater leaching into the soil
- Dumping of industrial waste
- Household waste
- Deforestation for residential building or paper products
Note: While deforestation does not directly cause land pollution, the more ecosystems that are degraded, the further polluted the soil is because plants are not there to keep the soil healthy. Deforestation also makes way for residential or industrial buildings which further pollute the soil.
Solid Waste Management
- Rank: 95/180
- EPI Score: 22.8/100
Lead Exposure
- Rank: 92/180
- EPI Score: 47.8/100
Ecosystem Services
- Rank: 166/180
- EPI Score: 16.4/100
Vietnam scored low on all three of these metrics, but especially low on ecosystem services. This metric measures how much recent habitat loss has occurred in a country. Deforestation and habitat destruction have greatly increased due to Vietnam’s growing economy and population. Combined with improper waste management, this means that Vietnam’s land is relatively polluted compared to other countries.
Key Takeaways
Here’s what pollution looks like overall in Vietnam:
- Overall EPI Ranking: 141/180
- Air Pollution: High levels of pollution caused by coal-burning and cars and motorbikes.
- Air Pollution Rank: 141/180
- Water Pollution: Untreated drinking water in Vietnam causes disease, and groundwater contains toxic elements. The ocean is polluted by plastic waste.
- Drinking water ranking: 64/180
- Wastewater treatment ranking: 119/180
- Land Pollution: Untreated wastewater, plastic waste, household dumping, and habitat loss for development cause land pollution in Vietnam.
- Solid Waste Management Rank: 95/180
- Lead exposure ranking: 92/180
- Ecosystem Services rank: 166/180