Viet Nam has recorded success in wastewater treatment

1. Current situation of water pollution in Vietnam

Nowadays, with a growing life, domestic or industrial wastewater increases exponentially. The greater the amount of wastewater, the water treatment system does not meet the demand, leading to direct discharge to the environment. Therefore, the situation of water pollution in Vietnam is at an alarming rate.

Although all levels and sectors have made great efforts to implement policies and laws on environmental protection in general and the water environment in particular, environmental pollution is a very worrying issue. With the rapid speed of industrialization and urbanization, along with the population growth, there is increasing pressure on the water environment of Vietnam.

Vietnam with more than 2,360 rivers and streams of more than 10km long and thousands of lakes and ponds. With the current dizzying urbanization situation, along with the huge amount of waste, garbage, and wastewater entering the environment. Types of domestic wastewater, hospital wastewater, industrial wastewater entering the environment without being treated will seriously destroy the environment, directly affecting people's lives.

Municipal wastewater is the largest contributor to water pollution, with only 12.5% ​​of urban wastewater treated before being discharged into the environment. This is a consequence of its long history of neglecting the treatment of drainage water and wastewater in urban areas. Due to the prevalence of combined sewer systems (collectively for both wastewater and rainwater), domestic wastewater accounts for 30% of the wastewater discharged into lakes, canals, and rivers. Cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are discharged into the environment about 700,000 - 900,000m3/day. This situation is the result of low rates of connection to the drainage network; lack of large-scale investment in wastewater collection and treatment; lack of interest in wastewater reuse; low wastewater charges are not enough to cover costs; and ineffective management system.

2. Wastewater treatment achievements

Recently, there are many cooperative projects and new technologies with high efficiency, contributing significantly to minimizing negative impacts on the environment. For example, the result of the most recent ESCANBER project (cooperation between Vietnam and Japan) is the successful development of advanced technology to treat wastewater from factories, actively contributing to reducing greenhouse gases and recovering methane to make use of it as fuel. Moreover, an equally promising study is turning domestic wastewater, wastewater from the toilet into electricity.

The law against water pollution in Vietnam also establishes measures to limit the consequences of leading water pollution such as wastewater and industrial waste treatment and waste management. These laws have been directed to markets, industry, hospitals, schools, and local councils.

Farmers have developed and put into practice nutrient management plans to limit the application of excess nutrients thereby reducing the potential for groundwater contamination from phosphates and nitrates. The effects of pesticides and herbicides are managed using integrated pest management (IPM) techniques such as biological pest control to control pests and reduce dependence on pesticide deep chemistry. All manufacturing industries ensure they have a well-designed treatment facility that can prevent water pollution by cooling, treating, and removing all the hazardous components of waste into water. Individuals and organizations aware of the dangers of water pollution can educate family, friends, and even society through campaigning to make an impact on a large scale.

Nguyen Lan Nhi

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References

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