USAID Uses a Collective Impact Approach to Help Vietnam Tackle Air Pollution

Every winter, northern Vietnam struggles with air pollution, with ten provinces experiencing unhealthy levels of air pollution. To help Vietnam develop effective solutions to improve air quality, on January 7th, USAID’s new Reducing Pollution project and the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) held a Scoping Workshop on “Collective Impact for Air Pollution Reduction” for the Northern Region of Vietnam. The online workshop engaged more than 70 participants from targeted national and provincial government agencies, Vietnamese NGOs, private sector actors, and environmental groups. Participants analyzed the key air pollution challenges and identified key stakeholders for collaborative solutions. The group highlighted the need for more comprehensive air pollution data, the negative impacts of air pollution on human health, and the challenges of improving coordination between provinces and regional national governments to address transboundary air pollution. USAID will combine the inputs from this workshop with additional analysis to develop the foundation for a collective impact initiative to tackle air pollution in Vietnam.

Air pollution is a critical environmental and public health issue in Vietnam, with the WHO reporting around 60,000 air pollution-related deaths in Vietnam each year. USAID’s collective impact approach is bringing together diverse stakeholders to develop locally-led solutions to reduce air pollution, protect human health, and support economic growth.

This was originally published by USAID Vietnam on January 14, 2022.