Develop a clean air action plan based on scientific data: a case of Ho Chi Minh city

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has quickly become a modernized and industrialized city undergoing a rapid population growth affecting on the local environment, especially the air quality and human health. It's urgent need to have a Clean Air Action Plan (CAP) for HCMC. The aim of this research is to develop a clean air plan for HCMC based on scientific basis by integrating results of emissions inventory, air emssion loading capacties and results of the impact of air pollution on people's health. This research applied the Clean Air For Smaller City in ASEAN Region project (CASC) method of Germany to develop the CAP. Emission inventory resulted from the integration of two approaches of bottom-up and top-down. The results of simulation of air pollution dispersion and air emission loading capacities were from the TAPM-CTM model system. Method of calculating the impact of air pollution on the health of people in Ho Chi Minh City was based on BENMAP model theory. The results showed that the source of traffic accounts for the largest emissions of all pollutants, contributed respectively, 99%, 97%, 93%, 78%, 23%, 64% and 45% of total CO, NMVOC emissions, NOx, SO2, TSP, CH4, and PM2:5 of the whole HCMC. For some central areas, the city was no longer able to receive more emissions of CO and NOx. Assessing the impact of air pollution on health showed that the great impact of PM2:5 on public health accounted for 81.45% of the total deaths caused by all three pollutants ( PM2:5, SO2, NO2). Finally, a CAP was suggested with 13 proposals and 1 recommendation for reducing air pollution in HCMC for the period of 2020–2025. This is the first comprehensive study on CAP in Vietnam. This result supports government authorities to promulgate plans and actions to reduce emissions protecting human health and the environment for a sustainable development.