Ho Chi Minh City department proposes installing 157 air quality monitoring stations

According to the department, after the administrative merger of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Binh Duong in July, the expanded southern metropolis has entered a new development phase, with a population of about 14 million and nearly 12.7 million vehicles.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have sharply increased environmental pressure, with air pollution emerging as one of the city's most pressing challenges.

Monitoring data from the 2021-25 period show that air pollution remains complex.

Concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and noise levels frequently exceeded national standards in central urban areas, major traffic intersections, and zones with intensive industrial and construction activity.

Major pollution sources include road traffic, industrial production, construction activities, and residential emissions, along with transboundary impacts from neighboring provinces such as former Long An and Dong Nai.

Water quality in the Saigon and Dong Nai river systems continues to be affected by organic, nutrient, and microbiological pollution in several sections, while many inner-city canals remain under strain from untreated domestic wastewater.

Coastal waters, particularly in Can Gio and Vung Tau, are facing increasing pressure from maritime transport, port development, tourism, and aquaculture.

Beyond pollution, the city is also confronting land degradation, sediment contamination, groundwater depletion, and land subsidence.

The proposed 2026 monitoring program is designed to integrate and carry forward monitoring networks from the three localities prior to their merger, in line with existing legal frameworks.

The program aims to generate reliable scientific data for pollution monitoring, early warning systems, and evidence-based policymaking to support sustainable urban development.