Overflowing landfills pose health risks to residents in Vietnam’s Dak Nong

At the Dak Mam landfill in Krong No District, locals said the smoke and stench from burning trash make daily life unbearable.

“We can’t breathe, but we still have to work in the fields,” said Nguyen Thi Anh, a resident of Dak Mam town, while standing in her coffee field near the smoldering landfill on Thursday morning.

The Dak Mam landfill, active for over 10 years and perched on a hilltop, has been overwhelmed.

Constant white smoke and foul odors infiltrated nearby homes.

Residents, including children, reported chronic coughing and fatigue.

Many families had to keep windows shut all day and wear masks like they did during the peak COVID-19 days.

Tran Thi Suu, who lives just 100 meters away from the site, recounted losing her son to a stroke near the landfill and her husband to lung cancer.

“We wear masks 24/7, except when we eat,” she said.

During the rainy season, black wastewater from the landfill floods into nearby neighborhoods, raising fears of contaminated drinking water.

“In 2017, all the fish in my pond died from runoff,” said Pham Van Phuong, whose plot of land lies just below the dump.

Local authorities acknowledge the severity.

“The [Dak Mam] landfill is overloaded and cannot be handled properly,” said Nguyen Hoang Khoi, chairman of the Dak Mam town administration.

Plans to expand the site from two to 5.5 hectares have stalled due to concerns over worsened pollution and unresolved land clearance.

Doan Gia Loc, head of the district’s environment and agriculture sub-department, said the district will dig temporary waste pits at the existing site to cope with the situation.

The town administration will be responsible for implementation and funding, Loc added.

Severe pollution was also reported at the Dak Lao landfill in Dak Mil District, where lots of local inhabitants experienced respiratory issues.

“Our gardens were blanketed in smoke from the landfill during the dry season,” said Do Tan Cuong, a nearby resident.

This 2.8-hectare site, put into operation in 2011, receives around 50 metric tons of unsegregated waste daily.

Fires have broken out regularly since early this year due to excess trash, uneven terrain, and a lack of proper equipment.

Nguyen Quoc Dung, vice-chairman of the Dak Mil People’s Committee, said the district’s administration has contracted a waste burial unit using environmental funds and instructed local officials to inspect and prevent illegal burning and dumping along highways.

The district is seeking investors for an 8.2-hectare waste treatment and recycling facility, already listed in the province’s 2024 investment attraction plan.

In the meantime, the district urged provincial leaders to fast-track the facility’s construction and ensure the current landfill is closed in compliance with regulations.

Elsewhere in Dak Nong, two more landfills are posing environmental threats.

A 44-hectare former airstrip in the provincial city of Gia Nghia has become an illegal dumping ground for household waste, construction debris, and animal carcasses.

Despite its central location near markets, the area remains polluted due to delays in a planned commercial development.

Meanwhile, the 0.5-hectare landfill in Kien Duc town receives 15-20 metric tons of waste daily but lacks any leachate or gas treatment system.

Frequent open-air burning disperses smoke and foul smells, affecting hundreds of nearby households.

Despite being ordered to shut down in 2018, the site remains in operation.