Air pollution has become a significant concern for people living in Vietnam’s biggest cities due to its impacts on health, particularly for children. To address this, on November 27, USAID’s Clean Air Green Cities project teamed up with Hanoi’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) to organize a workshop that focused on the significance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. The workshop, which was attended by 150 representatives from government agencies, private sector institutions, non-governmental organizations, and research institutes, highlighted key results of air quality related projects in Hanoi. Representatives from Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, GIZ, World Bank, USAID’s implementing partner Live & Learn, and local civil society organizations presented challenges and achievements in air quality management in Hanoi by examining information technology solutions and community initiatives on air quality monitoring and waste management.

So What? Workshops like this are critical to addressing Vietnam’s air pollution problems as it facilitated dialogue and exchanges that strengthened the linkages between a diverse set of stakeholders, including policy makers, NGOs, and practitioners of air quality and environmental health in Hanoi.