Tag: HCMC
Plastic waste grows as authorities fail to act
Of some 60 tonnes plastic waste generated every day in Ho Chi Minh City, only 10 per cent of them recycled.
Into the Zone: SEZs in the Mekong Region, Income…or Instability? (Part 2)
While neighboring Thailand’s Special Economic Zones are now progressing without much public consultation or review, Myanmar may be moving in the opposite direction. Its three SEZs which were launched in the waning years of the junta, are now under the direction of the civilian government fully aware of concerns raised by communities and independent researchers, and inclined to take stock of what their predecessors set in motion. At issue are a whole range of social and environmental grievances, as well as the viability of the projects themselves and to what extent they reflect the new leadership’s priorities.
Securing the Mekong Delta water supply
The current severe drought and rise in sea level has caused saline intrusion in the Sai Gon and Dong Nai rivers. The two rivers supply raw water to more than 10 million residents and to businesses.
The high saline rate along with household and industrial pollutants in the river water has threatened the city’s water supply.
Water treatment plants in HCM City have had to shut down numerous times because raw water taken from the Sai Gon and Dong Nai was below standard.
The salinity rate in the rivers is at the highest level of the last five years, affecting operations of some of the pumping stations that supply water to the city.
Water pollution has become more serious in the Dong Nai River, which supplies 4,000 cu.m water per person in HCM City each year.