Dong Nai aims to become Southern Vietnam’s leading green city

On May 28, the Dong Nai City People’s Committee held the 2026 Dong Nai City Environment Conference to review environmental management and protection efforts during the 2021–2025 period and outline key directions and priorities for 2026–2030.

Nguyen Tuan Anh, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai City People’s Committee, speaks at the conference. Photo: Hoang Loc

Nguyen Tuan Anh, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai City People’s Committee and Tran Trong Toan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DoAE), co-chaired the conference.

Reporting at the conference, Tran Trong Toan said Dong Nai had achieved encouraging results in environmental protection during the 2021–2025 period. Public and business awareness of environmental protection had steadily improved, while inspections, compliance checks and enforcement efforts had been strengthened. Meanwhile, initiatives on waste sorting at source, plastic waste reduction, the circular economy and green transition had been rolled out across localities and enterprises.

An overview of the conference. Photo: Hoang Loc.

Dong Nai currently has 58 industrial parks covering nearly 22,000 hectares, of which 42 have completed centralized wastewater treatment systems that meet environmental standards. In addition, the city has built a relatively integrated environmental monitoring network with hundreds of monitoring points for surface water, groundwater, air and soil, supported by automated monitoring stations serving environmental oversight.

According to monitoring results for 2021–2025, soil and groundwater quality has shown no major signs of pollution, while surface water quality in areas supplying domestic water has met required standards. Air quality has also remained within permissible limits.

In the field of solid waste management, collection and treatment rates for ordinary industrial waste, hazardous waste and medical waste reached 100%, whereas the collection and treatment rate for domestic solid waste stood at nearly 79%. The city currently has 12 domestic solid waste treatment projects, several of which are being implemented using modern, low-emission technologies.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Phuoc Dan of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology – Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City contributes ideas at the conference. Photo: Hoang Loc.

A representative of C.P. Vietnam Corporation shares the company’s circular economy strategy and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Photo: Hoang Loc.

During the 2021–2025 period, relevant authorities detected and sanctioned more than 1,000 establishments for environmental violations, with total fines exceeding VND163 billion. Waste-generating operations lacking environmental permits were suspended at 62 facilities.

Nevertheless, environmental protection efforts continue to face considerable challenges. Pressure from industrial development, rapid urbanization and population growth is placing a heavy burden on environmental infrastructure, particularly domestic wastewater collection and treatment systems as well as municipal solid waste management. Several industrial clusters have yet to complete environmental protection infrastructure, waste sorting at source remains inconsistent, and localized pollution still occurs in some areas.

At the conference, representatives from localities, businesses and environmental experts also shared experiences, solutions and policy recommendations to help Dong Nai evolve into a green and sustainable city.

Leaders of Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio, Television (DNNRTV), together with leaders of the DoAE, sign a cooperation program on environmental protection and climate change response in support of sustainable socio-economic development in Dong Nai during 2026–2030. Photo by Hoang Loc.

Representatives of participating agencies shake hands to demonstrate their commitment to implementing the cooperation program on environmental protection and climate change response in support of sustainable socio-economic development in Dong Nai during 2026–2030. Photo by Hoang Loc.

Looking ahead, Dong Nai City has identified environmental protection as a prerequisite for sustainable development in the 2026–2030 period, with the ambition of becoming southern Vietnam’s leading green urban center. The city will continue refining environmental governance mechanisms and policies, accelerating digital transformation in the environmental sector, strengthening pollution control, investing in wastewater and solid waste treatment infrastructure, and promoting the development of green economy, circular economy and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Addressing the conference, Nguyen Tuan Anh said Dong Nai now covers a vast area, supported by a rapidly expanding industrial-urban system and major strategic infrastructure advantages, including Long Thanh International Airport, expressway networks, river systems, special-use forests and ecologically important zones across the Southeast region. However, rapid development has also created mounting pressure on resource management, environmental protection and pollution control. This requires departments, sectors and localities to further turn policy directions into concrete action, strengthen coordination in pollution control and waste management, and raise public awareness of environmental protection. At the same time, greater social resources must be mobilized to invest in environmental infrastructure in a synchronized, modern and sustainable manner.

“Environmental protection is not only an immediate requirement but a decisive factor in long-term sustainable development. I am confident that with the commitment of the entire political system, the support of the business community and the active participation of the public, Dong Nai City will continue making meaningful progress in environmental protection, helping build a greener, more civilized, modern and sustainable city,” he said.

Organizations honored for outstanding achievements in implementing the joint coordination program on proactive environmental protection and climate change response in support of sustainable socio-economic development during 2021–2025. Photo by Hoang Loc.

Individuals honored for outstanding achievements in implementing the joint coordination program on proactive environmental protection and climate change response in support of sustainable socio-economic development during 2021–2025. Photo by Hoang Loc.

At the conference, the City People’s Committee commended numerous organizations and individuals for their outstanding achievements in implementing the joint coordination program on proactive environmental protection and climate change response in support of sustainable socio-economic development during 2021–2025.

The DoAE, the Dong Nai municipal Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee’s Standing Committee, mass organizations, socio-political organizations, associations, and the DNNRTV signed a cooperation program on environmental protection and climate change response in support of sustainable socio-economic development in Dong Nai during 2026–2030.

By H. Loc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha