1 AIT Asian Institute of Technology

Strategies for improving the wastewater management in Thuong Dinh industrial area in Hanoi, Vietnam

AuthorNguyen Quoc Cong
Call NumberAIT Thesis no.UE-00-08
Subject(s)Factory and trade wastes--Environmental aspects--Vietnam--Hanoi
NoteA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development
PublisherAsian Institute of Technology
AbstractHanoi is blessed with huge amount of water available through the rivers, canals and ground water. Unfortunately, improperly treated and untreated industrial wastewater discharged into water bodies is increasingly leading to water pollution and negative effects on human health in Hanoi city. The wastewater of Thuong Dinh Industrial Area (TDIA), discharged into the water bodies, is about 25,000 to 30,000 cubic meters per day. This is one of the major reasons for deterioration of the water quality of To Lich river in TDIA. In this background, this research has been carried out to find out the strategies for improving the wastewater management in TDIA. TDIA was established by the Government in 1958. It is the biggest and oldest industrial area of Hanoi city. There are several residential areas in and around TDIA. This situation creates several negative impacts on living environment of the residents. It also creates difficulty for the management of wastewater in TDIA. The research for investigating the above problem and seeking its solution involved (a) conducting a sample survey among three groups of people identified as of central importance to the study, (b) field observations, ( c) collection of information, and ( d) holding informal discussions with the technical personals and government officials related with the industrial wastewater management in TDIA. Analysis and discussion of the colleted data and information show that the surface water quality and living environment in TDIA is affected by TDIA's wastewater. This research reveals that the problem has four dimensions: managerial, financial, technical and behavioral. The managerial problem is manifested in the failure of regulatory and institutional framework to perform efficiently for controlling wastewater pollution from the industry. The financial problem is reflected in a lack of the investment to build, operate and maintain the infrastructure system for wastewater management. The technical problem arises from the lack of know-how for better use of the resources in the manufacturing process. The backward and old technology also increases wastewater flow. There is no central wastewater treatment plant in TDIA. Also, many enterprises do not have their own individual wastewater treatment facility. The behavioral problem originates from the lack of an incentive for adoption of better process and lack of enforcement for wastewater management. Based on a review of the existing situation and analyzing the scope of application of regulatory, institutional, financial and technical instruments, the strategies for improving the wastewater management of TDIA have been developed. These are (a) improving the regulations and institutional capacity to manage wastewater at local level, (b) improving the application of economic instmments, (c) relocating the heavy polluting enterprises away from TDIA, ( d) promoting and enforcing the wastewater treatment in Thuong Dinh Industrial Area, (e) promoting the application of cleaner production and waste minimization in TDIA, and (f) increasing the environmental awareness and participation among the stakeholders.
Year2001
TypeThesis
SchoolSchool of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD)
DepartmentDepartment of Development and Sustainability (DDS)
Academic Program/FoSUrban Environmental and Management (UE)
Chairperson(s) Amin, A.T.M. Nurul
Examination Committee(s)Zimmermann, Willi ;Nguyen Cong Thanh
Scholarship Donor(s)Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Canadian International Development Agency and Canadian Universities Consortium (CIDA-CUC)
DegreeThesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001


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