Environment

UNESCO and the Japanese Government on Thursday signed an agreement to launch a project aimed at strengthening Vietnam’s capabilities in early warning and disaster risk mitigation.

Ho Chi Minh City will begin operating its first electric bus route in the Can Gio area on March 1, marking the start of a plan to convert all local buses to clean energy by the end of 2026.

Thai law enforcement officers have seized 11.75 kg of rhino horn from the luggage of a Vietnamese national at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Weather across Vietnam is expected to be generally favourable for the Lunar New Year or Tet travel and outdoor activities.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities have warned that air pollution is likely to worsen in the days leading up to Tet, despite generally favourable weather across southern Vietnam.

Authorities in Quang Tri Province are working on a plan to deal with a large whale carcass that has washed ashore and is already decomposing, local officials said on February 9.

A 27kg olive ridley sea turtle was rescued by a fisherman after becoming entangled in a fishing net off Cu Lao Cham, before being tagged and released back into the sea.

Hanoi is forecast to see rain and showers on February 8 as a strengthening cold front brings severe cold, with temperatures expected to drop to 10-12 degrees Celsius.

A public bicycle station in Ho Chi Minh City may be relocated after repeated contamination caused by pigeon droppings.

Authorities in Hue have ordered the removal of unauthorised structures at a farm tourism complex after inspections found extensive construction on agricultural land without approval.

Air pollution in Hanoi worsened on Friday, with the capital ranking as the world’s second most polluted city in the morning, air-quality data showed.

Hanoi will build two emergency underground water storage reservoirs to help ease urban flooding, with a combined investment of nearly VND 25 billion (USD 950,570).

Vietnam is expected to see fewer and milder typhoons this year than in 2025, with weather patterns pointing to lower storm activity in the latter half of 2026, authorities said.

Dense fog combined with poor air quality covered Hanoi on the morning of February 5, disrupting daily activities and reducing visibility across the city.

A strong cold spell is forecast to bring severe cold to northern Vietnam around February 8-9, with frost possible in high mountainous areas.

Rubbish has piled up across streets and alleys in Sam Son Ward in Thanh Hoa Province after the area’s largest landfill closed, leaving household waste uncollected for days.

A female moon bear weighing 120kg has been rescued after more than 25 years in captivity and transferred to a specialist care centre at Bach Ma National Park.

A 434-tonne floodgate at the Ben Nghe canal began operation on February 2, marking the restart of Ho Chi Minh City’s long-stalled USD 400 million tidal flood control project.

As Hanoi prepares to restrict petrol vehicles, officials say the shift to electric transport will not significantly strain the power system, though local pressure points remain a concern.