Hanoi has set a target of growing around 554,000 trees this year, making it a key part to cool down urban heat in the capital city and improve the living environment of local residents.

Nearly 24,000 trees were planted in the city in the first quarter of this year, according to a report of the municipal Department of Construction.

The new trees have been planted at historical and cultural relics, new urban buildings, public works, schools, hospitals, parks, and along roads.

Tens of thousands of trees are planted along Thang Long Avenue, one of the main entrances to Hanoi. Photo: Ba Do

Community encouraged to join hands

The insiders have stressed that the more trees an urban area has, the higher cultural and tourist values are, especially the greater contribution to protecting the environment and improving people’s life quality.

However, only relevant agencies have been in charge of planting, protecting, and taking care of trees. Therefore, local authorities are making efforts to involve local residents in planting new trees and protecting trees to form a solid "shield" to protect the environment.

Director of the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development Bui Thi An said that each individual, organization, and business must be responsible for contributing to greening the city.

"It's time that each person needs to focus on managing, caring, and pruning trees to ensure safety in the storm season and create an environmentally friendly city,” An told The Hanoi Times.

Various plants grown on Pham Van Dong Street in Hanoi. Photo: Ba Do

More trees in the capital city not only make Hanoi greener and refresh the air, but also contribute to shading the streets, preventing sunlight, curbing the harmful effects of radiation on people, especially on hot days, she added.

Greenery development has been Hanoi’s priority to improve micro-climate, architectural space, and urban landscape.

A report showed that over 1.6 million trees have been planted in the last five years (2016-2020), far exceeding a program target of one million. At the end of 2018, the program’s target of planting one million trees had already been met. In 2019-2020, another 600,000 trees were grown.

Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE) Pham Ngoc Dang cited that many streets of Hanoi, including Pham Van Dong, Vo Chi Cong, Van Cao, Hoang Quoc Viet and Thang Long Avenue, have become much "greener" thanks to the program.

Dang told The Hanoi Times that the trees create green belts and green spaces, which help regulate the atmosphere, filter the air and provide shade.

“The program also helped reorganize pavements and other relevant structures to create flower beds and rows of trees,” Dang said.

He added that the tree planting program was a groundbreaking idea, not just for the capital but also for the whole country.

The Vietnamese Government has approved a program developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to plant a billion trees until 2025, with 690 million in urban and rural areas and the rest for reforestation purposes.