1 AIT Asian Institute of Technology

A study to explore application of regulatory and economic instruments in solid waste management in Hanoi city

AuthorTran Thi Kim Dung
Call NumberAIT Thesis no.UE-98-4
Subject(s)Refuse and refuse disposal--Vietnam--Hanoi--Economic aspects

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
AbstractSolid waste has become a serious management problem in the city of Hanoi due to growing population and increasing economic activities. Shortage of and limited access to basic waste management infrastructure and services are major barrier to effective management of solid wastes in the city. The existing system of providing solid waste services by the municipality at a very low charge and poor management has aggravated the problem. More than 40 percent of the generated solid wastes remain uncollected and are disposed haphazardly. As a result, solid waste is a major contributor in accelerating the deterioration of the environment, thereby degrading the quality of life of the city residents. This study reviews the solid waste management in Hanoi City for exploring the scope of greater application of regulatory and economic instruments - the basis tools for environmental protection - for improving solid waste management. The study findings show that Hanoi People's Committee (HPC) and Hanoi Urban Environmental Company (URENCO) are inadequate to provide comprehensive SWM services. Residents often discharge and litter the wastes in the side of roads and streets. HPC and URENCO have not been able to deal with the solid waste problems due to poor organizational structure, shortage of technical and trained manpower, lack of people's awareness, inadequate community participation, and limitation of resources and facilities. The legal and regulatory framework is incomplete. Simultaneously, it reflects existing overlapping responsibilities, and inconsistencies. The most serious problems include major gaps in regulations and fragmentation of responsibilities amongst many agencies. This study shows that the application of regulatory and economic instruments is currently very limited to the solid waste management sector in Hanoi. The household survey and interviews conducted for the study suggest that there is willingness to pay for an improved service but the government and local authorities have not fully exploited this opportunity. Findings of this study reveal that inadequate service charge, inappropriate pricing system, and overall mismanagement have widened the gap between the service need and the service offered. There is no comprehensive and specific legislation that covers solid waste management from the collection to disposal. The existing acts do not contain even reference to standards, solid waste plan, subsidies or incentives for promoting environmentally sound waste reflected behavior and practices The study recommends guidelines for the application of the regulatory and economic instruments in SWM to provide incentives, applying standard in different stages of SWM, and collection and disposal charges to raise revenue, strengthening deposit refund system, preparation of SWM plan.
Year1999
TypeThesis
SchoolSchool of Environment, Resources, and Development
DepartmentDepartment of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC))
Academic Program/FoSUrban Environmental and Management (UE)
Chairperson(s)Nurul Amin, A.T.M;
Examination Committee(s)Morishita, Hideharu ;Nguyen Luong Bach ;
Scholarship Donor(s)Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC);
DegreeThesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1999


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