Accompanied by Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Nga as interpreter, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Anh explained Danang’s waste management issues, and his Action Plan to tackle them with increased public participation.

1. The City

The city of Danang is considered an important gateway to the sea of the East-West Economic Corridor, which includes Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Its advantageous geographic location has facilitated quick and sustainable socio-economic development along with other Northeast Asian cities. 

Since 2004, Danang’s urban greenery has been increased under the project “Planning of Verdure Development in Danang City by 2010”. Previously, natural disasters and urban development had depleted the city’s greenery, but through the project, 16,950 trees have been planted, and 33,749 different kinds of tree now line 250 streets and 15 residential areas. In 2007, the number of newly planted trees reached that of trees cut down. 

Until 1975, Danang was a relatively small city, and the demand for collection and treatment of domestic waste was not a significant issue. A decade later, with Danang’s landfill overflowing, city leaders made plans for a sanitary solid waste landfill, and established the Urban Environmental Company (URENCO) to collect and treat the city’s solid wastes. Garbage transit storage (entrepot) stations were moved away form the urban area, which reduced odor pollution in the city. 

The 2000 Drainage and Environmental Sanitation Project was supported by the World Bank, with a total budget of 43 million USD. This project constructed a new 54ha sanitary landfill, an urban sewage system, and four waste water treatment plants, which went into operation in January 2008. Also, a new incinerator able to combust clinical waste at up to 100kg/hour has been established by the Danang Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Danang DONRE). 

Now, investment and improvements in collection and treatment, such as the strategic placing of 5,000 bins around the city, mean that solid waste is no longer polluting the streets. 

Between 1990 and 2000, the total amount of solid waste in Danang doubled (from 70,000 tons to 135,000 tons), and is predicted to rise to 365,000 ton/year in 2010, reaching 1kg/person/day. At the city’s landfill, around 450-500 local people gather and recycle up to 10% of the solid waste, which they then separate, clean and sell to the manufacturing industry. The soil covered landfill is odor polluted, however, posing a threat to the environment and health of the local residents, who are complaining of the odors. 

Actively involved with the activities of Danang People’s Committee (in part through AUICK’s City University Partnership), The University of Danang has designed a solid waste transport motorbike that uses liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). These bikes can replace the delivery tricycle to reach the narrow paths and residential areas. 

The university has also proposed the applying of semi-automatic lines for the separation of solid waste. By using manpower to separate the waste, the system creates jobs and improves effectiveness. Organic waste separated by the system will also produce compost for the agricultural sector. 

DONRE and URENCO collaborate to raise awareness among residents, so that domestic waste is separated at its source for a more comprehensive recycling process. 

The city currently faces the challenge of 35,000 tons of annually uncollected waste. URENCO can collect 85% of the city’s solid waste, but this needs to be increased. Some industrial waste is dumped illegally, and only around 30% of hospitals implement pre-landfill treatment of their waste. 

Untreated solid waste water leaks directly into the environment, seriously polluting underground water layers, as well as Phu Loc River and surrounding beaches. 

City leaders have some guidelines for the collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste, but feasible policies to attract the investment of solid waste management are lacking. Modern international waste management methods need to be adopted, and long-term strategies and planning of solid waste management are needed, as is more participation by organizations and individuals. 

Improvements are required in the financial norms for collection and transportation, and more engineers and experts are required. 

Furthermore, policies related to solid waste and urban greenery management are still unclear, unspecific, and unsanctioned, so practical demands go unmet. 

In terms of greening the city, planning and development will be improved with more involvement of schools, offices and citizens. Moreover, a culture of cooperation between government and resident is required.

A Danang resident is introduced to the household solid waste separation program

The objective has been to increase garbage selection for usable material networks in 2008, so that garbage is decreased by 2 tons/day, with the participation of restaurants, markets, government facilities and other places that produce food remnants. Special teams collect material for liquid fertilizer and compost, and farmer groups are responsible for liquid fertilizer promotion and utilization, with Khon Kaen Municipality promoting and evaluating the scheme, as well as providing support for equipment and funds. 

Since the start of the scheme in 2005, garbage selection material has increased from only 48 tons/year, to 336 tons/year (in 2007). A target of 2 tons per day is set for 2008. 

A current problem for the municipality is the limited landfill area for an increasing amount of garbage, and the environmental and health problems caused by this limitation. A new site has not yet been found due to public demonstrations, so the feasibility of the incineration process and using energy to produce electricity is being studied. New proposals for community garbage are also being assessed, with the Central Environmental Fund and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. 

Some issues have been solved, such as the odors and leachate flow from waste sites to agricultural land, as well as the health problems experienced by surrounding residents, but long term solutions are still lacking.

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1. The Proposed Action Plan

The Action Plan formulated by Dr. Nguyen Dinh Anh aims to increase the collection of domestic waste to 95% by July 2010, and in doing so, improve the air and river water quality, as well as the urban environment and the health of citizens. 

Support from local authorities and experts from Danang University will enable research toward a more effective system for waste disposal. National and international experts will also be consulted as to their waste management experience and initiatives. 

The plan will mobilize citizens, local leaders, workers, public unions and schools into the process of collecting domestic waste. It will also aim to enhance the effectiveness of URENCO waste collection. Ultimately, a cleaner, greener and more beautiful environment for households and urban areas will be created. 

Practically, a single community based survey will be conducted into waste quantity and collection measures. Training will then be provided to the community on waste disposal, and a conference will be arranged for related partners to evaluate and give proposals. A competitive element will be added through the rewarding of successful activities by local and city authorities. The plan will be government funded, but largely community based. 

After the plan is implemented in the Hai Chau district of Danang as a trial area, environmental protection bureaus will be established at the ward level to provide training. Effective waste minimizing collection methods will be disseminated, and collection activities will be carried out by the public. 

Finally, a workshop will be organized to evaluate the success of the Action Plan, toward the plan’s duplication in other districts of the city.

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Danang Action Plan Time Frame: July 2008 - June 2009

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