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HANOI : In Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the lives of residents revolve around the many lakes dotting the city.
But these bodies of water are now under threat from pollution and rapid development.
Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake and its trademark red bridge attract both tourists and locals to its tranquil banks.
But a few kilometres away, it is not such a pretty picture.
Waste-filled plastic bags and rubbish bob in the water, creating grave public health hazards.
Hanoi's Linh Quang Lake is an example of Vietnam's inadequate waste management infrastructure.
Raw sewage and garbage is dumped directly into the water from nearby shops and homes, causing cholera and other diseases.
However, the government has begun to take action; it has ordered the clean up of 30 lakes, including Linh Quang, across Hanoi.
Tung, a 39-year-old resident of Linh Quang, said his family has lived in the area for generations.
And unregulated dumping from a dye factory and street vendors has polluted the water.
But things may soon improve.
During Channel NewsAsia's visit to the area, large sewer pipes were being readied for installation.
Since the country's rapid economic rise, the Vietnamese government has not been able to keep up with environmental challenges posed by industrialisation and urbanisation.
Ayumi Konishi, Country Director, Asian Development Bank, Vietnam, said, "(The government) has been trying to be more careful about environmental management issues, but when there is a choice between new infrastructure for something, the environmental management issues do not necessarily get the first priority."
Environmental engineers from the Hanoi Public Works Department, assisted by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, have worked to tackle the city's most pressing water issues.
The first challenge was to alleviate the seasonal flooding that would cripple the city.
A pumping station has largely solved that problem, with its capacity to pump 43 square metres of water per second into the Red River.
The next phase was improving water quality and drainage.
A wastewater facility in northern Hanoi was initially a tough sell to neighbourhood residents who feared the noise and smell would affect their quality of life.
But engineers made sure the pumps were installed underground to muffle noise and used neutral smelling activated charcoal to filter water.
Ayumi Konishi said, "At the end of the day, providing infrastructure is one thing. Unless we can work more closely with the people who should really carry the responsibility of keeping the environment clean, we still have a long way to go (in those efforts)."
Hanoi residents are gradually becoming aware that they are the true stewards of their city's unique environment.
And the increasing awareness will mean a greener future in Vietnam's "City of Lakes". - CNA/ms
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