Circular economy in Vietnam

Vietnam’s per capita GDP growth since 1990 has been among the fastest in the world. A growth which has contributed to impressive progress in alleviating poverty and improving non-income dimensions of welfare. However, this growth has also generated challenges with regard to environmental degradation. The environmental quality of Vietnam’s air, land, and water has deteriorated considerably. Moreover, Vietnam is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, with adaptation challenges accordingly severe, especially in the Mekong Delta. Despite of a relatively high rate of (informal) solid urban waste recycling, the current economy leads to the depletion of precious resources and does not account for negative externalities exerted upon the environment.