Assessing the current situation and propose solutions to manage domestic solid waste in yen bai city, yen bai province

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY PHAN NGOC QUYET TOPIC TITLE: ASSESSING THE CURRENT SITUATION AND PROPOSE SOLUTIONS TO MANAGE DOMESTIC SOLID WASTE IN YE

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

PHAN NGOC QUYET

TOPIC TITLE:

ASSESSING THE CURRENT SITUATION AND PROPOSE

SOLUTIONS TO MANAGE DOMESTIC SOLID WASTE

IN YEN BAI CITY, YEN BAI PROVINCE

BACHELOR THESIS

Study Mode: Full-time

Faculty: International Training and Development Center

Thai Nguyen, 30/09/2015

Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management Student name Phan Ngoc Quyet

Thesis title

Assessing the current situation and propose solutions to manage domestic solid waste in Yen Bai City, Yen Bai Province

Supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Do ThiLan

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to assess the current state of waste management

in the Yen Bai City, Yen BaiProvince, in order to offer appropriate solutions to improve management efficiency This study analyzes the issues related to domestic solid waste in Yen Bai City such as the characteristics of solid waste, solid waste generation, status of collection, classify, transportation and treatment and reuse of domestic solid waste

Yen Bai City is the political and economic and cultural center of Yen Bai Province is the most densely populated place in the province The status of domestic waste management is still inefficient which leads to overlapping of management systems and lack of synchronous investment In addition, the sense of environmental protection among people is still not good

Therefore, to effectively do the management of domestic solid waste in Yen Bai City, appropriate solutions and management strategies should be planned and implemented immediately

Keywords Domestic waste, solid waste, domestic waste

management, treatment, collected, transported Number of pages: 58

Date of submission: September 30th, 2015

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author would like to express his gratitude to his supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr

Do Thi Lan for her invaluable useful comments, remarks, encouragement and engagement through the learning process of this study He would also like to extendhis gratitude to the lecturers who enthusiastically imparted useful knowledge on waste treatment during the University program to all class attendants The author also appreciates the support of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, the coordinators and program managers for their guidance and assistance

Furthermore, I sincerely thanks to officers in Yen Bai Environmental Protection Agency during the implementation of the research Special thanks also goes to the officers of Nam Thanh Yen Bai Environment and Energy Joint Stock Company Also, the author would like to thank the participants in my survey, who have willingly shared their precious time during the process of data gathering and interview in Yen Bai city

Finally, the author would like to express his gratitude to his family, and friends who have helped him during the internship

Thank you all very much!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES 1

LIST OF TABLES 2

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 3

PART I - INTRODUCTION 4

1.1 Rationale of the study 4

1.2 Objectives of the study 4

1.3 Research questions 5

1.4 Significance of the study 5

1.5 Limitations of the study 6

PART II - LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Legal basis 7

2.2 Scientific basis 8

2.3 Factual basis 11

PART III - METHODS 19

3.1 Objectives and scope of the study 19

3.2 Location and time of study 19

3.3 Research contents 19

3.4 Research methods 20

PART IV - RESULTS 23

4.1 Natural and socio-economic conditions in Yen Bai city, Yen Bai province 23

4.2 Situational assessment of domestic solid waste management in Yen Bai city,

Yen Bai province 27

4.3 Solution proposed to increase efficiency of domestic solid waste management in Yen Bai city 40

PART V - DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 45

5.1 Discussion 45

5.2 Conclusion 46

REFERENCES 47

APPENDICES 49

Appendix 1: Sample survey 49

Appendix 2: Photos from field’s study 52

Appendix 3: Households survey results 55

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2 1- Central solid wastes management system diagram 12

Figure 2 2- Diagram State management system about DSW in Yen Bai 13

Figure 2 3- The methods of solid waste treatment 14

Figure 4 1- Yen Bai city map 24

Figure 4 2- The percentage of solid waste in generation sources 27

Figure 4 3- The component percentage of domestic waste in Yen Bai city 31

Figure 4 4- The organization structure of Nam Thanh Yen Bai Environment and Energy Joint Stock Company 32

Figure 4 5- The percentage of garbage generated and collected in Yen Bai city 34

Figure 4 6- Diagram the domestic waste collection and transportation process for in Yen Bai city 35

Figure 4 7- The diagram of domestic waste treatment process 39

Figure 4 8- Organizational diagram of environmental sanitation co-operative 43

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2 1- Methods to treat domestic waste 18

Table 4 1- Volume of solid waste from various sources (2014) 27

Table 4 2- Total volume of domestic waste in recent years 28

Table 4 3- Amount of domestic waste in households 29

Table 4 4- The Components of Domestic Waste in Yen Bai City (2014) 31

Table 4 5- The percentage of garbage generated and collected 34

Table 4 6- Vehicles for collection and transportation of Nam Thanh Yen Bai Environment and Energy Joint Stock Company 35

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

GDP Gross Domestic Product

MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and EnvironmentODA Official Develop Assistance

PART I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rationale of the study

Yen Bai city is the political center of Yen Bai province It can be concluded that the province has reached its maximum economic growth in the past years through the development of various sectors However, the current status of general waste and domestic waste in particular have not been fully evaluated and audited, provided that this leads to difficulty in collection and waste management No appropriate measures on proper disposal has been done Therefore, the assessment of the current status of the management and treatment of household waste is one of the vital problems of Yen Bai city

The purpose of this research is to have an access to the situation of Domestic Solid Waste (DSW) management system in Yen Bai City The study will mainly focus

on the advantages and disadvantages in waste management in order to find the rational management solutions for domestic solid waste management system in Yen Bai City From there, we can improve the effect in solid waste management and reduce the pollution because of the irrational collection, transport and treatment system

1.2 Objectives of the study

- Evaluate the current situation of environmental pollution caused by domestic solid waste in Yen Bai city

o Collect and analyze information, synthesize the materials related to arising of domestic solid waste from residential areas, offices, schools and trade areas in Yen Bai City

o Execute fieldworks to assess the current status of domestic solid waste arising

as well as other environmental problems:

 Identify sources of solid waste and amountsof solid waste components

 Method of solid waste collection and treatment

- Propose solutions to reduce the pollution caused by domestic solid waste from residential areas, offices, schools and trade areas

o Propose solutions to strengthen the DSW management capacity of state managing agencies

o Propose management measures, domestic waste disposal in accordance with the actual conditions of the city

o Raise awareness of the local people on the current environmentalissues

1.3 Research questions

- What is current situation of the solid waste collection, transport and treatment in Yen Bai city?

- What are the solutions to manage domestic waste in study area?

1.4 Significance of the study

1.4.1 Practical significance

The study of domestic solid waste situation of the Yen Bai will be vital to know the strengths, weaknesses, challenges and shortcomings in the wastewater management and treatment in order to find solutions for environmental protection in accordance with the conditions of the city which will allow better environmental

management

- Serve as an actual basis to improve working methods scientifically and to help students in terms of synthesizing and arranging the schedule and timeline to produce practical results

1.5 Limitations of the study

The study will not be able to cover all the management issues and treatment of domestic waste in Yen Bai city given the following reasons:

Project timeline: The study will be conducted in a short period of time andwill

then be restricted by many factors especially in the process of survey and investigation about the waste collected in the study area

PART II

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Legal basis

• Law on Environmental Protection 2014

• Decree No 80/2006/ND-CP dated August 09, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on environmental protection

• Decree No 21/2008/ND-CP dated February 28, 2008 of the Government amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree

No 80/2006/ND-CP dated August 9, 2006, detailing and guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on environmental protection

• Decree No 179/2013/ND-CP dated November 14, 2013 of the Government on the sanction of administrative violations in the domain of environmental protection

• Decree No 18/2015/ND-CP dated February 14, 2015 of the Government prescribing environmental protection master plan, strategic environmental assessment, environmental impact assessment and environmental protection plan

• Decree No 38/2015/ND-CP dated April 22, 2015 of the Government on the management of wastes and scraps

• Decree No 19/2015/ND-CP dated February, 2015 of the Government detailing a number of articles of the Law on Environmental Protection

• Circular No 12/2011/TT-BTNMT dated April 14, 2011 of the Minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on provisions on hazardous waste management

• Circulars No: 25/2009 / TT-BTNMT, dated November 16, 2009 -Regulations of the National Committee on Environment

• Decision No 322 / QĐ-BXD dated April 6, 2012 of the Ministry of Construction

on Disclosure of interest on capital construction costs of domestic solid waste disposal

• Decision No 686 / QD-BXD dated 12/06/2015 of the Ministry of Construction certified suitable combustors for domestic solid waste

• QCVN 07: 2009 / BTNMT - National Technical Regulations on hazardous waste threshold

• QCVN 25: 2009 / BTNMT - National Technical Regulation on waste water of solid waste landfills

- Commercial centers, offices, schools and public buildings;

- Industrial activities such as agriculture and construction;

- Medical facilities such as hospitals and clinics

2.2.3 Classification of Domestic Waste

Organic solid waste Includes plants, dried leaves, spoiled vegetables, leftovers,

egg shells, kitchen garbage, dead animals, livestock feces

Inorganic solid waste Includes non-biodegradable wastes such as: glass,

porcelain, metal, paper, rubber, plastic, fabric, electronics, toys, sand, gravel, building materials, etc

Hazardous solid waste Waste that has a negative impact to the environment and

human such as batteries, motor oil, pesticides bottles, etc (Dieu, 2010)

2.2.4 Domestic Waste Features

The typical characteristics of domestic waste are as follows:

- Components have high organic origin (56% - 65%) Their composition is mainly organic compounds, especially cellulose and lignin, about 40 - 50%, many cases make up 70-80%

- High humidity

- Mixed sand, gravel rubble, broken bricks, pieces of porcelain (Nhue, 2001)

2.2.5 Effects of Domestic Waste

2.2.5.1 Effect of solid waste on the land environment

The organic waste is decomposed by microorganisms in the soil environment in aerobic and anaerobic conditions When the humidity is suitable, it will create a series

of intermediate products, finally take form the simple minerals, water, CO2, CH4 … (Khoa, 2010)

With a moderate volume of waste, the self-cleaning ability of the soil will

decompose these substances to have less pollution or no pollution at all But with the large amount of trash, soil will be degraded and contaminated These contaminants with heavy metals, toxic substances, microbes in water in the soil flowing down will pollute the aquifer For non-biodegradable trash like plastics and rubber, inappropriate treatment solutions would cause degeneration and reduced soil fertility… (Khoa, 2010)

2.2.5.2 Effect of domestic waste on the environment

Solid waste is not collected and is freely discharged into canals, rivers, lakes, ponds and pollutes the water environment It clogs water lines, reducing the area of water exposed to air which leads to a reduction of dissolved oxygen in the water Organic waste decomposes in water caused the stench, causing of eutrophication makes aquatic plants the surface water degraded (MONRE, 2011)

Solid waste, especially organic waste, in water would be decomposed quickly In the landfill, water in garbage would be separated and combined with other water sources: rainwater, groundwater and surface water Leachate moving in the landfill will increase the biodegradable ability in garbage during transportation of pollutants into the environment The pollutants in the leachate include: COD: 3000 ÷ 45.000 mg/l, N-NH3: 10 ÷ 800 mg/l, BOD5: 2000 ÷ 30.000 mg/l, TOC (Total organic carbon:

1500 ÷ 20.000 mg/l, Phosphorus total: 1 ÷ 70 mg/l) and large amounts of microorganisms, besides there are other heavy metals that causes significant impact to the aquatic environment if not handled (Nhue, 2001)

2.2.5.3 Effect of domestic waste on the air environment

Waste from households is typically composed of leftover foods Tropical climate

in our country is favorable for the decomposition of organic components, accelerate fermentation, rotting and creating an unpleasant smell for humans The gases emitted from the process are identified as: H2S, NH3, CH4, SO2 and CO2 (Khoa, 2010)

Under the influence of temperature, moisture and microorganisms, organic waste decomposes and generates gases (CH4 - 63.8%, CO2 - 33.6%, and some others) (MONRE, 2011)

2.2.5.3 Effect of domestic waste on the human health

Uncollected garbagewill have an adverse effect on the health of people living in the area For example, people who have a regular contact with garbage such as those who collect waste from the landfill are considered to be susceptible to diseases like pneumonia, malaria, diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, skin, etc.According to the World Health Organization, there are five million people dying and nearly 40 million children suffering from diseases related to wasteevery year (Khoa, 2010)

The two components of solid waste are classified as (1) extremely dangerous heavy metals and (2) persistent organic compounds These substances exist in the environment and cause a series of dangerous diseases to humans such as congenital and cardiovascular diseases, paralysis the nervous system, cancer… (MONRE, 2011)

2.3 Factual basis

2.3.1 Domestic Solid Waste Management

Domestic solid waste management is essential It plays a vital role in controlling issues related to solid waste: collecting, storing and sorting from sources; transit and transportation; sorting, treatment and processing; which are all based on

the logical fundamental principles on environmental protection and on the attitude of the community

 The System of solid waste management in Vietnam at present

There have been assigned functions, duties and responsibilities to the ministries and agencies related to the solid waste management In which, there are five ministries directly participating in the solid waste management, including: Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Figure 2 1- Central solid wastes management system diagram

(Source: MONRE, 2011)

The management system on solid waste in the country is overlapping in the organization, leading to no consistency in the major unit which makes it difficult to find a common ground responsible to increase itsmanagement capacity

 The system of domestic solid waste management in the province of Yen Bai

In Yen Bai Province, the units which are tasked to manage DSW includes: the Department of Construction and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Figure 2 2- Diagram State management system about DSW in Yen Bai

(Source: Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

 Department of Construction: responsible in management of DSW and waste landfills

 Department of Natural Resources and Environment: responsible in monitoring environmental quality, management and enhances the policies and regulations on waste management

 Apart from administrative state management units above, Nam Thanh Yen Bai Environment and Energy Joint Stock Company also directly performs the collection, transportation and treatment of domestic waste in Yen Bai City

The waste treatment method can be generalized in the following diagram:

Figure 2 3- Methods of solid waste treatment

(Source: Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

2.3.2 Current situation of domestic waste in the world

Domestic solid waste in modern society is a big disaster of humanity Garbage has flooded across the continent and the oceans, and is being listed as one of the ten largest problemsof the world Domestic waste has become a topical issue in many countries in the past decades

According to the Cyclope Materials Institute and Veolia Propreté, the total amount of waste in the world are composed of 1.2 billion tons of wastes gathered in urban areas, 1.1 to 1.8 tons are non-hazardous industrial waste; 150 million tons are hazardous waste (the calculations performed in 30 countries) The biggest amount of waste is emitted in America and Europe, with more than 200 million tons of garbage for each area, followed by China with more than 170 million tons According to

estimates, the rate of urban garbage in the USA is about 700 kg/ person/ year (Cuong, 2015)

The coastal cities of China emit about 1.3 million to 3.5 million tons of waste per year The number of plastic waste from China accounted for nearly 30% of total plastic waste of 192 countries border with the sea over the world (Thao, 2015)

In India about 80% of city’ domestic wastes are thrown into the river This number in Jakarta, Indonesia is about 70% (Tu, 2011)

2.3.3 Current situation of domestic waste in Vietnam

The total volume of DSW in urban centers across the country increased by an average of 10 ÷ 16% per year In most of the urban centers, the volume of DSW accounted for about 60-70% of the total urban solid waste (this percentage is up to 90% in some urban centers) (MONRE, 2011)

Economic developments along with the incessantly population growth is causing domestic waste in big cities in Vietnam and is considered to be faster than any other countries in the world Currently, Vietnam generated an average of 15 million tons of domestic waste per day Expected to 2020, the amount of domestic waste generated is

20 million tons/ day Most of waste generated in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and HaiPhong The treatment of solid waste in our country is still very antiquated

In Hanoi, the volume of household waste increased by an average 15% a year, total of waste emitted to the environment up to 500 tons/ day Ho Chi Minh City eliminate more than 7,000 tons domestic waste per day The city spends 235 billion to treat domestic waste each year (Cuong, 2015)

The rate increase in urban areas expanding, grow both in size and population and

industrial zones, as urban centers of PhuTho Province (19.9%), Phu Ly City (17.3%), Hung Yen (12.3%), RachGia (12.7%), Cao Lanh (12.5%)… The arising rate of domestic solid waste in the urban centers of Tay Nguyen increase equally yearly, the arising rate is lower with 5% (Khoa, 2014)

The arising rate of domestic solid waste per capita in special urban centers and urban areas grade I is relatively high (0.84 – 0.96 kilograms/person/day) The urban centers grade II and grade III have equivalent arising rate of DSW per capita (0.72 – 0.73 kilograms/person/day) This number of the urban centers grade IV is about 0.65 kilograms/person/day (MONRE, 2011)

Forecasting, total solid waste arising can be increased to 45 million tons in the year 2020 Meanwhile, the rate of collection of solid waste in urban centers areas is about 70%, in small rural areas is below 20% Currently, most of the domestic waste in Vietnam is still being processed in the form of landfill However, only 12 out of 63 provinces and cities have sanitary landfill or properly technique Only 17 out of 91 existing landfills in whole country is sanitary landfill Most of sanitary landfills are built by ODA capital sources; capital investment from the budget is extremely difficult and limited The rate of collection of solid waste in urban centers areas is about 70% in total of arising waste Meanwhile, the recycling and reuse is only decreased about 10-12% by weight of waste (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

Some provinces have implemented the 3R project (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), typically the 3R project is based in Hanoi, but in general it is just performed in small scale, asynchronous and with lack of direction If the classification at source was good, domestic solid waste could be recycled approximately 60-65%.Organic waste in

domestic waste has great potential in the processing compost Thus, the waste has an important role in saving national resources Consequently, waste management must be taken seriously (MONRE, 2011)

2.3.4 Current Situation of Domestic Waste in Yen Bai Province

Yen Bai is a mountainous province with a large natural area, sparsely populated

so the issue of domestic solid waste is mainly concentrated in urban areas such as: Yen Bai City, Nghia Lo County town especially those with medical facilities, hotels, restaurants, bus stations, railway stations, schools, business and manufacturing and service facilities

Growth of urban population resulted to the increase in volume of solid waste in urban areas in the recent years The composition of domestic solid waste in Yen BaiProvince mainly organic chemicals, bottles, plastic bags and cans

Apart from domestic solid waste arise in urban areas mentioned above, domestic solid waste also arise in rural areas in Yen Bai Province It was also concluded that the percentage of organic waste is higher (60-65%), inorganic components are mainly composed of plastic bags, plastic, cans, packaging and quantities of glass, pieces of broken crockery also fairly large proportion

According to the Yen Bai environmental status report in2014, with the emission

is 0.7 kg/person/day, the volume of solid waste arise in Yen Bai Province in 2014 approximately 197,355.5 tons (540.7 tons / day) Forecasting to 2020, this number will eventually grow to 367,482 tons (with a population of 839,000 people and the emission is 1.2 kg / person / day) (Yen Bai EPA, 2014)

2.3.5 Application of Domestic Waste Treatments

Table 2 1- Methods to treat domestic waste

Method Advantages Disadvantages Usability and trends

Incineration When fully equipped

with flue gas treatment equipment will make less environmental

pollution risk, reducing the volume

of garbage

The most expensive method, big investment, highly operating costs and maintenance,

requiring skilled labor

Burning industrial waste, medical waste and hazardous waste Apply in the United States, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Japan

Pressed

solidified

The risk of environmental

contamination is low, reducing the volume

of garbage, convenient for storage and transportation

High investment, high cost

Pressed industrial waste, construction waste Apply in high development countries: USA, Japan

Landfill Cheapest, simplest

operation, least complex technology

The risk of the pollution is highest, cannot be recycled materials in the trash

For all kinds of garbage

in the developing countries The developed countries do not apply this method

components >10% by weight

Pyrolysis

and

gasification

Reducing the volume

of waste; make safe and turn waste into inert; obtained the value of waste, usually generated electricity

Technology is not yet widely available, high initial capital investment, complex operation

Europe and Japan are using this method bringing efficiency for industrial waste

Capable directly affecting the health

of workers

Applicable to all kinds

of organic garbage such

as domestic waste in urban areas, in developed countries as well as in developing country

(Source: Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

PART III

METHODS

3.1 Objectives and scope of the study

The study aims to analyze the management, collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste in Yen Bai Province including the whole area of Yen Bai city with 17 administrative units (9 wards and 8 communes)

3.2 Location and time of study

Location: Yen Bai City, Yen Bai Province

Time: March 1st, 2015 to Jun 30th, 2015

3.3 Research contents

3.3.1 Basic characteristics of Yen Bai City – Yen Bai Province

Overview of Yen BaiCity – Yen Bai Province: geographic location, natural conditions and economic and social conditions

Effect of natural conditions and economic and social conditions to the management of domestic wastes in the city

3.3.2 Assess the Situation of Domestic Waste Management in Yen Bai City

Collect and analyze the information, synthesis documents related to the generation of domestic solid waste in Yen Bai City

Conduct a survey in some residential areas in Yen Bai City Investigate the following parametersfor each area in order to assess the status of domestic solid waste generated and the existing environmental problems caused by domestic solid wastes:

- Sources of solid waste

- Solid waste composition

- Amount of solid waste

- Collection and treatment methods

3.3.3 Proposed measures to reduce environmental pollution caused by domestic solid waste

- Management solutions

- Technical/technological solutions

- Measures to manage data information

3.4 Research methods

3.4.1 Secondary Data Collection Method

Collect and synthesize relevant document as: Natural conditions, socioeconomic; Collect data unveiled about the current state of domestic waste, and the collection, transport and waste treatment These data are collected from documents of Environmental Protection Agency - Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Yen Bai Refer to the process of collection, transport and waste treatment of Nam Thanh Environmental and Energy Joint Stock Company

Data in scientific reports, conferences, books, newspapers, on the internet and

other materials are also exploited

3.4.2 Questionnaire and Interview Methods

Survey method was used to see the overall situation on the status of waste discharge of households in the localities studiedspecifically Yen BaiCity as well as the garbage collectors of environmental sanitation department.A total of 170 households (random selection with 10 households for each commune) Survey and sampling work

to determine the speed of solid waste arising from households can be conducted in the

following steps:

Step 1: Collect baseline data

Collect general information about the population areas including administrative map, number of households and population

Step 2: Determine the location for the sampling process

Conduct random survey of 10 households in each ward or commune (total of households surveyed is 170) Record questionnaires, conducting interviews with the

information requested in the key informant surveys (Please see attached Appendix 1)

Step 3: Conduct Sampling

Distribute the garbage bags for surveys household in the early morning and weigh the garbage in the same time next day Weigh garbage of each household repeat

3 times/ month performed in two months The calculated average volume of garbage in

1 household/ day, and the average amount of waste/person/day can be calculated from theactual scales results in the household

3.4.3 Synthetic and Process Data Method

Data collected about the natural conditions, economy and society to analyze the advantages and disadvantages related to the management of domestic waste in the region have been aggregated analysis

Data collected from the household survey are analyzed, calculated and statistically processed

Method of statistical analysis, data processing, to analyze the factors that influence, assess the status of collection, transportation and disposal of garbage in Yen Bai city, Yen Bai Province

3.4.4 Expert Consultation

The researcher will also be consulting with the following experts regarding the scope and methodology of the study:

 Research adviser and faculty members of the university;

 Officers from the Ministry of Resources and Environment; and

 Staff of the Sanitation department directly responsible for the collection and management of domestic waste

Yen Bai City is the center of politics, economy, culture, science and technology

in Yen Bai Province It is located in the North mountainous of Vietnam with the coordinates 21,040'to 21,406' north latitude, 104050'08"to 104058'15" east longitude Yen Bai city has the adjoining border as follows:

 North and the east bordered by Yen Binh district

 West and the south bordered by Tran Yen district

Yen Bai city is 156km away from the Capital City of Hanoi to the north, and 140km from Lao Cai border gate to the south and has a total area of 10815.453 ha

Figure 4 1- Administrative Map of Yen Bai City 4.1.1.2 Topography

Yen Bai city has a diverse topography, divided by the Red River - the largest river and the hills with large hillside slope, alternating the water slots and the narrow strip field.Hilly landscape dominated area of Yen Bai City, with a steep slope, base height >60m, including the hills and mountains that extends northwest – southeast, slope 10% (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

4.1.1.3 Climate

The average annual temperature in the city is 23,4oC, hot season from April to June is >33oC, cold weather in January is 13oC, the highest temperature is 37oC,

the lowest temperature is 4oC

Average annual rainfall is 1755.8 mm The rainy season starts from May to October each year account for 80-85% of annual rainfall

Due to the impact of Hoang Lien Son range to the west and Thac Ba Lake to the east, Yen Bai City has the highest rate of humidity in the province The average humidity is 87%, sometimes more than 90% (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

4.1.1.4 Resources

Yen Baiis said to be rich in terms of mineral resources Minerals are divided into the following main categories:

Heavy materials: Widely distributed throughout Yen Bai city, sand and gravel

are mined mainly along the Red River Clay in Bai Duong, Tuy Loc for brick production

Industrial minerals: Industrial materials such as kaolin mine has reserves of

nearly 3 million tons in Minh Bao used as raw material as additives in paper making, glass, ceramics industry; reserves of clay in Xuan Lan is 3.795.000m3, Nam Cuong is 1.260.000m3 (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

4.1.2 Socioeconomic Characteristics

4.1.2.1 Economy

More than 90% the infrastructure of Yen Bai city concentrated in urban as: industrial clusters, enterprises and non-state production base, department stores, services and trade systems but not yet clearly formed and rationalize intosubdivisions Urban economy is mainly concentrated in industrial manufacturing, small scale industry, services, agriculture and forestry Total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of

the city accounts for approximately 95% of the city so the economic development in urban has great influence on the economy of the city as well as province (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

4.1.2.2 Demographics

Yen Bai City is has a total area of 10815.453 hectares with the population of 97,907 The rate of population density is at 917 people / km2 (2014) Yen Bai city has

17 administrative units including 9 wards and 8 communes

Alongside with economic development, sociocultural career of city have been a major aspect of progress in the area Educational networks are maintained, quality of teaching and learning is raised, 100% of communes, wards achieving junior secondary universalization

The medical center of the city, commune and ward health centers hasalso successfully completed medical programs, stabilizing primary health care, examinations and treatment for people Natural population growth rate is at 12.81% Also, the percentage of children under 5 years of age classified as malnourished is 15.8% (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)

4.1.2.3 Traffic Conditions

The total urban traffic network in Yen Bai city is 89 km including 20.7 kilometers of carpeting road, 35.7 km of asphalt, 13.8 km of cement concrete road, 16.2 kilometers of uncoated surface road The road network of the city still has undergoing constructions which implies unplanned synchronization (Yen Bai EPA, 2015)