Environmental Pollution Eats up 5% of Vietnam GDP Annually: World Bank

Environmental pollution in Vietnam causes damage equal to 5% the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) annually, representatives of the World Bank said at a workshop in Hanoi on Sept 15. The Southeast Asian country needs to spend additional $780 million yearly on treating diseases caused by pollution. As many as 80% of diarrhea and dysentery cases are resulted from polluted water and roughly 9,000 people die of water pollution-caused diseases. Environmental pollution makes the number of cancer patients rising, to hit about 150,000 people per year, the bank said. Speaking at the event, domestic and foreign experts said that Vietnam will have no other choice than focusing on green growth and it will cost the country less than environmental pollution consequences. (Thoi Bao Tai Chinh – Financial Times Sept 16 p10)