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INTRODUCTION
1. Necessity of the studya
Vinh is a long - standing place which has formed and developed since the end of
19
th
century. During the developing process, Vinh has been the centre of politics,
economy, cuture of Nghe An province and the North of the centre. In the period of
innovation, Vinh’s economy has been developing rapidly, the process of urbanization
has been promoted, especially, Vinh has become grade I city directly under Nghe An
province. However, the natural environment has been polluted causing a lot of affect
on the development of the city and living quality of the people. To ensure Vinh city
with widening its space, population and its basic of economy-technology, social
infrastructure with sustainable development, the Ph.D finds that it is necessary to do
research on the environmental effect in the process of urbanization in Vinh.
From the real requirement and inheritance of the achievement of the previous
studies on the thesis of urban environment, the Ph.D has chosen the title “Studying the
impact of the urbanization process on the natural environment in Vinh city, Nghe An
province”.
2. Objectives and duties of the study
2.1. Objectives
Analyse the effects on the natural environment in the process of urbanization
and suggest some solutions to urban development, environmental protection in Vinh
city.
2.2. Duties
- Have an overview of the theoretic and real problems about the effects on the
national environment in the process of urbanization.
- Analyse the actual state and changes of natural environment in Vinh city.
- Alnalyse the effects on the natural environment in the process of urbanization
in Vinh city.
- Suggest some solutions of managing and overseeing the process of

slow due to speed of industrialization is not high, mainly from the expansion of urban
space. This urban space expansion process though is not in high level however has led
to transformation in the natural environment, pressure on social - economic
development and urban environmental protection.
- Assessing the impact of the urbanization process on the natural environment in
Vinh city is a scientific basis for proposing solution to protect the natural environment,
urban development toward sustainability.
6. New contributions
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- The geographical method has been applied in the dissertation to study impact
on the natural environment of the process of urbanization in Vinh city. This is the
scientific basis to analyze the current situation and changes of natural environment,
identify the factors affecting the natural environment of the urbanization process in
Vinh city.
- The dissertation has developed criteria to quantitative assess level of impact on
the natural environment of the urbanization process in Vinh city.
- The dissertation has proposed solutions for urban development, protection of
the natural environment in order to address currently practical problems of
urbanization process in Vinh city in the direction of sustainable development.
7. Scientific and practical significance
- The reseach result approved the characteristiccs of the process of urbanization,
actual state and the changes of natural environment. From these, it contributed to
perfect methodology as well as reseach method of the process of urbanization in the
trend of sustainable development.
- The thesis has evaluated the negative effects on the natural environment of the
process of urbanization in Vinh city and has suggested some solutions to control the
process of the urbanization and protecting the environment in order to develop Vinh
city with the sustainable approach.
8. Database

Natural environment is a synthesis of natural elements, natural condition which
always have mutual impact, make their changes and always have influence on man’s
life, on the existence and development of human beings.
Air environment is the air surrounding the earth which consists of atmosphere
zones, types of substances, organic elements, inorganic elements… Air pollution is the
presence of a strange substance or an important change in the air ingredient which
makes the air unfresh, smell, dusty, visional lost.
Water environment is the water area on the earth, which consists of rivers, lakes,
streams, water under the ground, ice and steam, water pollution is the presence of one
or more strange substances in water evenly that substance is harmful or not.
Soil environment consists of the inorganic and organic substainces as well as the
formation and development of soil environment in certain areas. Soil pollution is the
phenimenons causing the environmental contamination from pollution.
Natural environment is capable of providing human beings and organisms with
living space. Besides, it contains and provides natural resoursces. Moreover, natural
environment can contains and then itself can clean the discarded stuffs caused by
human beings and organisms which consequently can reduce the nagetive effects on
them. It can also save and supply the earth information.
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The environmental pollution level is calculated by basing on the comparision
between the concentration of real measurement data and the concentration given by the
national standards.
1.1.3. Natural environment of the urban area
Natural environment of the urban area consists of natural components which
exist, move and change together with the existance and development of each city.
1.2. URBANIZATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
1.2.1. The nature of urbanization
1.2.1.1. The definition of city and orbanization
The city definition has change over time and space. According to the

- Urbanization’s positive impacts to the natural environment
On the one hand, land resource is exploited for urban construction leads to the
reduction of green area and water, causing flooding, together with the increase of water
need for life, services and production leading to the degradation of water resource. On
the other hand, the expansion of urban space leads to misappropriation of farm land,
affecting national food safety issues and lives of suburban population. Industrial
manufacturing thrives giving rise to a large amount of waste, including hazardous
waste; motorized traffic explosion causes serious air pollution and noises. Urbanization
increases the flow of migrants from rural to urban areas, causing significant pressure
on employment, housing and sanitation, forming "slums" and the poor urban areas. All
resonate and degrade the quality of the urban environment, affect health and life of the
people, threaten the stable, long-term and sustainable development of urban areas.
1.2.3. Factors impact on the natural environment from urbanization process
- The development of economic activities
In urbanization and industrialization process, the production and business
activities, especially the production of industrial activity is the main cause of
environmental change. The urbanization process has been promoted, the scale of
production increased, leading to the volume of natural materials should be exploited
and used for the needs of production also increase proportionally. Along with the
increase in the scale of production, the type of waste generated not only increase in the
number but its components is also increasingly complex, especially the increase of
harmful ingredients that dangerous for the environment.
Inaddition, the impact of the transport sector (mainly from emissions of motor
vehicles), the impact of agricultural production (primarily through the use of fertilizers
and chemicals of plant protection) is also should be mentioned.
- The increase in urban population
The more urbanization process has been promoted, the higher concentration of
urban population, the more urban population is increasing, and the volume of domestic
waste also increases correspondingly. In the condition of the management and
7

5
).
1.3. OVERVIEW RESEARCH ON IMPACTS OF URBANIZATION ON
NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL.
1.3.1. The international study
Many scientists around the world have in depth studied on the issue of
urbanization and urban environmental protection, especially scientists in the country,
the region has developed industry sector as the U.S., Europe, the Soviet Union (former
name of Russia) Urban sustainable development have been interested and researched
by many scientific organizations. From the 30s of XX century, the international
seminar discussed on the formation and development of the urban system, urban
environmental protection around the world, especially the UN Summits on Sustainable
Development.
1.3.2. The national study
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Urbanization and environmental protection issues have been focused research,
especially in recent years. Many research works in this field have been published,
notably the reseach on Municipality of Dam Trung Phuong, Truong Quang Thao,
Nguyen Huu Thai, Do Thi Minh Duc The research on urban environmental
protection of Le Van Khoa, Luu Duc Hai, Le Huy Ba, Hoang Xuan Co, Nguyen Dinh
Hoe, Dao Hoang Tuan
In Nghe An, there are some research on the urban environment of Mai Trong
Thong and other authors. Inheriting the research work of the national and international
authors, PhD candidate has selected to study the effects of the natural environment
urbanization process in Vinh city.
This is a problem that practice setting for the current Urbanization process in
Vinh city toward sustainable way.
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Total
1 Vinh market intersection 0,146 15,408 0,317 0,439 80 2
2 Quan Banh intersection 0,065 20,060 0,526 0,201 78 3
3 Ben Thuy intersection 0,159 19,770 0,082 0,189 72 1
4 Ho Chi Minh square 0,048 2,290 0,039 0,096 68 0
5 Bac Vinh industrial zone 0,040 6,870 0,092 0,295 66 0
6 Dong Vinh industrial group 0,060 11,450 0,205 0,110 68 1
7 Nghi Phu industrial group 0,051 13,740 0,110 0,169 66 0
8 Hung Loc industrial group 0,065 9,160 0,060 0,127 64 0
9 Cau Duoc cement plant 0,399 18,132 0,257 0,480 53,2 3
10 Nghe Tinh Coal factory 0,033 0,810 0,016 1,117 67 3
11 Sai Gon–Nghe An JSC beer
company
0,514 7,460 0,582 0,218 68 5
12 Nghe An JSC automobile
engineering company
0,017 1,001 0,016 0,435 74 2
13 Nghe An General hospital 0,342 1,270 0,304 0,067 60 2
14 Vinh General hospital 0,05 2,886 0,01 0,123 62 0
VN Standard
05:2009/MONRE,
VN Standard
26:2010/MONRE
0,350 30,0 0,200 0,300 70
Source: Center of Monitoring and Environmental Engineering Nghe An
Based on the current regulations and measurements at the measuring point, Ph.D
candidate has conducted hierarchical assessment of air pollution level for each
criterion. To assess the air quality synthesis of Vinh city, algorithm for the pollution
levels of each factor was used, then aggregate score of each environment component
and classify levels of air pollution.

compared to Vietnam standard, COD 1.47 times, NO
2
-3
3.3 times; Fe 1.49 times; NH
4
+
8.2
times, CN
-3
3.7 times. Currently, most of the lakes, ponds, canals and rivers in urban areas
are contaminated in excess of the allowable limits; some of them have become a channel
of waste water.
Table 2.3. Surface water quality of Lam river and lakes in Vinh city in 2011
No Parameters Unit
Lam river
(Ben Thuy
bridge)
Goong
lake
Cua
Nam
lake
Bay
Mau
lake
VN
Standard
08:2008/
MONRE
A

Table 2.6. Water quality of the canals, channels in Vinh, 2011

Unit: mg/l
No Parameters Unit
Bac
canal
N
3
canal
Hong
Bang
channel
Nguyen
Viet
Xuan
channel
Thong
bridge
VN
Standard
08:2008/
MONRE
(B
2
collum)
1 BOD
5
mg/l 93 84 45 30 37 25
2 COD mg/l 118 127 26 34 54 50
3 NO

5
, NO
2
, TSS.
From the results of assessment on environmental status of surface water in Vinh
city in 2011, Ph.D has mapped the current state of surface water environment in Vinh
city. On the maps have shown the results of assessment on environmental pollution of
surface water at each surveyed position at site in four levels: non-pollution, light
pollution, medium pollution and serious pollution.
Evaluation results show that the water quality of Lam River in Ben Thuy bridge,
Dao River, Rao Dung River, Ke Gai River is being polluted in the mild level. Water
quality in the lake within city is relatively clean. The large lakes such as Goong lake,
Cua Nam lake is not almost polluted, although Bay Mau lake is separately evaluated in
the light pollution, but the pollution is in average level (Bay Mau lake is aplace which
contains waste water of Northern Vinh industrial zone). The waste canals of Vinh city
contaminated from moderate to severe level. Serious pollution is happening in Bac canal
and N
3
canal, these are two major sewage canals of the city, the wastewater is dumped
into Lam river.
2.1.2.2. Environmental status of groundwater
The analytical results show that most of aquifer near the ground is a sign of
contamination by iron, organic compounds, inorganic and microorganisms.
Monitoring of groundwater quality in densely populated areas (Ben Thuy ward -
next Vinh University, Quang Trung ward, Vinh Tan ward, Hung Dung ward, Hung Hoa
commune), resorts (Ho Chi Minh Square), near industrial zone, industrial groups
(Northern Vinh, Dong Vinh, Nghi Phu), industrial manufacturing facilities, hospitals,
agricultural areas, cemeteries, landfills shown that some indicators exceed QCCP,
especially concentration of TDS, NO
2

cemetery. The analytical results show that most of the targets are lower and do not
exceed the allowable limits. The area is mainly polluted by sewage, waste from
factories, enterprises, service providers and activities of the population, due to residues
of plant protection products.
Actual map of soil environment in Vinh city shows that contaminated soil is due
to fertilizers, plant protection products accounted for a part of the area in Nghi Phu,
Nghi Kim, Nghi An, Hung Loc, Hung Dong, Hung Hoa commune. Soil pollution due
to emissions from the production and living area occupies a part of the area in Hung
Dung, Hong Son, Le Mao, Vinh Tan, Truong Thi, Cua Nam, Ben Thuy ward, Hung
Loc commune. Soil pollution due to mining of building materials accounts for a part of
the area in Hung Dong commune, Nghi Lien (where having the handmade brick oven).
Soil pollution by saline occupies a part of marginalized area in Hung Hoa commune.
The remaining area, soil quality is currently assessed fairly clean.
3.2. CHANGE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN VINH CITY
3.2.1. The change of atmosphere in Vinh city.
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Results of monitoring ambient air quality annual carried out in the major
intersections of city, in industrial parks/group, large manufacturing facilities by
Center of Monitoring and Environmental Engineering Nghe An. At the crossroads,
intersection of Vinh market, the concentration of emissions and dust are increasing over
time in the period of 2000 - 2011, especially the concentration of NO
2
, SO
2
and dust
content. In Northern Vinh Industrial Zone, the concentration changes of air pollutants
are less volatiled and less than regulations allowed, it has demonstrated that Northern
Vinh Industrial Zone has used the advanced technology and good management of waste
pollution atmosphere.

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day. Urban areas, groundwater is less polluted, and the concentration of pollutants
changes slower.
3.2.3. Change of soil environment in Vinh City
Agricultural land is gradually reduced due to the urbanization process which has
taken a part of agricultural land. Agricultural production has transformed the land
environment, especially the increase in the number and use of fertilizers and plant
protection chemicals incorrect with the technical process. Besides, the development of
industrial parks, industrial groups, service and industrial production facilities, the
proliferation of domestic waste has increased the impact of land environment due to
volume of waste (sewage, solid waste, hazardous waste) increased.
Quality of soil environment is generally not much contaminated, the area of land
pollution is partial, not widespread.
Along with the process of industrialization, expansion and urban development,
the natural environment has been altered in Vinh City. However, comparing with big
cities in the country, the level of pollution in the natural environment in Vinh city has
not yet come to alarming level.

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Chapter 3. ASSESSMENT ON IMPACTS OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL
DURING THE URBANIZATION PROCESS IN VINH CITY
3.1. CHARACTERISTICS OF urbanization PROCESS in Vinh City
The urbanization process has been promoted the reform era. The city is
constantly expanding in size, increase in population. Non-agricultural labor is
increasing, the labour structure shifts towards industrialization. Vinh city has made
great achievements in socio-economics, building infrastructure and urban management.
The expansion of existing urban areas and scale is based on the formation of new urban
areas, wards and communes which are a salient feature of urbanization process in Vinh
city. This has fueled the rural urbanization process forcefully, is the way of production

gases.
Surplus labor from the countryside flocked to the city to find work. In the urban
heart still appear temporary shelters. Households "half country and half city" mostly
stay in the riparian area, deprived living conditions, witout access to clean water, they
use the river water. And it is synonymous with indiscriminate discharge of waste, bluff.
This situation led to the peri-urban areas are inherently complex, now it becomes more
complex today.
3.2.1.3. The impact of urban management and development policy to the natural
environment in Vinh city.
The urbanization process has created the potential so that the city government
can build and modernize the buildings, provide better services, improve the natural
environment, replenish the urban landscape. The infrastructure is more spacious and
modern. Numerous buildings were built, renovated, large-scale projects are invested.
The new urban is planned modern managed well which has made the highlights for the
urban landscape. Public space is built and expanded. Green space is invested properly.
The area of green land per capita is higher than in urban areas throughout the country
and is growing. Garbage collection rate is increasing day by day. The contaminated
lakes have been rehabilitated and returned a blue water color (Goong lake, Ben Thuy
lake, Cua Nam lake ), many artificial lakes were built to contribute to the
improvement of ecological environment and landscape in Vinh city. Industrial zones
and industrial groups were built with technical infrastructure fairly uniform, have
conditions in processing waste with advanced equipment, industrial facilities,
especially facilities which are relocated polluting the suburbs, will be away from
residential areas to minimize pollution impacts.
However, policy of management and urban development in Vinh city still has
many inadequacies, adverse impacts to the natural environment. It is the lack of
effective in planning and implementation of urban planning, employment policies for
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farmers after acquisition of agricultural land; management policy, pollution control

to clean water
10
6
m
3
/year
%
3,066
0,92
-
75,0
-
-
-
92,0
8,030
2,41
0,48
99,5
- Pollution of soil, water
quality increases with time.
- Increased pressure on the
drainage system and
wastewater treatment.
- Improve urban environmental
sanitation and suburban rural
areas.
K
2
CTR Living

environment
K
5
Rate of non-agricultural
land/natural land
% 4,54 5,76 5,22 Smaller impact and less
change on the soil
environment.
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Chapter 4. PROPOSE SOLUTIONs TO PROTECT NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT, ENSURe SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
DURING urbanization in Vinh city
4.1. BASIS OF PROPOSED SOLUTION
- The situation of urban development process and its impact on the natural
environment of urbanization process in Vinh city.
- Views, guidelines and policies of the Party and State on urban development
and environmental protection.
- Objectives and orientations of socio-economic development in Vinh city.
4.2. SOLUTIONS FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND NATURAL
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN VINH CITY
4.2.1. Solutions for urban development, management of urbanization process in
Vinh city
- Improving the quality of planning, implementation and management of urban
planning. Upgrade, improve and develop a comprehensive system of technical
infrastructure in urban area.
- Urbaniation management process: Develop the urban economics, increase the
attractiveness of city, speed up the mechanical population, focuse on developing
satellite economic regions, promote industrialization and rural urbanization. City needs
to improve the management system and improve the efficiency of management,

as well as measures to minimize dust surrounding communities.
- Application of environmental management systems.
- Development of industrial ecology.
4.2.2.3. Measures of environmental protection
■ For handling waste water and surface water
- Long-term solutions to ensure water quality and ecology of rivers and lakes in
the area is to clean water flowing into rivers and lakes.
- Plan a complete and comprehensive drainage and wastewater treatment system
to improve the capacity of the city's drainage, control of flood.
■ For groundwater sources
Long-term solution to ensure the quality of groundwater resources is to minimize
contamination of sewage seep into the ground. Need to build the good sewers, seriously
handle cases of contaminated waste disposal, waste into underground. Need to have a
treatment options of waste, waste water, to avoid the possibility of water leach into
groundwater circuit
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4.2.2.4. The waste management solutions (for industrial waste, medical waste and
household waste).
4.2.2.5. Solution of rational use of land resources protection
Land-use planning in the future should focus on structural adjustment of land
use, fully utilize the space, including the depth of soil to increase the coefficient and
efficiency of land use, land environmental protection. Vinh city needs to develop
appropriate and specific policies to resolve the loss of agricultural land of the people in
the urbanization process.
CONCLUSION
1. The components of natural environment in Vinh city considered include air,
water and soil. Status and change the quality of this environment’s components are
assessed through specific pollutant criteria, depending on the sources of pollution or
waste.

negative impacts to these environment components that is due to the increase of
polluted waste from the increase of population, from production activities, particularly
industry and services and from the growth of transport vehicle. In addition, the
conversion of land use purpose, expressed as increasing a percentage of non-
agricultural production land also impact negatively on the quality of the natural
environment, especially in soil environment.
The positive effects shown via upgrade and development of infrastructure
systems, including the infrastructure system of environmental protection is a fundament
to minimize the negative impact of urbanization process to the natural environment.
4. From results to evaluate the impact of the natural environment for urbanization
process in in Vinh city has proposed solutions-oriented for urban development in the
opinion of sustainable development, in accordance with the requirements of socio-
economic development of city in the current period with two basic solution groups. It is
the group of solutions such as urban development, management of urbanization process
in Vinh city and group of solutions on natural environmental protection measures in
Vinh city.
Among the solutions of urban development, management of urbanization process
has proposed specific measures related to improving the quality of planning,
implementation and management of urban planning, process of urbanization
management; upgrade, improvement and development of a comprehensive system of
technical infrastructure in urban areas.
Among solutions proposed the specific environmental protection measures on
techniques - technology, solutions using economic tools and policies to protect the
environment and enhance the environmental awareness of population community.
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25