The index shows Vietnam’s environmental performance index is rather good in comparison with that of other regional countries such as the Philippines (66 points), Thailand (62 points), Laos (60 points), China (49 points), Indonesia (45 points), Papua New Guinea (44 points), and Mongolia (43 points).

Vietnam scored highly in forestry and agriculture, in which forestry points were based on forest coverage and reserves.

The country has invested a great deal in afforestation; however, it has not succeeded in curbing the degradation of natural forest reserves.

In agriculture, points were calculated on the level of water usage in agricultural production and stipulations on pesticides.

Vietnam’s EPI was lower in the fields of seafood, climate change, impacts of air pollution on the ecology and marine preservation. Population growth, urbanization and industrialization have had a considerable impact on the natural environment.

Unsurprisingly, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and their surrounding areas saw the highest levels of pollution.

According to the World Bank report, Vietnam needs to pay more attention to mechanisms which encourage effective natural resource exploitation for economic growth.