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Brussels (VNA) – Vietnam can learn from and apply experience drawn from measures that have been taken by Brussels to respond to climate change, prevent floods and protect the environment, Tristan Roberti, President of the Environmental Commission at the Brussels-Capital Region, said.
Brussels has potential for renewable energy but it is impossible to install wind power stations there due to limited space and frequent flights at Brussels International Airport. Thus, the capital does not focus on wind power but develop solar energy, Roberti said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency.
The city has encouraged residents to install solar panels on their roofs. It also set up an online energy map. Accordingly, people only need to access the map, fill in their home address to know whether the roof is suitable for installing solar panels and how they benefit from it. Businesses and schools are motivated to install solar panels.
Roberti said Brussels authorities have also provide technical assistance to households to install solar panels. Financial support is provided through the issuance of "Green Certification", which allows reducing energy prices for families, agencies and schools participating in the project.
In July, the Wallonia region - a French-speaking region in the south of Belgium - suffered a historic flood that killed nearly 50 people. To prevent Brussels from this situation, the capital applies rainwater collection in a natural way, so that it penetrates deep into the ground.
In some big cities, roads are asphalted which hinder water from seeping into the soil, causing flooding. Therefore, the city always leaves "green areas" for water to drain easily when designing roads.
In addition to upgrading the sewer system every year, the city also built a rainwater storage tank which helps limit the consequences caused by floods.
Regarding sustainable development, Brussels, like other major cities, is facing three challenges, he said. The first challenge is that the buildings have been built for a long time, not paying much attention to environmental factors as well as energy. Currently, the city is renovating these buildings to make them more energy-responsive.
Traffic also poses challenges for Brussels, Roberti said. The city advocates reducing personal cars, increasing public transport, using bicycles or walking. Brussels has now decided to stop using diesel cars by 2030 and gasoline cars by 2035. This is very important in improving air quality in the capital.
Green space is also a problem for the city. Currently, some streets in Brussels still lack green trees and many residential areas do not have green parks. Thus, the city is focusing on planting more trees as the measure does not only improve the environment and scenery of the city but also enhance the air quality as well as the living environment of the people, he said./.
VNA