Vietnam was, at least on the surface, a breath of fresh air. As we drove from the airport, immaculately kept fields gave way to narrow, 3-4 story buildings with red tile roofs and balcony gardens. Arriving onto the tree-lined streets of Hanoi at rush hour, cars and trucks were the exceptions to braided rivers of bicycles and mopeds. The country is much less centralized, in part as a defense against U.S. bombings three decades before. The plethora of small shops and restaurant puts daily needs within walking distance.
Litter is uncommon because packaging of food and other commodities is minimal.
Population growth in Vietnam is much lower, but those with bicycles are buying mopeds, and those with mopeds, cars. Many pollution control technologies require substantial energy, yet energy does not come cheaply here. Because population growth is slower than in the Philippines, Vietnam may be in a better position to manage its environmental challenges before they get out of hand. However, this will not be easy in the face of rapid economic change, as dissolved oxygen in its rivers drop and the acidity in its rain increases. Like mainland species assemblages, the Vietnamese have experienced a more continuous influx of invaders, assimilating these cultures to various degrees.