Environmentally Sound Desludging Concept for Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi Vietnam

Due to urbanization, more and more lakes are being swallowed up by the catchments of growing cities. The ecosystem of shallow, small to mid-sized lakes reacts very sensitively to changing environmental conditions. Water quality deteriorates as a result of sewage discharge, higher water extraction, and the growing inflow of urban suspended solids. Since water bodies and, in particular, lakes are very important for the microclimate, urban beautification and recreational purposes, they need to be protected. Therefore, many growing cities are developing management concepts for urban lakes. A Vietnamese–German research project developed and applied a sustainable concept to remediate urban shallow lakes in tropical regions. This paper provides an insight into the current situation of Hoan Kiem Lake in the center of Hanoi as well as other urban water bodies in Asia, and presents approaches for environmentally sound remediation and sustainable water management.