Bao Loc Town smokes heavily in November as people dry their coffee after the harvest season. Photo by Le Van Cuong

Air pollution has become a serious health hazard, but Vietnam is unable to kick its smoking habit.

The Center of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE), in collaboration with the German Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, is organizing a "Feel the Air" photo exhibition that aims to raise public awareness on air pollution in Vietnam. The exhibition is free and open to the public from April 17-28 at the Deutsches Haus in HCMC's District 1.

In Hanoi, Pham Van Dong Street is referred to as "the road of suffering" for its heavy traffic and construction activity, choking and squeezing commuters. Photo by Pham Van Hoc

Smoke bellows out of two chimneys of a thermal power plant in Quang Ninh Province, polluting the atmosphere of the famous Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO heritage site. Photo by Tran Ngoc Nam

Out of 732 photos submitted for a contest held to select the best for the ongoing exhibition, 34 were chosen. From May 13-17, these photographs will be displayed in a bus that will move to five major locations in the city. The bus will also carry information on AQI indicators (air quality index).

Hanoi and Saigon were recently named among the 15 most polluted cities in Southeast Asia. Hanoi in particular was ranked the second most polluted, according to the latest World Air Quality Report by AirVisual.

Hanoi's average PM2.5 level last year was 40.8 micrograms per cubic meter of air as opposed to 45.8 in 2017, according to Switzerland-based air quality monitor IQAir AirVisual's 2018 World Air Quality Report. Saigon’s air quality worsened last year to 26.9 from 23.6 in 2017.

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is regarded as the pollutant with the most adverse health impacts. Released by vehicles, industries and natural sources like dust, its width is a fraction of that of human hair, meaning it can get into the lungs and cause a number of diseases, including lung cancer.