When a group of engineering students arrived on An Binh island and learned that residents were paying 300,000 VND per cubic meter for water, or relying on rainwater stored in tanks, they knew they had to act.
“The lack of freshwater affects everything. Offshore fishermen can’t carry enough water for long trips, and the prices are simply unaffordable,” shared MD4Island, a team from Da Lat University.
They responded by designing a compact, solar-powered machine that turns seawater into drinking water using a membrane distillation system. It removes 99% of salt, is 25% more efficient than conventional filters, and produces up to 100 liters of clean water per day per household.
MD4Island’s initative landed them among the top 3 of UNESCO Water Challenge 2025.
The challenge is real, but so is the youth’s response
Organized by UNESCO and the Institute for Innovation and Development (IID), the Water Challenge for Young Innovators 2025 invited young people across Viet Nam to submit practical and creative solutions for clean water access. Out of nearly 100 submissions, 10 teams were selected to pitch in Hanoi. Three stood out for their bold ideas and deep community focus.
Among the top teams was Green Warriors, a group of environmental engineering students from Hanoi University of Science and Technology and the Foreign Trade University. Their motivation came from home in the rural areas of Ninh Binh, where nitrogen contamination in daily water use poses a serious health threat.
“Our idea started from a very personal concern: how polluted water was affecting our own communities. We wanted to turn that concern into something concrete.”
With guidance from Associate Professor Do Khac Uan, the team developed a filtration membrane system suitable for households or small communities. The system helps residents proactively treat domestic water sources, and aligns with longer-term public health strategies set by local authorities.
Over the next three months, Green Warriors plan to pilot the system with rural households in Ninh Binh, alongside awareness-raising campaigns co-hosted with local youth groups and commune leaders.
“This project reminds us that even the most everyday concern can become a real solution, if we’re willing to learn, connect, and take action.”
Where creativity takes flight
Far south, in drought-prone Tra Vinh, a third team saw opportunity in what others discard.
“What if wastewater didn’t just disappear but became something people could learn from?” asked Stars Water, a group from Tra Vinh University, specializing in environmental management.
Their solution is Eco-Park Wetlands: a decentralized, low-tech system that filters household wastewater using only local plants – water hyacinth, bird of paradise, lotus – and recycled materials like foam boxes, used plastic tarps, and treated coal ash.
After the competition, they plan to install a pilot model at a secondary school on an island commune and eventually integrate sensors to track water quality in real-time.
We don’t just want to clean water. We want to change how people communicate with water.
Laying the groundwork for systemic change
Each of these stories reflects a broader shift: young people in Viet Nam are not just proposing solutions, they are building them – with creativity, scientific rigor, and a deep sense of place.
The Water Challenge 2025 is part of UNESCO’s global commitment to water science and education, and its 50-year Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP). In Viet Nam, it aims to connect youth-led innovation to real-world policy and implementation, while contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean water and sanitation for all.
As Mr Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam, stated:
“Today’s challenge is clear, but so is the opportunity. And young people are at the heart of this transformation.”
