Franziska Giffey, Deputy Mayor and Minister for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises of Berlin, said the Berlin State Office for Development Cooperation and the Lichtenberg District administration will fund 20 PAUL (Portable Aqua Unit for Lifesaving) mobile water treatment units for schools in remote and severely flood-affected areas of Viet Nam.
She stressed that the friendship between Berlin and Viet Nam is demonstrated through concrete actions, especially in times of crisis while affirming that the provision of clean water for flood victims in Viet Nam, through Germany’s World University Service (WUS), is proof of the effectiveness of international cooperation at the local level.
Meanwhile, Martin Schaefer, Head of the Lichtenberg District, said that with 20 PAUL water treatment units, schools in flood-affected areas of Viet Nam will receive regular supply of clean water in the future.
He shared: “Berlin and Viet Nam have a long-standing friendship. Particularly in Lichtenberg, where many Vietnamese people live, this relationship is part of everyday life.”
The portable PAUL water filtration units were transported to Viet Nam with support from Viet Nam Airlines for distribution to affected schools.
The PAUL filtration system can treat at least 1,200 litres of contaminated water per day, providing 3 litres of clean water per person per day for up to 400 people. The unit is resource-efficient and requires no chemicals, electricity or external specialists, thanks to advanced membrane filtration technology.
Kambiz Ghawami, President of WUS Germany, said that it is impressive that Berlin is once again showing solidarity with the people of Viet Nam. Following support in 2021, when COVID-19 test kits were provided from Berlin’s reserves, 20 schools will now have clean drinking water. The PAUL project not only contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 — ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’ — but also creates conditions for education and healthcare.”
In total, WUS has installed more than 390 PAUL water treatment units in Viet Nam in recent years, helping over 156,000 students, teachers and parents access clean water every day.
