The gold prize went to Nguyen Thi Sen, Vu Dinh Kien and Le Thu Huyen, a trio from the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, for their research on the treatment of arsenic-contaminated groundwater.
Five silver prizes were also presented at the ceremony.
The winning entries stood out among nearly 500 designs, solutions and initiatives on addressing environmental challenges and managing water resources, sent by around 1,000 students from 51 cities and provinces nationwide since the contest was launched in May 2016 by the Vietnam Environment Administration, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam.
The contest aimed to raise the awareness of the youth of environmental protection for sustainable development and to promote environmentally friendly behaviour among them.
Addressing the awards ceremony, Truong Van Dat from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment said that the contest highlighted creativity and passion for science and increased the responsibility and social conscience of Vietnamese students.
The contest also helped to motivate local authorities, educational facilities and businesses to provide more encouragement and support to younger generation to produce more quality and feasible initiatives, he added.
Sanket Ray, Chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam highly appreciated efforts made by the entrants in turning their ideas into action to address urgent issues on water resources.
He expressed his hope that the contest would fuel confidence and creativity among Vietnamese youngsters so that they would bring about more initiatives for a cleaner and healthier living environment.
