Engineer Tran Vu Thanh and his fresh water filter in the Mekong Delta region.

During a visit to Truong Sa (Spratly) island in 2014, Thanh saw with his own eyes how difficult local life had become due to a shortage of fresh water. After the trip, he started doing research on a machine to turn saltwater into fresh water. A year later, his NT-30 fresh water filter was installed on Truong Sa island. Thanh says the device runs on solar energy and can produce 50 liters per hour of fresh water that meets the standard of the Vietnam Ministry of Health.

“The locals have suffered from a shortage of fresh water for a long time. This water filter alleviates the problem,” he said.

In 2015, the Mekong Delta suffered a severe drought and saltwater intrusion as a result of climate change. Thanh made a fact-finding tour to the region and decided to adapt his water filter to the local conditions.

“At that time, I had already installed a fresh water filter on Truong Sa island. For the Mekong Delta, I made some adjustments to suit the local water conditions," said Thanh.

After the success of his fresh water filter, Thanh and other members of the Hanoi Young Intellectual Club launched a nationwide program called “Don’t be afraid of natural disasters. Be prepared for them”. Through the support of many individuals and organizations, additional water filters have been installed in affected areas.

“The filters have an average capacity of 300 liters per hour, which can provide fresh water to 100 to 150 households a day. So far, we have installed more than 40 water filters,” said Thanh.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong, Head of the Rural Area Department of Ben Tre province’s Youth Union, said, “Thanh’s water filters installed in Ben Tre province have proved effective. They use advanced technology suitable to the drought and saltwater conditions in Ben Tre.”