Berlin (VNA) – A recent event in Berlin highlighted the importance of clean water, humanitarian assistance and local-level cooperation in helping communities respond to natural disasters, with the display of a portable water purification system, which had been delivered to Vietnam to support flood-affected residents.
Themed “Water is a Human Right,” the event was held at the Egon-Erwin-Kisch Library in Berlin’s Lichtenberg district. It was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Dac Thanh, representatives of Lichtenberg, the Berlin State Office for Development Cooperation (LEZ), the World University Service (WUS) Germany and the University of Kassel.
Speaking at the event, Thanh stressed that clean water is a basic human right and praised cooperation between Lichtenberg and Vietnamese partners in supporting people affected by natural disasters.
He said the cooperation demonstrates how international partnerships can turn solidarity into practical assistance for communities hit by disasters.
A key part of the event was a presentation of PAUL (Portable Aqua Unit for Lifesaving), a mobile water purification system developed by the University of Kassel under the leadership of Professor Franz-Bernd Frechen.
The system can turn contaminated water into drinking water without electricity or chemicals. It can be used at schools in remote areas as well as in humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations.
In early 2026, PAUL units were delivered to Vietnam to support people in areas severely affected by floods. The initiative was jointly implemented by the Lichtenberg administration, WUS and LEZ as part of cooperation between Lichtenberg and Hoan Kiem ward in Hanoi.
According to WUS, more than 400 PAUL units are now regularly used at schools across Vietnam, providing drinking water to around 160,000 students each day. Globally, more than 5,000 PAUL units are in use in 95 countries.
WUS Germany President Dr. Kambiz Ghawami said PAUL demonstrates how technology, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance can be combined. Each unit can provide safe drinking water for hundreds of people a day, he said.
He added that cooperation between Lichtenberg, WUS and Vietnamese partners shows that local-level projects can make practical contributions to addressing global challenges.
The event also highlighted the role of local government cooperation in Vietnam-Germany relations. The partnership between Lichtenberg and Hoan Kiem provides a foundation for specific projects, linking local government initiatives with international humanitarian assistance.
The delivery of PAUL systems to Vietnam for disaster relief in recent years shows that such cooperation can go beyond exchanges of experience and produce direct benefits for local communities./.
