Turning Rainwater into Opportunity

Dien Bien Province in Northwest Vietnam is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including recurrent droughts, floods, and landslides. These challenges disproportionately affect the province’s predominantly ethnic minority and low-income communities, many of whom already face limited access to basic services. Safe and reliable water sources remain a major concern, especially in remote mountainous areas where households often rely on unstable or contaminated water supplies, particularly during the rainy season. The province’s rugged terrain and scattered settlements also make it difficult to develop and maintain sustainable water infrastructure.

With a poverty rate of nearly 37% in 2023, conditions are especially severe in districts such as Dien Bien Dong, Tuan Giao, and Tua Chua, where more than 90% of residents belong to ethnic minority groups including the Mong, Thai, Dao, and Kho Mu communities. Climate-related disasters continue to damage domestic water systems, while declining surface and groundwater sources in highland communes are intensifying water shortages for both daily use and livelihoods.

According to UNICEF’s 2020 report, although 84.9% of rural households in Dien Bien had access to a hygienic water source, only 11.4% met the national Ministry of Health standard for safe water quality — far below the national average of 51%. Sanitation conditions also remain inadequate, with only 66.2% of households having hygienic latrines, compared to more than 75% nationwide. These gaps in safe water and sanitation infrastructure leave communities, especially women and children in remote areas, highly vulnerable to water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, which remain among the leading causes of mortality for children under five.

To respond to these challenges, the Rural Water Resilience Initiative in Dien Bien Province, Vietnam, has been implemented with the aim of improving access to safe drinking water through sustainable rainwater harvesting and treatment systems. This project was the first collaboration between Gravity Water and UNICEF. 

In March and April 2025, 60 rainwater harvesting and treatment systems were installed across 50 schools and 10 household clusters across four districts: Tuan Giao, Dien Bien Dong, Tua Chua, and Muong Ang. Together, the project is creating reliable access to safe water for approximately 20,774 people, including more than 18,000 children.

Students are happy to have safe drinking water in Keo Lom Primary School in Dien Bien Province. Photo: ⓒ UNICEF Viet Nam/Do Khuong Duy

From the beginning, the initiative focused on building a system that communities could sustain themselves. Teachers, students and the local community received training on system operation and maintenance, while local stakeholders were engaged throughout implementation to strengthen ownership and long-term management capacity. This collaborative approach helped ensure that the systems became part of everyday community life rather than standalone installations.

Over the first 12 months of operation following installation, the impact can be visible through our record number. 60 systems have supplied  a total of approximately 4,390,000 liters of safe drinking water and harvested 1,314,000 liters of rainwater. The highest-performing system, Keo Lom Primary School, supplied approximately 557,000 liters of improved water and harvested 51,000 liters of rainwater, demonstrating strong system utilization in high-demand areas.

At schools, students now have consistent access to water for drinking and hygiene throughout the school day. Handwashing before meals and after class activities has become easier and more routine. Teachers reported fewer disruptions related to water shortages, allowing schools to maintain a healthier and more supportive learning environment.

One of the strongest examples of the project’s effectiveness can be seen at Keo Lom Primary School, where the installed system supplied approximately 557,000 liters of improved water within the first year alone. In communities where seasonal water scarcity once created uncertainty for families and schools alike, the ability to collect and safely treat rainwater has become a practical and climate-resilient solution.

“With this system, we feel much more secure. I’m also reassured knowing that all students will have regular access to clean drinking water, especially during the dry season,” shared by Hua Nguong Primary School’s vice principal. 

Beyond schools, the project also extended support to household clusters where centralized water infrastructure remains limited, as they play a critical role in ensuring that safe water access reaches families beyond the classroom. During the first year of operation, 10 households receiving systems have been supplied approximately 320,000 litres of safe drinking water and harvested 276,000 litres of rainwater for domestic use.

The project also demonstrated the value of strong local partnership and responsive technical support. During the first year of operation, approximately 112 maintenance cases were identified and resolved across all systems. Rather than being viewed as setbacks, these early maintenance experiences became important opportunities for learning and improvement. Schools and communities became more confident in monitoring system performance and reporting issues, while project partners used operational data to refine future system designs and maintenance approaches.

Several key lessons were obtained from the initiative. The project highlighted the importance of proactive maintenance, accurate monitoring systems, and timely access to consumable supplies such as replacement filters. In response, Gravity Water is now strengthening its long-term maintenance model through dedicated technical support, preventative maintenance visits, and improved monitoring processes.

Ms. Silvia Danailov, Representative of UNICEF Viet Nam, visited a water system in Su Lu primary school in Dien Bien province. Photo: ⓒ UNICEF Viet Nam/Truong Viet Hung

Most importantly, the project demonstrated how collaboration between communities, local authorities, and development partners can create practical and scalable solutions for climate resilience.

With UNICEF’s support, thousands of schoolchildren and teachers in disaster-affected and water-insecure communities now have more reliable access to safe water and improved hygiene conditions. Beyond infrastructure alone, the initiative strengthened local capacity, encouraged community ownership, and demonstrated how community-centred solutions can help vulnerable communities adapt to growing climate and water challenges.