CHAPTER 10 - Singapore's Experience in Water Resource Management

Summary

Singapore today is regarded by others to have done well in its sustainable water management strategy, both in securing sufficient water supplies to meet its needs and in managing water demand through public education and ownership. Singapore's application of technology to produce NEWater, a high-grade reclaimed water, to supplement its conventional water sources, has attracted much interest from water utilities companies worldwide. Our extensive water conservation efforts and community-driven programmes have successfully reduced the island's per capita domestic consumption to one of the lowest in the tropical region.

Singapore water companies and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) have also been making their mark in the lucrative global environment and water industry business. Singapore water company, Hyflux, has established recycling and desalination plants in China and the Middle East. Sembcorp Industries also has collaborations with the Chinese government to set up and run an industrial water recycling facility in China's Jiangsu province. Singapore also hosted the inaugural Singapore International Water Week from 23 to 27 June 2008 and more than 8,500 representatives from governments, utility providers, businesses, and academia were at the meeting. Besides launching the water fund, over S$367 million (US$250 million) of deals were signed at this meeting. The second which was held from 22 to 26 June 2009 attracted over 10,000 attendees. About $2.8 billion deals were inked at this event. The latest Singapore International Water Week held in 2011 attracted 13,500 delegates with MOUs reaching S$2.9 billion.

NEWater has also won the “Environmental Contribution of the Year” title in the Global Water Awards 2008. Singapore is also one of the first countries in the world outside the Middle East which has demonstrated that membrane-based desalination can be carried out at an affordable cost.

Yet, despite all these, Singapore consistently continues to be ranked poorly in international studies conducted on water availability. For example, in the United Nations World Water Development Report, Singapore was ranked 158^th out of 193 countries in terms of water availability.