Singapore International Water Week Water International Singapore 23 – 27 June 2008 Singapore International Water Week Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre 23 – 27 June 2008 Organised by: Singapore International Water Week Pte Ltd A company set up by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources and PUB, Singapore’s national water agency. © Copyright 2008 Singapore International Water Week. All Rights Reserved. Event Partner: Singapore Airshow & Events Pte Ltd Contents Dr Yaacob Ibrahim 02 Welcomes all to the Singapore International Water Week Reflect Current Wave Leading Minds Ponder the Future Main Events at Water Week Surge of Supporting Activities 26 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 36 Regional Business Forums 27 Water Technopreneur with 36 Social Events Groundbreaking Solution is First 38 Co-located Events Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Winner 40 Technical Tours 30 Water Leaders Summit 32 Water Convention 33 Water Expo Water Festival Water, Sanitation Sustainable Urban 06 and Life in Our Cities 10 Water Management Solution Quench Professor Tommy Koh – Issues and Perspective The Sponsors with Answers Sate Your Curiosity about Singapore Asit K. Biswas and Cecilia Tortajada 44 Asahi Kasei 60 An Oasis of Fun and Surprises 45 Black & Veatch 65 Singapore International Water Week 46 CDM at a Glance 47 CH2M HILL 48 Dayen Environmental Limited 49 Dow Water Solutions 50 Hyflux 51 Keppel Corporation 52 Salcon Pte Ltd 53 Sembcorp Industries Ltd 54 Siemens Water Technologies 55 Suez Environnement The Hope in Water Emerging Trends 56 United Engineers 16 Professor Kishore Mahbubani 20 in Water Technology 57 Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies – Global Innovations and Future Directions Dr David Garman Cover: Artist’s impression of Marina Bay, Singapore © Urban Redevelopment Authority, 2007. Welcome to and dammed up several of them to create freshwater reservoirs. This experience has over the Singapore time nurtured a water industry of both local and international companies well placed to International contribute water solutions globally. Water Week It is in this spirit of sharing and celebration that the Singapore International Water Week was conceived. The theme ‘Sustainable Water Solutions for Cities’ reflects our wish that other sustained supply of potable water has cities also join us in developing and sustaining always been a key requirement for the water solutions for themselves. Through this A survival, growth and development of premier water event, we aim to provide global the human civilisation. policy makers, industry leaders and experts a Today, while some parts of the world are comprehensive platform to share experiences well-supplied with water, many parts are under- and build capacities. supplied or face problems of flooding. It is An award bearing the name of Singapore’s estimated that a billion people still lack access first Prime Minister and now Minister Mentor to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion people do – the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, has been not have access to basic sanitation. created to recognise the vision and efforts of What is promising, however, is the an individual or organisation towards solving continuing endeavour by scientists, the world’s water challenges. I would like to governments, non-government organisations extend my warmest congratulations to and industry to highlight such issues, and to Dr Andrew Benedek who is the first explore and implement practical, cost-effective distinguished recipient of the Water Prize. solutions. Innovative technologies, sound I thank the Singapore Millennium Foundation policies and international cooperation can help and the 14 founding sponsors for their support of secure a greater water supply for our people the Singapore International Water Week. I warmly now and in the future. welcome all our international friends and wish Singapore’s circumstances necessitated you an enjoyable stay in Singapore. innovative and bold solutions in order to provide sustained, affordable and clean drinking water for our growing urban population and industry. We have succeeded in this challenge by diversifying Dr Yaacob Ibrahim our sources – local catchment water, imported Minister for the Environment water, NEWater and desalinated water. We have and Water Resources cleaned up our waterways Singapore Welcome Message 03 ReflectLeading Minds Ponder the Future Water, Sanitation and Life in Our Cities Professor Tommy Koh Ambassador-at-large Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Chairman Asia-Pacific Water Forum Governing Council Chairman Water Leaders Summit Singapore International Water Week he good news is that Asia is the fastest • Reduce by half the number of people come true. The progress will be monitored of international organisations and eminent growing region in the world. The good who do not have access to basic sanitation and evaluated at the second summit in 2010. scholars and thought leaders to meet. The T news is that if Asia continues to progress by 2015 and aim to reduce that number to In his address to the Water Summit, the summit will have a plenary session and three along its present trajectory, it will soon catch zero by 2025, through the adoption of new Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda informed the roundtables. I will chair the plenary which will up with the United States and the European and innovative sanitation systems that are meeting that Japan, as the host of the 2008 G8 focus on the nexus between good governance Union in the size of its economy. There is, not as water reliant as current methods; meeting, will ensure that water and sanitation and sustainable cities. however, a dark side to this happy picture. • Accord the highest priority to water will be on its agenda. The Beppu Message urged The three roundtables will focus on: The bad news is that 700 million Asians do and sanitation in our economic and the G8 to commit to support the developing a. The right environment for not have access to safe drinking water. The development plans and agendas and countries to achieve their Millennium water technologies; worse news is that 1.5 billion Asians do not to increase substantially our allocation Development targets on water and sanitation. b. The business of water; and have access to basic sanitation. The really of resources to the water and From 23 to 27 June 2008, Singapore will host c. Cities of the future. awful news is that some cities of Asia are sanitation sectors; three concurrent meetings: I hope that the discussions in the plenary becoming unliveable: with unhealthy air, • Improve governance, efficiency and equity a. The inaugural Singapore International and the roundtables will be substantive, polluted water, untreated sewage, bad in all aspects related to the management Water Week; intellectually rigorous and practical, and housing, worse transport, etc. of water, particularly as it impacts on poor b. A World Cities Summit; and will result in deliverables which will help us In December 2007, the Asia Pacific Water communities. We recognise that while c. A smaller meeting on Liveable Cities to make a difference to the lives of our people. Forum held the first Asia Pacific Water Summit in women are particularly vulnerable, they for the 16 member countries of the Beppu, Japan. It was a very successful meeting. are also resilient and entrepreneurial, East Asia Summit. The meeting adopted an inspiring and visionary hence, they should be empowered in all We will try to harness the synergy and The bad news is that Message From Beppu. In the message, the water-related activities; capture the commonalties between water and 700 million Asians participants agreed, inter alia, to: • Empower a high-level coordinating cities. The nexus is obvious: every good city do not have access to safe • Recognise the people’s right to safe mechanism in our cabinets and, where should provide all its citizens with safe drinking drinking water. The worse drinking water and basic sanitation as possible, appoint a minister in charge of water and basic sanitation. news is that 1.5 billion Asians a basic human right and a fundamental water to ensure that all issues related to I have been tasked to chair the Water do not have access to aspect of human security; water and sanitation would be dealt with Leaders Summit, one component of the • Reduce by half the number of people who in a holistic manner. Singapore International Water Week. The Water basic sanitation. do not have access to safe drinking water It is easier to adopt a message than to Leaders Summit will be an annual platform for by 2015 and aim to reduce that number implement it. The challenge is for all of us, who policy makers, ministers in charge of water, to zero by 2025; were in Beppu, to work hard to make our vision mayors of cities, leaders of industry, heads 08 Singapore International Water Week Reflect 0 9 Sustainable Urban Water Management – Issues and Perspective Asit K. Biswas President Third World Centre for Water Management Atizapan, Mexico Distinguished Visiting Professor Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy National University of Singapore Cecilia Tortajada Vice-President Third World Centre for Water Management Atizapan, Mexico Visiting Professor Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy National University of Singapore President International Water Resources Association Scientific Director International Centre for Water Zaragoza, Spain he importance of the provision of clean is still increasing. Urban water management, Goals (MDGs), one of which was to “reduce Are Urban Water Supply and drinking water and proper wastewater in the present context, means access to clean by half the proportion of people without Wastewater Problems Solvable? T management for the urban centres of drinkable water and proper wastewater and sustainable access to safe drinking water”, Analyses carried out at our Centre indicate the world has been known for centuries. As the stormwater management. by 2015. Surprisingly, and most curiously, the that there is absolutely no reason as to why urban urban centres started to proliferate, especially In retrospect, it is indeed a curious anomaly MDGs are silent on wastewater management.