Singapore International Water Week.

Very honoured to attend Singapore International Water Week just this morning at Marina Barrage! In case you are wondering what Singapore International Water Week is at all....


I attended the Young Water Leaders Summit, which brings together young water leaders from around the world to engage in discussions on global water issues, empowering them to be effective catalysts for change in their regions and the world. Selected participants will represent the voice of the youth in the Water Leaders Summit, providing an opportunity for young water leaders to interact and share their ideas with established global water leaders from the public and private sectors.

Besides some valuable sharing by Ms Grace Fu, together with 35 different countries' young leaders, we had a dialogue session with Ms Fu, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs! Ms Grace Fu shared the importance of good water and good public health. From supply of water to collection of water water to recycle of waste water, it is now all done by PUB here. Marina Barrage has a catchment area of 10,000 hectares, or one-sixth the size of Singapore, the Marina catchment is the island’s largest and most urbanised catchment.


Together with two other new reservoirs, the Marina Reservoir has increased Singapore’s water catchment from half to two-thirds of the country’s land area.

Since 2002, New Water stepped into our lives and though just slightly over a decade old, technology to implement New Water started as early as 20-40 years before!! That's definitely something new to me!!

Some young leaders from France, Netherlands, Philippines, Korea, USA, South Africa voiced how impressed they were of Singapore's water system and asked how did it happen. What were the measures taken to protect water.

Through school education and water rationing exercises done in the 60s, we have been taught how important water is. Being involved in Singapore International Water Week just served as a reminder of how we need to have a sense of ownership of water and protect water. In other countries, Water is treated as a natural occurrence so not treated previously. 

Through this dialogue, I've increased my knowledge of water here in Singapore and through the sharing from other young leaders, I feel very lucky to be a Singaporean. Some of them shared the conditions they face back in their countries and how much they are impressed with our water technology and how we should share this technology with the other countries. Ms Grace Fu also shared that Singapore is always very eager to participate in Research and Development. We have a different attitude, holding clear goals towards water sufficiency, while other countries may be protective of their water. We have also exported our technology to other parts of the world like China and Africa.

I have also learnt that water has been a placed key priority by the Government here in Singapore. Every policy has to ban their knees for water survival. To move towards Water independence and self sufficient, water has taken centre stage and priority; assuring water for our future.

Head over to www.waterchatter.wordpress.com where you can read more posts on this beautiful topic!!