Health of rivers in the spotlight

This year's Water Week will look not just at technologies, but also at ecological aspects
Straits Times 24 Feb 10;

THE health of the world's rivers and their surrounding landscape is increasingly being looked at by experts, in an effort to conserve water resources.

Policymakers are realising the importance of managing river basins like South-east Asia's Mekong Delta, to help the region develop industry and agriculture while maintaining a clean water supply.

And this year's Singapore International Water Week at the Suntec convention centre is following suit.

A workshop on managing the health of river basins will be held for the first time at the annual event, to take place in June.

Previously, the annual Water Week, launched in 2008, focused on showcasing advanced water technologies that could be applied in cities. But this year, the event's organisers are looking at water management from a broader ecological perspective.

According to the World Bank, integrated river basin management means considering the conflicting uses of water for agriculture, hydropower and other needs, taking into account the financial and environmental costs of water use, and even looking at the way land use or deforestation might affect water supply.

In a 2006 report, the World Bank said: 'Increased stresses on a basin's natural resource base caused by development pressures are leading to degradation that is felt well beyond the immediate area of a particular project.'

For Singapore International Water Week, national water agency PUB said it was working with the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance to plan and conduct the inaugural water management workshop.

Also held for the first time will be an Asia-Pacific water ministers' forum, where ministers discuss water issues.

This is in addition to the Water Leaders Summit for government officials, experts and industry leaders.

Water Week 2010, with the theme Sustainable Cities - Clean and Affordable Water, will occupy more exhibition space and see deals inked that are on a par with the previous year's $2.2 billion.

Its managing director Michael Toh said the event is expected to draw 12,000 visitors, up from last year's 10,000, and 450 participating companies, an increase of 10 per cent from the number in last year's event. To date, he added, more than 80 per cent of the 18,000 sq m of exhibition space has been sold.

Water Week will be held in conjunction with the biennial World Cities Summit, to be held here from June 28 to July 1, which puts forth solutions for urban sustainability.

The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize and the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize will also be awarded then. The former recognises outstanding solutions for global water problems, while the latter, given out for the first time, recognises contributions towards vibrant, liveable and sustainable urban communities.

Among this year's water industry highlights, Mr Toh added, is the completion of the Sembcorp Changi Newater plant, set for the middle of this year. When complete, it will be Singapore's largest Newater plant, capable of producing 228,000 cubic m a day.

GRACE CHUA