Singapore must boost water supply resilience: Masagos

At the opening of Singapore World Water Day, Mr Masagos Zulkifli urged Singapore to plan ahead and continue to invest in infrastructure to boost the country's water supply resilience. At the same time, the public must conserve and value water.

Angela Lim, Channel NewsAsia 5 Mar 16;

SINGAPORE: The Republic must plan ahead and continue to invest in infrastructure to boost our water supply resilience, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli at the opening of Singapore World Water Day at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park on Saturday (Mar 5).

In light of extreme weather events that could threaten the reliability of Singapore’s water supply, Mr Masagos urged for a comprehensive monitoring system and stronger infrastructure to meet Singapore's water needs.

"Drier weather in the region last year has affected the stock level at Linggiu Reservoir in Johor,” he said. “This has significance for Singapore as Linggiu Reservoir regulates the water flow in Johor River, from which we draw water for supply to Singapore. Today, Linggiu Reservoir is less than half full and if they dry weather continues, we could see the level fall further."

He also shared an example of a recent water emergency in Nottinghamshire, England.

“The incident flooded the streets and some homes, disrupted some bus services and some businesses had to close,” he said. “Residents turned to bottled water for their daily needs. We need to continue to plan ahead and invest sufficiently in our infrastructure to ensure resilience in our water supply against various risks.”

However, it is not enough to focus on infrastructure, he said.

Held through the month of March, activities marking Singapore World Water Day will be aimed at rallying the community to conserve and value water.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli participating in the “Wash on a Full Load” art installation by Anderson Secondary School. (Photo: PUB)

Among them include yoga and Zumba classes, which were enjoyed by people from all walks of life on Saturday. They also took part in organised walks along the Kallang River to learn more about water conservation.

Throughout the month, more than 400 community partners will be organising about 200 initiatives to highlight the importance of water sustainability island-wide.

- CNA/ek