Water and the City : Towards Sustainable Solutions, Singapore International Water Week, Singapore

Water and the City : Towards Sustainable Solutions

Theme: “Sustainable Cities: Clean and Affordable Water”

Water is life and yet, this natural resource is often taken for granted. With increasing urbanisation around the world exacerbated by climate change, water has become one of the world’s most precious commodities. Rapid industrial, economic, and social development has put additional strain on many countries’ limited water resources.

Singapore is no exception to this. But through sound water management and investments in R&D and water technologies, the city-state is well on its way to achieving self-sufficiency in water. The Singapore experience clearly underscores the importance of strong leadership and good governance in ensuring a sustainable supply of clean, affordable water for generations to come.

Having benefitted from the success and experiences of others to reach our current stage of water selfsuffi ciency, the Singapore International Water Week was conceived as the global platform for water solutions, to promote sharing of expertise in water technologies, governance and experiences in water management.

The Water Week brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world annually. Themed “Sustainable Cities: Clean and Affordable Water”, this year’s event to be held from June 28 to July 2, will feature the following flagship programmes:

• The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is an international water award that recognises excellent and outstanding contributions in solving water problems and challenges.

The Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC), which beat 49 other nominees, is the recipient for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2010. YRCC’s outstanding accomplishments in developing and managing water resources and flood control solutions have brought sustainable social, economic and environmental benefits to more than one hundred million people in China.

• The Water Leaders Summit brings together 300 global water leaders from around the world for insightful exchanges and networking. Acclaimed experts will focus on the three-pillared solutions for building sustainable cities, comprising good governance, innovative technology and sound financing.
• The Water Convention is a global platform for industry experts, practitioners, researchers and academics, to discuss the latest advances and challenges in the water industry. With more than 350 papers received from nearly 40 countries, this year’s Water Convention has added tracks on governance and finance.
• The Water Expo is a major water tradeshow that will showcase products, services and solutions from over 450 participating companies from around the world.
• The Business Forums feature over 80 speakers and experts from both the private and public sectors who will share insights on upcoming water projects, development hotspots, industry trends and policies in key markets such as the Americas, Australia, China, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East & North Africa and Southeast Asia. Singapore International Water Week 2010 will also see more than 90 co-located events including the inaugural Asia Pacifi c Water Ministers Forum, the 14th Meeting of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and the second World Cities Summit.

Opportunities are abound to network, build connections and establish partnerships with leading policy makers, industry experts and leading water players spanning the entire water value chain. The solution to clean and affordable water lies here. Register now at www.siww.com.sg to be a part of this exciting programme.