SIWW Blue Paper 2014 by Singapore International Water Week

2014

BLUEPAPER

CONTENTS

01 A WELCOME NOTE FROM PROFESSOR TOMMY KOH 03 SIWW, THE PREMIER GLOBAL PLATFORM TO SHARE AND CO-CREATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS 06 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 07 IN CONVERSATION 11

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OPENING PLENARY: SHAPING OUR CITIES, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT FOR A LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Case Study 1: Abu Dhabi: Bills that Build Awareness Case Study 2: Billund BioRefinery: Using PPPs to Usher in Sustainability

WATER LEADERS ROUNDTABLE: WATER FOR ALL – SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER FUTURE 24 Case Study 3: Nestlé halves water usage in Mossel Bay 25 Case Study 4: Xylem shows the way with customised and smart technologies 26 Case Study 5: Hamburg: Saving water and segregating used water 29 WATER LEADERS DIALOGUE 1: BREAKING BOUNDARIES: DEVELOPING A BETTER WATER UTILITY 32 Case Study 6: Innovation provides the best insurance against drought in Singapore 34 Case Study 7: DC Water: Engaging with stakeholders in every possible platform 36 Case Study 8: Cambodia: Turning entitled consumers into paying customers

38 WATER LEADERS DIALOGUE 2: FUTURE-PROOFING OUR CITIES 40 Case Study 9: Rotterdam turns car parks and public squares into storage 42 Case Study 10: Shell partners with community to recycle water 44 Case Study 11: Resilience to flooding in Songhua River Basin 45 Case Study 12: Hong Kong: Building sewage treatment works in caverns to free up land 47 SINGAPORE WATER LECTURE: PIONEERING WATER REUSE AND PUBLIC OUTREACH 49 CLOSING THOUGHTS 50 INDUSTRIAL WATER SOLUTIONS FORUM: SMALLER WATER FOOTPRINTS, GREATER BUSINESS VALUE 52 TECHXCHANGE: INVESTORS AND INNOVATORS EXCHANGE NOTES 54 HYDRO-GEN: PREPARING YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONALS FOR THE FUTURE

A WELCOME NOTE FROM PROFESSOR TOMMY KOH

Dear Friends, This year’s Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), held together with the World Cities Summit (WCS) and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS), became a camping ground at the base of the mountain of urban water, sanitation, liveability and environmental challenges facing the world. The campers represented governments, business, academia and international organisations who are tackling topics of vital importance through plenary sessions, exhibitions, seminars, panels and side-events. We try to climb up to a higher level of problem-solving each time we meet. Let me explain why we brought the three summits together. The CESS is significant because human beings everywhere in the world aspire to live in a clean, green, healthy and safe environment. They want to be able to breathe the air, drink the water, swim in lakes and rivers, and most importantly, live in an environment that is sustainable for their children and future generations. The WCS underlines the important fact that in the last two years since we met in Singapore, 100 million people have moved from rural to urban areas and by 2050,

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… our collective vision cannot be achieved by any one actor alone: not the United Nations (UN) or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the national governments, the private sector, civil society. It needs cooperation and ownership by all actors.

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70% of the world’s population will live in cities. This is an enormous change which brings opportunities as well as challenges of urbanisation. There is a growing gap between infrastructure and population. Many of the cities in Asia suffer from suffocating air pollution, water which is not potable, public transportation which is a nightmare, and an increasing number of slums. At the same time, cities are the engine of growth where the most talented people want to live. With the right conditions, life in a city can be heaven on earth.

The theme flowing through all the three events is water, which brings me to the SIWW. There would be no life on earth without water. We need water for our wellbeing. We need water for agriculture, industry and for maintaining our ecosystems. Water is of primary importance to humankind. By placing three interconnected summits under one roof, we encourage professionals to step out of their silos and meet one another, because these problems can only be solved in a holistic and multidisciplinary manner. Some of the important messages that emerged from the summits were: • We need to mitigate and adapt to climate change. If we want to limit the global rise of temperature to below 2˚C, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels by 2050. Denmark announced at the summit that it is already planning to do so. Low-lying countries must adapt to extreme weather, and the Netherlands shared that it is ready for the next big flood. • We must harness the power of technology and facilitate partnerships between public and private sectors to build smart, green cities. Orange County Water District, winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2014, shared how it embraced cutting-edge water technology and, at the same time, won the public’s trust in the use of recycled water. • Old cities can compete with new cities simply by turning their history, tradition and culture into economic assets. The City of Suzhou, winner of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2014, has a history of 2,500 years and successfully conserved its precious heritage, while at the same time building a new eco-city. • We must keep politics honest. We need leaders who are honest, professionally competent, who can see both the big picture and have a long-term commitment to our collective enterprise. • Corporate Social Responsibility is no longer enough as sustainability has to become a part of a company’s decision-making and strategy, for it to make a real impact on its customers.

Finally, the message from Ban Ki-moon, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations (UN), that resonated the most with me is that 2.5 billion people lack access to the dignity, health and safety afforded by sanitation. He also mentioned that the UN is spearheading a call for action. I am pleased to inform you that Singapore has taken the lead and persuaded the UN to designate the 19th of November every year as World Toilet Day. Let me conclude by emphasising that our collective vision cannot be achieved by any one actor alone: not the UN or Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the national governments, the private sector, civil society. It needs cooperation and ownership by all actors. As in the past years, we have synthesised the main ideas of the discussions that took place at the joint plenary sessions, Water Leaders Summit and some other key events. As a new element this year, and to help address our challenges more effectively, we requested several SIWW delegates to share more about innovative solutions – from innovative bills to smart technologies – in the form of case studies. For those who could not join us as well as those who attended the summit, this Blue Paper will serve as a record of the lessons learnt.

With best wishes, Prof Tommy Koh Chairperson Singapore International Water Week 2014 – Water Leaders Summit Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore

SIWW, THE PREMIER GLOBAL PLATFORM TO SHARE AND CO-CREATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS SIWW continues to draw delegates across the government, international organisations, industry, and academia sectors from more than half of the world’s countries/regions, with S$14.5 billion in total value of business announcements. Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), held from 1–5 June 2014, saw S$14.5 billion in total value for the announcements on projects awarded, tenders, investments and MOUs concluded at the event. Held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS), the event attracted more than 20,000 participants from 133 countries/regions spanning the government, international organisations, industry, and academia sectors. The Water Expo at this year’s SIWW was the largest edition to date, with more than 800 participating companies and 24 Group Pavilions exhibiting over 23,000sqm of covered space. Various announcements on company investments, R&D collaborations and project partnerships were made, underscoring Singapore’s stature as a global hydrohub and SIWW’s role as the global platform for the co-creation of water solutions. Some notable examples include the opening of Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG) International’s regional hub and the Danish Water Technology House, as well as the location of Xylem’s Greater Asia headquarters in Singapore. The new BEWG International will manage an estimated S$2 billion worth of water investments outside of China. Singapore-based De.Mem signed letters of intent (LOI) with Vietnamese companies Hanoi Water Works and Dabaco Group to build two decentralised water treatment plants in projects valued at around S$15 million, while Sembcorp Industries will acquire and upgrade an existing wastewater treatment plant in Lianyungang Lingang Chemical Industrial Park in China’s Jiangsu province.

The Business Forums saw the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) announce the construction of 6 desalination plants with a total capacity of more than 2.5 million m3/day including the world’s largest reverse osmosis plant (600,000 m3/day) in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia. Municipalities and Industrial Parks in Indonesia, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam also shared over S$2 billion worth of investment projects for prospective solutions providers. Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were signed between PUB and companies including Evoqua, Anaergia and Grundfos to explore R&D projects in water treatment. PUB and Evoqua will further develop electrochemical desalination technology to improve energy and cost efficiencies in seawater desalination, while the collaboration with Anaergia focuses on potential waste-to-energy research projects. PUB will work with Grundfos on water innovation in several areas, including efficient pump solutions and R&D in wastewater treatment solutions. “R&D and innovation are at the forefront of the quest for water sustainability, and SIWW connects leaders and organisations across the water ecosystem to exchange ideas and experiences on real-world solutions, establishing valuable partnerships in these areas. The presence and expansion of major global water companies in Singapore also reaffirm Singapore’s development as a global hydrohub,” said Chew Men Leong, then-Executive Director, Environment and Water Industry Programme Office and then-Chief Executive, PUB Singapore.

Mr Chew Men Leong, then-Executive Director, Environment and Water Industry Programme Office and then-Chief Executive, PUB Singapore witnessing the LOI signing between De.Mem and Dabaco Group.

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We are confident that SIWW will continue to remain as the platform of choice for the private, public and non-government sectors to meet and collaborate on solutions to address the current and future challenges faced by the water industry.

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Prominent global water leaders and decision-makers from the government, international organisations and corporate sector continued to see SIWW as the stage for thought leadership in water issues. Distinguished delegates included Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, China; Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, the United Arab Emirates (UAE); Kirsten Brosbøl, Minister for the Environment, Denmark; Melanie Schultz van HaegenMaas Geesteranus, Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, Netherlands; Angel Gurría, SecretaryGeneral of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Dr Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council; Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water and Jean-Louis Chaussade, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Suez Environnement Company. “We are heartened that stakeholders of the global water ecosystem choose to gather here at SIWW 2014 to shape the future of the water industry,” added Maurice Neo, then-Managing Director, SIWW. “We are confident that SIWW will continue to remain as the platform of choice for the private, public and non-government sectors to meet and collaborate on solutions to address the current and future challenges faced by the water industry.” The introduction of the youth and talent development component, Hydro-gen, which encompasses the HydroPreneur Programme (HPP) and Young Water Leaders Summit (YWLS), received a resounding endorsement from participants and high-level delegates. HPP saw 6 shortlisted teams pitching their innovative ideas on HydroPitch Day to a panel of distinguished names including Dr Andrew Benedek, the first winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, and Lord Ronald Oxburgh, Member, House of Lords, the United Kingdom (UK). Approximately 100 participants represented the YWLS in the Water Leaders Summit, where they had the opportunity to share their ideas and vision for the water industry with key policy makers and world water leaders.

The third edition of the TechXchange saw water technology innovators from countries such as Australia, the Czech Republic, Israel, Singapore and the United States connecting with over 200 international partners and investors to accelerate the commercialisation of new and innovative water technologies. Participating innovators also displayed prototypes at the first-ever Innovation Pavilion in the sold-out Water Expo 2014. Participants at this year’s event also welcomed the breadth and scope of discussions on industrial water issues. The Water Convention and Hot Issues Workshop saw discussions focusing on technical solutions, while the Industrial Water Solutions Forum focused on efficient water use in the manufacturing sector to help companies achieve productivity and savings, as well as challenges and business opportunities for the Financial, Chemical and Refinery, Electronics, Pharmaceutical, Mining, Food and Beverage, Oil and Gas and Industrial Parks sectors. In addition, SIWW 2014 witnessed the debut of #SIWWPledge, the first of its kind in the global water space. This was a corporate social responsibility campaign that leveraged the power of social media to rally the global community to support the water cause. Delegates and visitors to SIWW, as well as Singaporeans, made pledges for water sustainability on www.campaign.com/siwwpledge, and seven SIWW Founding Sponsors – Black & Veatch, CDM Smith, Keppel Corporation, PWN Technologies, Sembcorp Industries, Suez Environnement and Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions (SEA) – matched every pledge with a S$1 contribution to Water. org. #SIWWPledge ran from 1 to 30 June 2014 and eventually raised S$40,000. Several key co-located events took place at SIWW 2014, including the 22nd United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) Board Meeting and the 10th Asia Pacific Infrastructure Ministers Meeting (APIMM), which further enhanced

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks with Mr Tang Kin Fei, Group President and CEO of Sembcorp Industries (second from right), and Mr Tan Cheng Guan, Executive Vice President of Sembcorp Industries (far right), at the SIWW Exhibition.

SIWW’s position as the global platform for water leaders and key decision-makers to lead the way in cocreating innovative water solutions to address global water challenges. 2014 marked the 10th anniversary of UNSGAB, and the Board chose to return to SIWW for the second time to convene its Board Meeting. On this occasion, United Nations (UN) Under-SecretaryGeneral Wu Hongbo officially announced SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon’s designation of Dr Uschi Eid as the new UNSGAB Chair. The meeting also discussed ways of facilitating the international community’s efforts to develop more effective future responses to water and sanitation issues, as part of the post-2015 development agenda.

To be held from 10–14 July 2016, the 7th SIWW will continue to be co-located with WCS and CESS. It will be supported by our Strategic Partners, the Asian Development Bank; the International Desalination Association; the International Water Association; the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; the Singapore Water Association and the World Bank. Our partners, Founding Sponsors and other sponsors (which comprise a total of 30 local and international water companies) will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of SIWW.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The future of sustainability lies squarely on the shoulders of cities. With more than half the world’s population concentrated in cities, it is clear that the battle for sustainability will be won or lost there. How today’s city-dwellers live, work, consume and travel will determine the world that future generations will inherit. This year, the discussions on sustainability became more intense with the staging of Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) going biennial. Like in 2012, SIWW was held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS). At the joint In-Conversation and Opening Plenary sessions, industry, international organisation and government leaders from China, Denmark, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom shared stories of their struggles in the path to sustainability in water, environment and urban planning. The Water Leaders Summit, a key pillar event of SIWW, was back to give fresh insights into water challenges that have beleaguered the planet for decades. All the hallmark sessions of the Singapore Water Lecture, Water Leaders Roundtable and the Water Leaders Dialogues provided differently themed platforms for speakers and delegates to spark off ideas and exchange updates. The thinking that emerged was that old cities need not become prisoners of their past. With a little bit of innovation, they could reinvent themselves into vibrant, connected, sustainable entities offering tough competition to newer cities. Integrating sustainability into businesses and every urban planning decision could help to create value for the entire society. A case was made for water utilities to take the lead in influencing water policies. For too long, some had hidden in the shadows, trapped in the vicious circle of low tariffs, inefficiency, political interference and falling morale. Unless they come forward to engage with stakeholders and explain the value of their ‘product’, innovate and insist on financial sustainability, it is impossible to turn around their fortunes.

Technology formed a big part of the conversations. Despite the fact that technologies are getting smarter, more efficient and more effective, even the basic ones have not been taken up by most utilities worldwide. There was a call to push for a greater use of technology and to make use of the gamut of tools available to increase efficiency and productivity. Inaction was highlighted as the costliest option since it leads to misallocation of water resources as well as their wastage. The bold step of charging the right price for water was strongly recommended. There were also more future-oriented discussions. The Water Leaders Roundtable focused exclusively on the agenda for 2030 while one of the Dialogues examined how to “future-proof” cities against extreme events brought by climate change. Orange Water County District was honoured by being awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize. Delivering the Singapore Water Lecture, a representative of the District outlined the journey of public engagement which ultimately led to success in the first indirect potable water reuse project. The Mayor of Suzhou, the city that won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, delivered the message that with political resolve, it was possible even for densely populated cities to transform into green and beautiful spaces. It was evident from most of the successful case studies that were mentioned that a collaborative, integrated and communicative approach was the mantra for achieving long-lasting solutions. As the event drew to a close, Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, evoked the image of a mangrove tree growing in saline water, which is able to create freshwater for itself while consuming almost no energy and in fact, benefiting the environment in the process. There is a need for the global water sector to drive innovation and interdisciplinary research which generates novel, nature-based solutions to protect our coastlines and produce water for all.

IN CONVERSATION

There is no alternative to the carbon tax even though the word “tax” is disliked by politicians. Inventing words synonymous with tax or using complex, indirect pricing mechanisms will not work. Countries such as Sweden have had a carbon tax for a long time and yet not lost any competitiveness. In fact, the greener the growth, the more competive the country will become in future. The higher price paid by those who move first on green growth will be more than offset by technological and market advantages which will provide a source of technology, jobs and investments.

Mr Angel Gurría, the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, sharing his views on zero emissions in the year 2050.

NO DICHOTOMY BETWEEN GREEN AND GROWTH Following the tradition of starting Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) with a stimulating high-level conversation, this year there were three leaders representing diverse roles of government, international organisation and industry who exchanged their views on important global issues with Professor Tommy Koh, the Chairperson of the SIWW Water Leaders Summit. Prof Koh reminded Angel Gurría, the SecretaryGeneral of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), about Mr Gurría’s recent assertion that there has to be zero emission from fossil combustion by 2050, so as to limit the rise of temperature by 2ºC. He followed it up with questions on how to achieve this seeminglyimpossible scenario. Can it be done without economies losing their competitiveness? Can it be done without increasing unemployment which is a global problem? Can it be done without increasing pain for taxpayers and consumers? According to Mr Gurría, the year 2050 will be a way station, after which all countries must move towards zero emissions in the second half of the century. It need not be a case of “saying green in an undertone and growth in overtone”. Both green and growth should be equally loud and clear. The choice between green and growth is a false one, especially in the light of a new OECD projection that unabated climate change could dampen the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by as much as 2.5%.

When it comes to the pain of taxpayers and consumers caused by green taxes, Mr Gurría believes this can be alleviated by reducing the taxes on corporate income tax as well as on labour. This will help companies to create more jobs. The reduced corporate income tax and labour tax can be compensated by consumption taxes, typically Value-Added Tax (VAT) as well as with property taxes which are less distortive. Thus, the overall taxes are not impacted while the tax mix changes, leading to a greener, more business-friendly, and more labour-friendly tax structure. The longer the delay in implementing the carbon tax, the longer and the costlier it will be to get back to the right trajectory which limits the rise of temperature by only 2ºC.

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… the greener the growth, the more competitive the country will become in future. The higher price paid by those who move first on green growth will be more than offset by technological and market advantages which will provide a source of technology, jobs and investments.

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CHALLENGES OF LETTING PARADISE REMAIN A PARADISE Singapore looks like a paradise to many visitors. Housing is affordable for all citizens. There are no slums and few homeless people. Despite its high-density urban living, there is no dearth of a green environment for everyone to enjoy. Prof Koh asked the city-nation’s Minister for National Development, Khaw Boon Wan, whether Singapore was indeed a paradise and what it took for it to remain a paradise. He wondered if there were any useful lessons from Singapore’s experience which other countries and cities could learn from. Answering that paradise, like beauty, lies in the eye of the beholder, Mr Khaw said his government took a practical approach and dared not promise paradise. The attempt has been to make Singapore an “endearing home for all Singaporeans”. All cities face certain common challenges and Singapore has to face them too. However, being a tiny city-state has additional challenges. Firstly, even though Singapore is small, it is a city as well as a state, so it has to accommodate all the functions and services of a sovereign state. To illustrate the challenge, the Minister quoted a Chinese saying “麻雀虽小, 五脏俱全”, which states that even though a sparrow is tiny, it needs to accommodate all the vital organs that a big bird has, in order to be complete. Secondly, Singapore lacks a natural hinterland, therefore the impact of globalisation on Singapore is more acute. In larger countries, citizens wishing to seek a lower cost of living can migrate to second tier cities or villages. “For us it is either East or West, North or South, all within this 700 square kilometres,” said Mr Khaw.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for National Development, Singapore, listens on as Mr Jean-Louis Chaussade, CEO, Suez Environnement Company, asserted the role of the private sector in addressing climate change and water challenges.

WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY Jean-Louis Chaussade, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Suez Environnement Company, shared that the private sector plays an important role in bringing technology to address climate change and water challenges. With climate change and water shortages becoming critical issues, technology is the game-changer which helps to usher in efficiency and smartness. The green cities of the future will necessarily be smart cities.

Thirdly, since the state consists of only one city, “if the city fails the country fails”. For example Detroit may be bankrupt, but there are many other American cities which continue to prosper. Singapore thus has to work harder in order to succeed.

He also pointed out that it was the public sector which was still in charge of most of the water assets of the world today and it also set the tariffs. However, if services had to be extended to one and all, it was important to have mixed financing from both public and private sources.

When it came to sharing lessons in development with other cities, the Minister had four key points: a) Save money for the rainy day. b) Keep the economy open for trade, talent and ideas. c) Invest in education and skills-training. d) Keep politics honest.

Mr Chaussade highlighted that just building new infrastructure is not enough, since the people “wanted more dialogue and more transparency”. Thus, interaction with customers cannot be overlooked in today’s world. This also meant getting a handle on huge amounts of data and harnessing them effectively.

UNLOCKING FINANCING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE The big question with rapid urbanisation is how the infrastructure is going to be financed, especially since it has a very long lifespan and costs would need to be spread over time. There are various ways to tackle this problem. Mr Chaussade shared that with technology and good long-term planning, we can be more efficient and reduce the cost of infrastructure. At the same time, there could be mixed financing models like publicprivate partnership (PPP) to have private and public financing together in order to reduce the upfront cost for the city. Mr Khaw also shared that so long as projects are bankable, there is no shortage of funding. However, inevitably governments need to also co-pay in some of these to help the poorer sections of the population. As such, governments must spend within their means and save for the rainy day.

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With climate change and water shortages becoming critical issues, technology is the game-changer which helps to usher in efficiency and smartness. The green cities of the future will necessarily be smart cities.

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Finally, one of the ironies in the world of finance is that despite huge amounts of pension and similar funds available for investment, these are hardly being utilised for infrastructure-building. Pension funds, with estimated assets of over US$65 trillion in OECD countries at the end of 2009, have the potential to be a much greater source of capital for urgently-needed massive investments in infrastructure. Mr Gurría stressed that there was a need to “liberate the trillions and trillions in pension funds and insurance companies” and move them towards water infrastructure. Pointing to the many regulatory and accounting obstacles that prevented the use of the funds, especially in the European Union and the US, Mr Gurría said that deliberations were on with the finance ministers of G-20 countries to remove the obstacles.

THE FUTURE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED CITIES A question asked during the In Conversation was about the future of small and medium sized cities in the world. It was postulated that unlike megacities which have the financial, technical and administrative resources, smaller towns are struggling to survive. Mr Gurría disagreed with the viewpoint and said that big cities with their downtown and congestion would find it much harder to accommodate future expansions, whereas medium sized towns would be able to plan ahead. “The political as well as the economic price is not astronomical and you can create a better condition of life,” he said. Mr Khaw mentioned that consolidating smaller unviable towns into one bigger town was a solution being adopted in Japan. Mr Gurría commented that in France, Sweden, Denmark and Russia also there were attempts to reduce the number of provinces and communities. “If you have a population of 6,000 or 10,000 then you cannot get the fiscal base, but a medium size with a population of million or 2 million, really has a fiscal base,” he asserted. He proposed the solution of consolidation to a certain minimum size which is manageable and fiscally sustainable, but not necessarily into a megacity.

KEY POINTS • The choice is not between going green and having economic growth. Green growth is feasible and can be achieved using price-based policy instruments. • Countries and cities must walk the talk on conserving resources and spending within their means. • Economies need to be kept open for trade, talent and ideas. • Investing in education and skills-training is paramount. • Keep politics honest. • Technology is going to be a key element in the solution of cities’ water and climate challenges. • Only a smart city can be a green city. • We need more interaction between city governments and people. • There are several ways of financing our infrastructural needs with rapid urbanisation. Some examples are leveraging technology and long-term planning to improve efficiency; and unlocking the potential of pension and similar funds for building infrastructure. • Smaller towns should be consolidated into medium-sized towns which are financially sustainable.

OPENING PLENARY: SHAPING OUR CITIES, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT FOR A LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Mr Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations, emphasised how water and sanitation are critical concerns for member states in the post-2015 development agenda.

PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Half of the world’s population is already living in cities and this is projected to become 70% by 2050. Given that cities produce 80% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it becomes evident that the manner in which city-dwellers live, work, travel and consume energy will determine the future of sustainable development. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations (UN), conveyed a message from Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, that water and sanitation are critical concerns for member states as they shape a post-2015 development agenda. Even though the world has already met the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of increasing access to safe drinking water and the basic sanitation, well over “1 billion people are still without access to the improved drinking water sources”, “some 2.5 billion people lack access to the dignity and the health afforded by access to a toilet and protection from untreated waste”, “1 billion people have no option but to practice open defecation, which puts women in particular, at increased risk of violence and rape”.

He said that with urbanisation, there are increasing strains on water supplies and aqua systems. Cities must seize their potential by consciously investing in water and sanitation, sustainable food systems, social infrastructure, low carbon transport and sustainable energy. Are cities up to the challenge? Yes they are, believes Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. “Throughout human history, cities have been centres of growth, innovation, creativity and culture,” she said. She was speaking at the Opening Plenary of three events: Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), World Cities Summit (WCS) and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESS) on 2 June 2014. With leaders who “can see the big picture”, cities can aim for triple wins in economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability. It will require “new capacity to join up decision-making” across the three lines. Both retro-fitting of the old and building of the new will be needed. By designing systems which will reduce congestion and have a low carbon footprint, it is possible to concurrently improve the quality of life. Cities must look for development that “incorporates clean transport and clean energy with

communities which have co-located residential areas with work opportunities”. To improve liveability, cities have to take into account sports, recreation and culture as part of the design, knowing that “man does not live by bread alone”. To achieve the vision of sustainability, the availability of technical capacity cannot be over-stated; “well-trained officials are vital”. Ms Clark emphasised that participatory governance was an extremely important component of sustainability since “not all wisdom resides among the leaders in political systems or officialdom”. When city administrations collaborate with communities, constituencies, the private sector and academicians, it is “good for innovation and good for accountability”. There was a message for national governments too: “that they must give cities the space to do their job”. Often city administrations are obstructed by higher levels of government. “They need to loosen up so cities can innovate for sustainable development solutions,” said Ms Clark. Sustainable cities also need integrity and transparency of administration. This can be achieved by “strong institutions which uphold these values, based on a strong and independent police force, judiciary and integrity institutions such as anti-corruption bodies”. There has to be scrutiny of the manner in which public resources are used. A vigilant civil society and media can be very helpful in combating corruption.

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…not all wisdom resides among the leaders in political systems or officialdom. When city administrations collaborate with communities, constituencies, the private sector and academicians, it is good for innovation and good for accountability.

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Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen shared the Dutch approach for water management.

THE DUTCH APPROACH: PREVENTION, PARTNERSHIP AND FLEXIBILITY With one third of the Netherlands below sea level and four out of five people living in urban areas, managing water efficiently and preparing for disasters come very naturally for the Dutch. The Dutch approach to proper water management starts with the view that everywhere on earth, water is a complex system; and requires three prongs – prevention, partnership and flexibility. “Prevention means we can both save lives and manage our economy in the best possible way,” said Melanie Schultz van Haegen, the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Environment. “We are ready when disaster strikes, so that we can react quickly and cope in the best possible way and we can rebuild as soon as possible”. The Dutch does so by making water an increasingly important element in spatial and urban development, giving it more space when necessary. Ms Schultz van Haegen laid out the importance of partnership and governance in Dutch water policy. This partnership is not only between public and private sector but encompasses “different levels of government, cities, provinces and regional water governance boards”. The Minister shared that a special governance commissioner is going to lead the new Dutch delta programme, “to make the country safe for generations to come” with cooperation of all concerned parties. Apart from prevention and partnership, flexibility is the third prong in the Dutch water strategy. The future cannot be exactly predicted, and we need to be prepared for extreme events like high sea levels, extreme rain and drought. The ability to “adapt to changing circumstances along the way” is given immense importance.

PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI Every five years, World Expos bring together millions from the global community to share innovations and make progress on issues of international importance. The next World Expo takes place in Milan, Italy in 2015, and Dubai has won the bid to host World Expo 2020. The theme for 2020 is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future and a key sub-theme is Sustainability: Lasting Sources of Energy and Water. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Minister of Environment and Water, informed the SIWW audience that this theme is in line with the UAE’s view for sustainability as the vehicle, journey and vision for its future. Being in a harsh desert environment, the UAE focuses on managing water and energy to make its city, economy, and country more sustainable with the environment in the heart of it [See Case Study 1]. Efforts were also on to make Expo 2020 a carbon-neutral event. About 50% of the energy needed for the event will come from solar power. Electric cars with zero emission will be “at the heart of the transportation for the event”. Dr Rashid said that the UAE had been working on a green building code for many years. All the buildings used in the Expo would be made from at least 30% recyclable materials. The buildings would be used for other purposes such as museums after the Expo. More than EUR 100 million has already been announced for innovation partnerships that will provide solutions for sustainability. Dubai’s Expo 2020 promises to be a monument to the green economy.

LOVING SUSTAINABILITY LIKE THE DANES In the 1970s, Denmark faced a series of environmental problems. Rivers were polluted; fish died in great numbers in the inland seas; and Denmark underwent its first energy crisis then. Kirsten Brosbøl, Denmark’s Minister for the Environment, said her country did not become sustainable overnight. They started with basic environmental protection, then gradually progressed to “more incentive-oriented policies such as water pricing”. In recent years, there has been a move towards “more holistic planning systems with a strong focus on stakeholder dialogue, integrated approaches and international standards”.

To drive greater sustainability, Ms Brosbøl shared that it was important to make it easy for citizens to be sustainable. “If we don’t understand the needs and behaviour of citizens, we will fail as politicians to deliver the results that we strive for,” she remarked. For instance, water-saving campaigns would not be sufficient to encourage the installation of water-saving taps or toilets in households until the big supermarkets put these products in their stores so that it becomes “easy for people to make the right green choices”. Urban planning should also be done in an intelligent way to deliver sustainable and cost efficient solutions in public transport, energy, water, waste and recycling, that takes into account the needs and behaviour of citizens. Furthermore, Ms Brosbøl emphasised that with “limited resources, we need to think about multipliers”. Efforts need to be made to have multi-purpose utilisation of resources and solving multiple problems at the same time. For example, to address the issue of more frequent and intense rainfall, visionary planners in Denmark have cooperated with communities to create storage for water, which at the same time serves as recreation space for people. More integrated public-private partnerships are also being encouraged to make use of technology, such as in the case of Billund Biorefinery [See Case Study 2], where greentech companies, water utilities and local authorities come together to develop the state-of-theart wastewater plant. Ms Brosbøl also stressed the importance of strong regulation, leading to a stable framework and security of investment. These in turn make the business case possible, “without stopping the economic progress and growth”.

build water-conserving society in an all-round manner. China is also pushing for a block water tariff system for domestic use and a “quota-indexed escalating tariff system for non-residential use”. Financial incentives are being developed for preserving water ecology. Water rights trading and water markets are being promoted to build a sound and efficient water governance system.

Chinese Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei encouraged the global community to strengthen water management cooperation.

Mr Chen made a call for a separate water management goal in the post-2015 development agenda; and encouraged the global community to take concrete water management actions, innovate water management technologies, and strengthen water management cooperation.

BRINGING HARMONY BETWEEN HUMANS AND WATER, THE CHINESE WAY

SRI LANKA MOVES FROM CONFLICT TO RECONSTRUCTION

Chen Lei, China’s Minister of Water Resources, told the audience that his government attached great importance to harmony between humans and water. Through implementing “stringent water management systems, up-scaling investment in water infrastructure and exploring innovative water management tools,” he said that China has been able to provide safe drinking water for 440 million rural residents. Drinking water targets are high on the agenda of the government. Great efforts are being made to improve the reliability and quality of water supply.

After suffering the brunt of internal conflict for many years, Sri Lanka has embarked on an ambitious programme to develop its infrastructure. In the early 1980s, Colombo was one of the most beautiful cities of the East. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary of Defence and Urban Development, shared that Colombo was administered by the Portuguese, Dutch and British for nearly 500 years. The challenge now is to reverse the stresses caused by conflict-fuelled migration and unplanned growth in Colombo.

Reminding everyone that China feeds 20% of the world’s population and sustains rapid social and economic development despite having only 6% of the world’s freshwater and 9% of its arable land, Mr Chen indicated that this feat by itself contributes to the sustainable development of the world as a whole. With “zero growth in agricultural water use” he said that China has expanded its effective irrigation area to 67.80 million hectares and raised annual grain output to 609.13 billion kilograms. The country’s installed hydro capacity is close to 300,000 MW, which accounts for 22.4% of the world’s capacity and produces 900-billion kWh electricity every year. Hydropower has helped China save an annual coal consumption of 290 million tons and reduced CO2 emission by 800 million tons. In addressing the water issues, China adopts policy measures like prioritising the well-being of the people, improving the capacity of coping with flood and drought disasters through comprehensive prevention and control, and prioritising water conservation to

During the years of conflict, people migrated to Colombo, especially from the areas of conflict and settled down in strategic reservation of railway lines, roads, canals, and government lands. Apartments are now being built to help people move away from these informal settlements. Sri Lanka is also prioritising flood-control and drainage infrastructure by evacuating low-lying areas to get control over the catchment area and improving the city’s overall drainage infrastructure. New water retention areas are being developed in the outskirts of Colombo. Mr Rajapaksa informed the audience that Beira Lake, at the centre of Colombo was being dredged and cleaned to improve water quality. Improving liveability of Colombo is a major concern for the Sri Lanka government. Apart from building pedestrian walkways and public transport, the government is developing parks and more public spaces for people to use and enjoy while preserving heritage buildings from the Portuguese and Dutch era for commercial purposes. Finally, Sri Lanka is also focusing on garbage disposal and solid waste management. The government has introduced very strict regulations on separation, recycling, and disposal of the garbage.

MAKING OLD CITIES COMPETITIVE WITH NEW CITIES

BUSINESSES MUST INTEGRATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO EVERY DECISION

Old cities can often become prisoners of the past and find it hard to compete with newer cities. Greg Clark, United Kingdom’s (UK) Minister of State for Cabinet (Cities and Constitution), pointed out that it need not be this way. “Being old, usually is associated with character and recognition, and that is something very valuable to be built on,” he said. Giving the example of Liverpool in the UK, Mr Clark said that it was known worldwide because of its history. Every old city has some “advantage of history” which can be used to “draw people’s attention”.

“If you look at the Edelman Trust Barometer that gets published each year at the World Economic Forum, it’s true that over the last few years, trust in business has been declining,” said Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). However, he was quick to point out that trust in governments had also been going down.

If cities can be compared to living organisms, then it is important for them to have a high metabolic rate. “The heart should beat faster in cities, big cities should be pulsating with life,” said the UK Minister. When one thinks of the London skyline, all the age-old structures such as the Big Ben, the House of Parliament, Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral will come to mind. However, the recent structures such as Shard or the London Eye or the refurbished Tate Modern have also found their place in the historic skyline. Thus, with the right policies, it is possible to “push through the constraints of the past”. The Minister also spoke about the need for consolidation or altering of the historic boundaries of a city in order to make them compatible with the “true economic geography”. He gave the example of ten different municipalities that came together to form Greater Manchester. A good connection between different parts of a city and between cities is also very important. Despite becoming “increasingly competitive with each other”, cities are “increasingly needing to collaborate with each other”, therefore initiatives such as high-speed rail links are critical. The Minister spoke at length about the need for city leaders to assert themselves. Echoing Ms Clark’s point, he said that not just in the UK but around the world, national governments have often usurped power and rendered city governments very weak. Cities need to take back the autonomy they had in the past. “Empowering cities to do things their way, is very much in the national interest as well as the local interest,” said Mr Clark.

According to Mr Bakker, there are only two ways of bridging the trust deficit: 1) C ommit yourself to real actions and implement solutions that are aligned with the values of societies. 2) B e radically transparent about what you are doing. Give the good news, give the bad news. The WBCSD chief believes that the days of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are over. Businesses that want to lead and to make a real impact on their customers understand that “they need to integrate sustainability in every decision they make”. Sustainable solutions are often not being scaled up to have more impact. There are “too many great stories out there which die in smallness”. There can be three ways of scaling up: a) Innovation; b) Giving the right incentives to business and to other parts of society for them to act as a good force; and c) Collaboration. While there are already excellent examples of cities and business working together at the strategic level, this is the exception rather than the rule. The WBCSD recently established the Urban Infrastructure Initiative (UII) to advance the sustainability agenda by showcasing the critical role that business can play as solutions providers and by providing a platform for collaborative strategic engagement between cities and business. The UII brought together 14 leading companies and enabled them to work with ten major cities on different continents. A multi-disciplinary team of company experts collaborated with senior city officials. These teams took an integrated, cross-sector approach to analysing the city’s major sustainability challenges and to developing an innovative “solutions landscape” to address these challenges.

CASE STUDY 1

Abu Dhabi: Bills that Build Awareness “Sustainability is the story of the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” said Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, UAE at the Opening Plenary of Singapore International Water Week (SIWW). Water scarcity in the region has driven many technological innovations in the past but now it is being extended to billing. “We decided to undertake an education programme with the design of new bills to show customers how much a unit of power or water really cost,” says Nick Carter, Director General of Regulation and Supervision Bureau (RSB). The Bureau is the independent regulatory body of the water, wastewater and electricity sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The new billing introduced in 2012 made a departure from the norm by: • Sending separate bills for water and electricity sent in the same envelope; • Spelling out the government subsidy provided for all customers; • Highlighting residential consumptions either with a green “tick” symbol for being within the ideal range or a red “exclamation” symbol for being above the ideal range. In Abu Dhabi, the standard water tariff for nonnationals is AED 2.20/unit (1 unit = 1 cubic meter = 1,000 litres). Water is free for nationals under the special residential tariff. In the case of electricity, the standard tariff is AED 0.15/unit (1 unit = 1 kWh) for non-Nationals and residential tariff for nationals is AED 0.05/unit. The government subsidy represents a large part of the actual cost of producing and delivering water and electricity to the customers, for which they do not pay. For nationals, the water subsidy is 100%

Overview of New Bills in Abu Dhabi.

while for non-nationals it is 70%. For electricity, the subsidy has been pegged at 80% and 40% for nationals and non-nationals respectively. Before the new bills were introduced, a large information campaign was launched with visuals of the bill being publicised in the media and customer service points throughout the Emirate. “We decided to use two different bills as part of a suite of bills to include in the future wastewater charges and possibly gas or district cooling but these may be some way off,” says Mr Carter. Separate bills (mostly delivered electronically) allowed a “focus on each product”. It is too early to gauge if consumption patterns have altered but there is certainly a surge in awareness. The new billing satisfies a number of goals, according to Mr Carter. It “not only informs about consumption and government support but also allows the government to understand which sectors are consuming the most – people in flats or villas (this category was introduced due to the different consumption bands) or industry or commercial enterprises”.

CASE STUDY 2

Billund BioRefinery: Using PPPs to Usher in Sustainability “In Denmark we tend to look at our wastewater treatment plants as resource factories,” says Kirsten Brosbøl, the country’s Minister for the Environment. “In fact it is possible to produce more energy than we consume while cleaning our wastewater,” she says. Her ministry along with the Foundation for Development of Technology in the Danish Water Sector (called VTU-Fonden) has awarded EUR 2 million to the Billund BioRefinery which will be developed by the consortium of Billund Municipality, the water technology company Krüger A/S and utility company Billund Vand A/S. Billund Vand A/S, Billund Municipality and Krüger A/S are financing the remainder of the project, bringing the budget to nearly EUR 10 million. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is set to build a futuristic treatment plant that treats not only used water from homes and commercial enterprises but also household waste; and produce clean water, energy and organic fertiliser at the same time The innovative Exelys™ technology is at the heart of the Billund BioRefinery, which turns the “wastewater treatment plant of the future” into an “energy factory”. Exelys is the next generation of thermal hydrolysis which extracts as much as 50% higher energy out of the biomass, while markedly reducing sludge by 30%. Other technologies that will be employed are post-polishing filtration from Hydrotech, sludge hygienisation with BioPasteur™ technology, Anita™ Mox moving bed biofilm reactor, and advanced online dynamic control utilising Veolia’s STAR® control system. Apart from biogas, sanitised organic fertiliser rich in phosphorus and nitrogen will be produced

Billund BioRefinery the Energy Factory.

by the plant and supplied to farms. There is also potential to produce bioplastic. Even before its groundbreaking ceremony on August 18, 2014, the project has already won much recognition for its unique technology that efficiently combines the treatment of used water and biogasification of organic waste. However, it has not been easy. Similar to other countries, segregation of waste is a problem in Denmark. Only 22% of the organic waste generated is recycled. “The Danish Government has set a target of 50% recycling of household waste recycling by 2022,” informs the Minister. The country has already committed itself to the ambitious target of achieving independence from fossil fuels by 2050. The biorefinery is scheduled to be completed by 2016. Countries such as China have shown much interest in its innovative technologies and collaboration agreements are being worked out.

KEY POINTS • Cities have a huge contribution to make to sustainable development. • Participatory governance is an extremely important component of sustainability as not all wisdom resides among the leaders in political systems or officialdom. • Partnership across all stakeholders and flexibility are important in proper water and disaster management. • Make it easy for citizens to contribute to sustainable development, for example, to make green choices in stores. • Urban planning should be intelligent and be based on the needs and behaviour of citizens. • Enhance harmony between human and water through prioritisation of people’s well-being, comprehensive flood and drought prevention and control, and building a water-conserving society in an all-round manner. • All efforts must be made to support a dedicated goal for water in the post-2015 development agenda, covering drinking water safety, water efficiency, disaster prevention and mitigation, and water ecology protection, so as to provide new impetus to solve global water issues. • Old cities should not be viewed with negativity in the context of competition with new cities; they should leverage their history to their advantage. • Cities should look beyond competing with one another, and explore greater collaborations. • The days of Corporate Social Responsibility are over. Businesses that want to make a real impact on their customers, need to integrate sustainability in every decision they make. • To reverse the trust deficit in businesses and governments alike, there is a need to ensure that actions and plans are consistent with the values of the societies, and be radically transparent.

WATER LEADERS ROUNDTABLE: WATER FOR ALL – SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER FUTURE TAKING A HARD, FUTURISTIC LOOK AT THE WATER SECTOR “In the last 40 years, I have been hearing that business as usual is not the solution,” said Professor Asit Biswas, Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Founder of Third World Centre for Water Management. “And yet in my view, the water profession is behaving as if there is no other solution.” Chairing the Water Leaders Roundtable, Prof Biswas announced that he would not allow it to become a “blah-blah” session with panellists mouthing “general platitudes”. The agenda was to fast-forward 20 years into the future and reflect on meeting the challenges. Armed with a list of his own questions for the panellists, Prof Biswas asked the audience also to be prepared with “hard balls and curved balls but no soft balls” to throw at the speakers.

Mr Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of PUB Singapore, shared about the biggest challenges that Singapore is likely to face in 2030 and beyond.

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While water means so little to the industries because it is so cheap, it is critical for the survival of the entire economy.

WATER FOR SINGAPORE IN 2030 AND BEYOND Singapore has made remarkable strides in water management from the time it was formed as a citynation. But how will it fare in the future? Prof Biswas asked Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, about the two biggest challenges that the city-nation is likely to face in 2030 and beyond. The first challenge Mr Tan described was climate change, a term he said was often “not understood by water suppliers” nor did users know what was required of them. Referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on Climate Change, Mr Tan said Southeast Asia is fortunate that more rain is predicted. But “hidden in that prediction” is the danger of extreme weather. Thus, the dry periods could be drier; there could be very sharp and short droughts, and at the other extreme, there could be more intense rainfall. ”As a water supplier, that is the worst news that you can hear – about weather being driven to its very extremes,” said Mr Tan. He also brought attention to the El Niño phenomenon which is known to bring dry conditions throughout the world, especially in Southeast Asia. A combined effect of climate change and El Niño “may not just be additive but may become exponential”, and “will test water systems to its extreme limits”. Mr Tan expressed his deep concern about an unpredictable future where the unknowns will be greater than now. The second challenge is how to get greater “drought responsiveness” from the people of Singapore. The PUB Chairman said he wanted to see citizens responding to “drought situations by cutting back on water consumption without the need for imposing water rationing”. Saying it was not easy, Mr Tan nevertheless hoped that this can be done in Singapore because Singapore has a history, embedded within all Singaporeans “a national psyche of water shortage since the inception of Singapore as a nation”. He also spoke about the challenge of getting industries to become more water-efficient. While water means little to the industries because it is so cheap, it is critical for the survival of the entire economy.

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DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE ALSO FACING SERIOUS WATER ISSUES While the water problems of developing countries are well-known, there is often a tendency to overlook the problems of developed countries. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given the United States a grade D or D- for its water infrastructure in 2013. In the US, every 2 seconds, there is a major water main break. In the UK, about 20 million tonnes of raw sewage are discharged annually to the River Thames. “What needs to be done for developed countries to realise that not just developing countries, but they themselves have serious water-related problems that need to be addressed?” This was the question Prof Biswas asked Angel Gurría, the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Mr Gurría agreed that with the exception of Australia, Spain and Mexico, which are generally dry countries, there was a degree of complacency about water in OECD countries. 86% of the people in OECD countries will live in cities by 2050. He said old, leaky networks are very much a problem. “You lose almost half the water through leakage which is really a tragedy, it is almost a crime”. Other problems include stormwater drainage, and water-related disasters and “increasing competition for water amongst households, farmers, industries and energy suppliers”. The answer lies in “sustainable financing”. The three Ts of Tariffs, Taxes and Transfers would have to be intelligently utilised for financing water infrastructure. Tariffs to pay for the service for what it is worth. Taxes will have to come in. And for the poorest countries, of course Transfers. Referring to innovation and the “array of solutions” available today, Mr Gurría said “some of the more recent innovations can be cheaper than traditional technologies and infrastructure” and it was possible to reduce the vulnerability to water issues. In concluding, Mr Gurría shared that governance played an important role as in the case of the Netherlands. In the transition to more sustainable water systems, countries need to work on “water policies for future cities”.

Prof Asit Biswas chairing the Water Leaders Roundtable, with Dr Cecilia Tortajada.

CHINA TACKLES THE GAP BETWEEN DEMAND AND SUPPLY Perhaps no other country in the world needs to manage its water more efficiently than China, given that its limited resources are both being stretched by domestic demand and the huge exports of manufactured goods. “Water shortage has become a severe bottleneck constraining socio-economic development in China,” said Chen Lei, the country’s Minister of Water Resources. He outlined eight measures taken by his government to bridge the gap between supply and demand: 1. F ocussing on water demand management in urban areas and developing a water-saving society 2. C ontrolling the quantity and quality of water resources as well as their efficiency of use (for example, with the help of withdrawal licences and quota management) 3. Promoting water savings in agriculture and industry 4. Actively promoting non-conventional water resources such as desalination and recycling 5. E stablishing a market-oriented water-pricing mechanism 6. Completing a number of water projects (water diversion projects, river-lake connection projects, high-efficiency water-saving irrigation projects) 7. Investing in innovative technologies 8. Promoting communication

Distinguished panel of thought leaders at Water Leaders Summit: (From L-R) Tan Gee Paw, Chairman, PUB Singapore; Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, OECD; Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, China; Dr Benedito Braga, President, WWC; Dr Herbert Oberhänsli, Vice President, Economics and International Relations, Nestlé; and Patrick Decker, CEO and President, Xylem.

MANAGING THE WORLD’S WATER RESOURCES As an international multi-stakeholder platform, the World Water Council (WWC) seeks to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels. Benedito Braga, President of WWC was asked to describe the most important challenges that the water profession faces globally in the next 20 years. Dr Braga responded by saying that by 2030, the world will have 8.4 billion people. “If we have business as usual, with no efficiency gains in our production chains, the global water requirements will grow from 4,500 cubic kilometres to 6,900 cubic kilometres”. This is a 40% increase above current accessible and reliable supplies. The first challenge he outlined was to bring efficient water use in food production and reduce losses from “field to fork”. Waste and losses are said to amount from one-third to a half of the food produced in the world. It is important to explore solutions outside of the water sector like biotechnology in developing

crops that use less water and are more resistant to water stresses. The second challenge anticipated by Dr Braga is to clean up rivers and implement water reuse for domestic purposes. He cited Singapore as an excellent example of a country ahead of its time. “It started a decade ago, studies on water reuse for domestic purposes and now, it is a reality here”. Other challenges mentioned were reducing the costs of processes like water reuse through technological innovation, the need for multi-purpose reservoirs that are more resilient to climate change, and to enable the equitable sharing of water in transboundary basins and respecting countries’ sovereignty. Solutions generated have to be feasible from technical, economic, financial, social and environmental angles. Furthermore, “we professionals need to find ways of involving the political actors – those who make decisions,” said Dr Braga.

CREATING SHARED VALUE FOR SOCIETY Nestlé has often voiced its belief in “creating shared value”. For a company to be successful in the long term and to create value for the shareholders, it must also create value for society. Dr Herbert Oberhänsli, Vice President, Economics and International Relations at Nestlé explained that the company’s interest in water stemmed from the fact that 70% of the world’s water was used in agriculture, that it was needed in Nestlé’s manufacturing processes as well as cleaning processes. And last but not the least, water was needed by the consumers of Nestlé’s products. Answering Prof Biswas’ question about Nestlé’s water initiatives in the past as well as plans for the next 30 years. Dr Oberhänsli mentioned that it would continue to reduce its water use even though it was already a leader in the food industry. Nestlé has reduced its “water ratio per US dollar of sales over the last 10 years from 4.5 litres to 4.1 litres”. Its water use was less than industries such as mining, pulp and paper, and chemicals [See Case Study 3]. The company has also signed a pledge drawn up by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development for access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene at the workplace. Nestlé has state-of-the-art wastewater treatment in all its 450 factories around the world. It is not a new initiative since the first wastewater treatment plant in the Nestlé group is from the 1930s. Nestlé has also cooperated with farmers and helped them build bio-digesters in order to generate fertiliser and biogas. In order to reduce waste of water, Nestlé is striving to reduce waste in the food chain from the farm to the fork. Since many of its products are milk-based, the company has helped in improving milk-collection. “When you look at the traditional way of bringing milk from small farmers to urban settlements, you may have lost between 15 to 26%, some of it on the bike, or there may be quality losses due to high temperature, said Dr Oberhänsli. “At Nestlé we have brought down these losses to 0.6%,” he added. When one calculates the water that was saved by this improvement, it is about ten times the total water ratio of the group.

Mr Patrick Decker, CEO and President of Xylem, raised the three key challenges in the water sector – quality of water, productive use of water and resiliency of water.

NO NEED TO WAIT FOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS What are the two most important technological breakthroughs in the next 20 years, which will contribute to solve the world’s water problems? This was the question put to Patrick Decker, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of Xylem. Mr Decker shared that there were three areas of challenge in the water sector – quality of water, productive use of water, and resiliency of water infrastructure. He did not believe that “we have to wait for the next 20 years to have some of the technological breakthroughs to solve the water challenges” since the technologies already existed today. “The challenge is getting a consistent adoption of the solutions that are out there,” he explained. [See Case Study 4] The water sector is fragmented and complex. While technological solutions are better understood in the industrial sector where there is a “clear economic incentive to move forward”, it is “harder to get the municipal and public sector to understand the economic value that can be brought by these technologies”. Two “powerful trends” that are shaping the water sector were called out. Firstly, the need for greater water productivity or getting more value out of natural resources. The second is the “increasing digitalisation of our physical world”. According to Mr Decker, the increasing digitalisation would be “an enabler to educating the world around the need for more productivity”.

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There is nothing more expensive than not paying the proper price of water because that would either lead to a disappearance of the resource itself or going for an option that would be several times more expensive.

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He pointed out that a large amount of water is routinely wasted in our daily lives. Also, there is little effort to reuse the water used in flushing and other activities except in a few countries. And yet technologies exist for reducing waste (such as leak detection technologies) as well as reusing water (such as membrane separation). In the next 20 years, there is a need to cut through the fragmented water sector and push for widespread use of technologies already available and help to optimise the use of water.

NOTHING MORE EXPENSIVE THAN INACTION, UNDERPRICING OF RESOURCES Among the large number of questions put forward by the audience at the Water Leaders Roundtable, a significant one was related to the value of water and energy. What is the cost of inaction on climate change and water related issues? Mr Gurría said there is nothing more expensive than not paying the proper price of water because that would either lead to a disappearance of the resource itself or going for an option that would be several times more expensive. He stressed that everyone need not pay the same price for water; the most vulnerable could be cross-subsidised. Also, it was possible for tariffs to pay for just the “running costs”. He also pointed out that water scarcity is often a gender issue with the “women in the most vulnerable places in the world” having “to go and literally fetch the water”. Mr Gurría highlighted that enough food was already being produced to feed the proverbial 9 billion people that would live on this world in 2050. Yet 30-40% of food was being wasted. This implied “there is water to produce food for 9 billion,” which is also being wasted.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE WORLD’S WATER FUTURE While summing up the Water Leaders Roundtable, Prof Biswas said that in most parts of the world, we have the technology, the management expertise, and even the resources if the right policy framework is in place. All that is missing is the “enabling environment”. He gave the examples of India and Mexico. In both of these countries, according to Prof Biswas, most of the water and wastewater issues will be solved by doing two things: first by right pricing and secondly by selecting heads of utilities on the basis of competence and holding them accountable for their performance. There is also a need to step out of the mode of crisis reporting. Recalling that just two years ago, if one googled “water crisis” there would have been about 150 million entries, Prof Biswas informed that two weeks before, he found about 350 million entries. “Writing about crisis is a growth industry,” he said, “But there are solutions. We don’t use the solutions”. He called for more sharing of solutions. Giving the example of Singapore which is waterstressed and yet where people do not feel the stress, he called for better governance and better use of water, which is not like oil or mineral resources. “Water is a renewable resource which you can use, reuse, reuse continuously”. There are many other successful case studies such as Hamburg Wasser and Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, which need to be studied and disseminated. [See Case Study 5] With these countries making major changes over the past 20 years, Prof Biswas is becoming “cautiously optimistic” of the world’s water future.

CASE STUDY 3

Nestlé halves water usage in Mossel Bay In 2012, the town of Mossel Bay in South Africa experienced its worst drought in 132 years. Wolwedans Dam, the town’s main water source, ran almost empty. But the Nestlé factory in Mossel Bay which processes fresh milk to make powdered milk products had begun its water-saving initiatives well before that. With new equipment costing around ZAR 1.2 million (over CHF 175,000), the factory’s water usage had been cut from 25,000 to 11,500 kilolitres per month between October 2009 and May 2010. Water usage per tonne of product produced was reduced from 17 kilolitres per tonne of product in 2009 to 8.2 kilolitres per tonne produced in 2010. Thus, Nestlé had already slashed its water usage by 54% between October 2009 and May 2010. “By 2015 we plan to reduce direct water withdrawals per tonne of product in every product category to achieve an overall reduction of 40% since 2005,” says Herbert Oberhänsli, VicePresident, Economics and International Relations at Nestlé. At Mossel Bay, the water-saving project consists of a four-pronged approach including an awareness campaign, measurement of water usage, an action plan and continuous improvement, and advertising of the results. Under the initiative, a water usage

measurement system monitors water in the various sections of the plant and corrective action is undertaken when necessary. During the drought, the Mossel Bay municipality imposed water restrictions on households, and businesses and industries were encouraged to reduce water consumption. Praising Nestlé’s initiatives, the Executive Mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderlady Marie Ferreira said the company had demonstrated what responsible corporate citizenship is. “I am absolutely delighted at the water savings of more than 50% achieved by the factory and the way that responsible water management has been made an integral part of their operations,” she said. The significant saving is due to the recovery and use of condensate from the evaporation process, which is recovered and used for various industrial processes on-site. In addition, several immediate water-saving measures were introduced, such as shortening automated wash times and modifying hosepipe nozzles to reduce water flow, and employees were also advised on water-saving measures at home. “Recently, we have identified and prioritised a selection of manufacturing facilities for further improvement (based on water-related physical risks and impacts) and a set of key areas where catchment-level stewardship initiatives will take place,” says Dr Oberhänsli.

CASE STUDY 4

Xylem shows the way with customised and smart technologies “Much of the technology we need to address water issues already exists,” says Patrick Decker, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of Xylem Incorporated, a leading global water technology company. “The challenge today is to secure funding and policy that support the technologies that address the current water issues that we face.” The example of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana in the United States was highlighted at Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), where state-ofthe-art technology customised to the problems of high clogging and heavy energy consumption helped to carve out a smooth solution. The flat topography of the area combined with low elevation and high rainfall had made wastewater collection and treatment tedious, with more than 500 lift stations working inefficiently. Four of the worst performing stations were selected and Xylem Flygt Experior™ pump systems were installed. The results were dramatic. Clogging overflows ceased, in one station from two or three a day to nil. Smart controls automatically identified the optimal speed and adjusted it. This led to the stations experiencing as much as 50% reduction in energy use. Xylem “worked with the Parish to achieve a step change in performance: increased reliability and clog resistance, energy-efficiency, and resilience to heavy intermittent flows that used to overwhelm the collection lines and aggravate clogging of lift stations,” says Mr Decker. Maintenance was virtually eliminated, thanks to self-cleaning, intelligent controls. All these led to cost savings as well as benefits to an entire community. Meanwhile, in Singapore, Xylem partnered with Visenti Pte Ltd, a small local technology company, to implement a smart, real-time monitoring solution which has helped PUB (Singapore’s

national agency) to optimise energy consumption, water quality, and leakage detection. Data from 50 sensor nodes based on Xylem’s YSI EXO multiparameter sonde were sent to PUB’s private cloud for analysis, and a copy of the data was relayed to PUB’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system through the cloud. Xylem’s sensors and Visenti’s software provide PUB’s water operations and planning teams with decision support services, including event detection (leaks, bursts), system modelling, demand prediction, and operational simulation, all accessible through the cloud. “The high-tech system is designed to detect problems with water flow, pressure and quality, sending wireless signals that sound early alarms which allow the water agency to address leaks and water quality issues quickly – and avoid some of them altogether,” explains Mr Decker. The system has detected a few pipe bursts by sensing pressure abnormalities related to both planned and unplanned system operations. It has also enabled real-time trouble-shooting. Realtime data from the Xylem YSI EXO sondes provide immediate alerts on low pressure in PUB’s water supply network to improve response time. The real-time hydraulic network model is able to perform demand prediction on a zonal level in the network. This insight helps system operators optimise long-term reservoir pumping operations at a water supply zone. Furthermore, PUB engineers have used the network valve operation simulation interface to test-run scenarios for planning purposes. “The work we have been doing in Singapore is an excellent example of digitalisation becoming an enabler for productivity,” says Mr Decker. It is also a fine example of collaboration since Visenti already had a well-established monitoring system called WaterWise, while Xylem had developed sensors that were compact, easier to install and could provide more accurate data.

CASE STUDY 5

Hamburg: Saving water and segregating used water Over the years, demand for drinking water in Germany has been showing a constant decline. Hamburg Wasser, the utility which services the city of Hamburg in Germany, has managed to reduce its per capita consumption to about 111 litres per capita per day (lpcd), which is one of the lowest in the world. “Although energy costs and consumer price index increased significantly over the past years, we only moderately increased prices for drinking water supply and wastewater treatment,” says Michael Beckereit, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hamburg Wasser. According to him, new standards for household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, progressive renovation with installation of modern sanitary facilities, and a growing environmental consciousness amongst the people have contributed to the significant reduction of water demand. A lower consumption of water is leading to reduced flows in sewers, which creates problems such as accumulation of deposits and odour. However, Hamburg Wasser does not consider the reduction of water consumption to be an undesirable development. Instead, it sees this as an opportunity for efficiency improvement, innovation and changes that will be needed for sustainable water management in the future. Following the principle of the water-energy nexus, the basic needs for drinking water, energy supply and food security are interwoven and competing for a common resource – water.

A new sustainable and integrated approach to deal with the energy, waste and water loops has been developed – the Hamburg Water Cycle®. The innovative concept involves integrated water handling and energy production which will be showcased in a pilot project located at Jenfelder Au in Hamburg. This project aims to demonstrate that source-oriented wastewater treatment with recovery of vital nutrients and energy production can improve the efficiency of the urban water cycle. With 630 residential units and 2,000 people, this will be the biggest demonstration of resourceoriented sanitation in Europe. The Hamburg Water Cycle is based on the concept of segregating different household streams of rainwater, greywater and blackwater. The idea is to establish a synergy between used water management, waste management and energy production. By using vacuum toilets and vacuum pipe networks, undiluted blackwater is collected. The high concentration of organic substances in blackwater makes it ideal for the production of biogas, which is a turn away from the standard, energy-intense used water treatment. When greywater is not combined with blackwater, it can be easily cleaned on-site with decentralised systems and can then be used as process water or given back to the natural cycle. The Hamburg Water Cycle manages rainwater naturally and locally. The drainage of the rainwater is facilitated by areas of unsealed surface and vegetation. Additionally, the rainwater can be incorporated as a design element in landscape architecture.

Hamburg Wasser’s fleet of gas vehicles.

Hamburg Wasser’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Hamburg Wasser and its daughter company, Hamburg Energie, promote the installation of renewable energy within the city. For conventional energy production, usually a higher amount of water is needed than for renewable energy. Therefore, renewable energy production has a positive effect on water withdrawals.

biogas annually. The produced biogas is mostly used on-site, for the electricity and heat supply of the plant. The excess biogas is fed into the local gas grid and partly used as fuel for the 150 Hamburg Wasser gas vehicles that are used for the operation of the drinking water and sewerage network with a total length of 11.000 kilometers. “In 2011, we were the first wastewater treatment company that installed a gas purification unit and fed purified digester gas into the local natural gas grid,” says Mr Beckereit.

Besides Hamburg Wasser’s future prospects with the implementation of a highly efficient decentralised water recycling facility, efforts were taken to optimise the existing wastewater treatment plant in the heart of Hamburg – the harbor. The wastewater treatment plant that processes a wastewater stream of 2.3 million inhabitants has a neutral energy balance since 2011. This is achieved through the post-processing of sewerage sludge, its digestion and the generation of around 35 million cubic meters of

Actively contributing to the German Water Partnership, Hamburg Wasser is also promoting the exchange of best practices at a global level. A daughter company Consulaqua offers consulting as well as operational support in Europe, Africa and Asia.

KEY POINTS • The effect of the El Niño phenomenon and climate change are likely to get compounded and will test water supply systems to the extreme in Singapore and globally. Cutting back on domestic water consumption is essential in order to avoid rationing. • OECD countries which are well-endowed with water resources must avoid complacency and wake up to the issues of leaky networks, extreme events such as Hurricane Sandy and the competition for water between agriculture, industry and domestic sectors. • Governance, innovation and the 3 Ts of Tariffs, Taxes and Transfers are tools for tackling water issues and developing sustainable water systems. • China is taking major policy initiatives to increase water efficiency in agriculture and industry, increase water reuse and rationalise pricing. • With growing populations, integrated urban water management – which takes into account wastewater and waste – will become inevitable. • Solutions generated not only have to be feasible from technical, economic, financial, social and environmental angles. Political support is also needed. Water professionals need to find ways of involving the political actors – those who make decisions. • For a company to be successful, it has to create “shared value” which means not just value for shareholders but for society. A company that depends on water for its growth must look at the long-term impact of the water it uses. • We do not need to wait for 20 years to achieve technological breakthroughs to solve our water challenges. The technologies are already here. The challenge is getting a consistent adoption of the solutions that are available.

WATER LEADERS DIALOGUE 1: BREAKING BOUNDARIES: DEVELOPING A BETTER WATER UTILITY traditionally been risk-averse, given its position on the frontline of producing a critical resource for the nation. Hence, there is a tendency of water utilities to focus on short-term operational challenges instead of investing in innovation for longer-term benefits and a fear of failure, because any impact to operations would directly affect consumers and drinking water quality.

Ms Cindy Wallis-Lage, President of Black & Veatch Water, chairing the Water Leaders Dialogue session.

ADDRESSING WATER UTILITIES’ ISSUES FROM A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE In September 2013, the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) Water Utilities Leaders Forum (SWULF) brought together over 180 heads of utilities and other water experts from 46 countries to identify innovative solutions for their key challenges. The discussions at the Forum set the stage for the next phase of the conversation at the Water Leaders Dialogue on Breaking Boundaries: Developing a Better Water Utility. Chaired by Cindy Wallis-Lage, President of Black and Veatch Water, the Dialogue engaged other stakeholders (such as governments, private companies, researchers, and international organisations) to derive more insights into ways of implementing the four main solution areas which had emerged from SWULF, since these encompass complex and multi-faceted issues: (i) taking the lead in water policies (ii) driving innovation (iii) stakeholder engagement (iv) financial sustainability. Participants looked into how utilities could explore greater innovation, undertake more extensive stakeholder engagement, and develop longer-term financial sustainability, while also considering how the cross-cutting nature of good governance and leadership interacts with these three aspects.

INNOVATION: NOT JUST “GOOD-TO-HAVE” BUT A “MUST-HAVE” Though it is often associated with technology, innovation is equally vital in other aspects of a water utility’s work such as planning, finance, operational management and communication. Chew Men Leong, then-Chief Executive of Singapore’s national water agency PUB, noted that the water sector has

However, in view of many future challenges and a fast-changing world, a business-as-usual mindset is no longer sufficient to ensure smooth delivery of water and wastewater services. Leadership must recognise that innovation is not something that is good to have but actually a must-have. Dr Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, President of the International Desalination Association, stressed that both governments and the private sector should invest in innovation as this can generate sustainable and cost-effective water solutions. PUB continually invests in R&D to generate innovative solutions, and has nurtured a culture of experimentation by turning Singapore’s water infrastructure into a living laboratory where both public and private organisations can put their new solutions through the rigour of treating actual water inflows [See Case Study 6]. Testbedding is one way in which utilities can help establish extensive safeguards to minimise risk for consumers. This offers the chance for innovators to conduct trials under real operating conditions and understand how technologies work, before bringing them into actual operations which would affect delivery of outcomes to their consumers. Leadership plays a vital role in differentiating risks and fostering a culture of innovation that constantly challenges conventional thinking. However, getting buyin from political leaders or the people for innovation is often difficult, especially in developed countries such as the Netherlands, where water already comes 24 hours, seven days a week. Martien den Blanken, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PWN, pointed out that utilities must constantly stress the importance of investing in innovation to ensure good quality drinking water and systems. A crisis can often be a driver for innovation and secure the investment needed. Mike Marcus, General Manager of the Orange Water County District (OWCD), highlighted that having open communication channels and engagement with both political leaders and the local communities also helped to obtain consensus for OWCD’s use of advanced water reuse technologies in groundwater management and water reclamation.

Mr Steve Edwards, Chairman, President and CEO, Black & Veatch, opined the need for utilities to build trust and confidence with customers during the good times, to foster greater cooperation during the bad times.

BUILD RESERVOIRS OF TRUST Steve Edwards, Chairman, President and CEO, Black & Veatch, shared that utilities tend to have the maximum interaction with their customers during three times: a) outages or service disruption, b) rate increases, and c) generation of monthly bills. These are not the happiest times for customers. That is why it is important to build a reservoir of trust and engage with customers during the good times, so that when the bad times come, there will be more cooperation. In fact, discussions stressed that besides good governance and leadership, effective communication is another key success factor for other areas of a utility’s work. Now that social media is so prevalent, there is greater demand for transparency and utilities are thus under more scrutiny. Furthermore, the important message of how water allows people to lead the lives they want has to be constantly communicated, along with the fact that the business of supplying water is a noble one which supports life. There is higher willingness to pay for coffee than water which is so much more valuable for life, hence there is a need for better messaging on the value of water. Cindy Wallis-Lage observed that though people may recognise the value of water for life, water

is still perceived as a human right and hence taken for granted. Such a feeling of entitlement can make it difficult for people to understand what it costs to supply water. One answer to this challenge offered by George Hawkins, General Manager of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, is sustained and widespread promotion of water to the public as the “best product” which deserves to be paid for. [See Case Study 7] It is equally important to enhance service delivery and promote this product based on stakeholders’ feedback on some of the issues they face. The Dialogue made it clear that public support is critical in making improvements and encouraging conservation, which will ultimately help to ensure more sustainable water supply, as illustrated by Steve Edwards’s example of Hurricane Sandy. In the aftermath of this disaster in 2012, millions of people were left with disruptions in water, sewage and electricity services. At that time, many people understood the importance of continuous water and electricity, which is generally taken for granted. That negative event became an opportunity to reinforce the benefits of water, sewerage and electricity to customers. Those utilities that communicated

with their customers and kept them informed of the challenges at every step were able to cultivate trust and engagement with customers even as they restored the services. Others who struggled with their communication or delivering on the promises made in the aftermath of the storm, suffered in their relationship with their clients. Public outreach is especially helpful for gaining buy-in for new technologies or programmes. And to engage the younger generations, communicating with them on social media networks is absolutely critical. This is especially important if we wish to attract young professionals into the water industry to generate fresh thinking and develop our workforce. Sue Murphy, CEO of Water Corporation in Australia, noted that today’s youth can be incredibly well-connected, bold in technology, and have great distrust of authority and big business. We need to start engaging the youth at an early age, such as through running school programmes that nurture water-sensitive citizens. Another key lesson in stakeholder engagement is that leaders must “walk your own talk”. As the General Director of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) in the 1990s, Ek Sonn Chan, now Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, had spearheaded the transformation of PPWSA from a symbol of failure to one of success [See Case Study 8]. To sustain the utility’s operations, water tariffs had to be increased, but there was no political will to do so. Some key ingredients in PPWSA’s eventually successful drive to reform itself included extensive community education on the need to pay one’s water bills – just like the head of PPWSA did.

BETTER GOVERNANCE MEANS BETTER MONEY On examining the financing needs of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, it is seen that currently about 20% of finance comes from private sector and 10% from overseas development assistance (ODA). The bulk of 70%, though, is still from the governments. Such a financing pattern will not be able to solve water infrastructure needs, according to Dr Bindu Lohani, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development of the Asian Development Bank. In order to attract higher ODA, utilities need to be run professionally in a corporate fashion. Without good governance, even if a donor organisation wishes to finance utilities, it cannot. Thus, better management or

“better governance means better money”. The entire water sector needs to improve its “bankability”. One key means to achieve this is having a sustainable waterpricing policy that takes into account full-cost recovery. Tariff-setting, especially the conflict between politicians and operators over tariff-setting is the biggest hurdle to be crossed in developing countries. The Dialogue underlined that the important message that the costs of not providing a water service are far greater than the cost of the service itself, has to be marketed vigorously to political leaders and people. Given that water infrastructure has a long lifespan, the consequences of underinvestment may not be seen during one politician’s term. Thus, it is very important for utility leaders to come forward, help in building political commitment and shape water policies. Dr Lohani added that it is also important to governments to create an environment that would attract increased private-sector investment. We need more Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) which can address key water issues such as the water-energy nexus and climate-change resilience. James Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer of Sydney Water, noted that appropriate regulatory regimes, tax structures and public support were other significant ways of drawing in more private-sector financing. To enhance their bankability, water utilities must demonstrate credibility so as to win trust and investment from the private sector, said Usha RaoMonari, CEO of Global Water Development Partners and Blackstone Portfolio Company. Though financiers naturally look for returns, they may also seek long-term partnerships that will benefit the water sector. So if a utility says it will build a desalination plant with privatesector funds, it must deliver on this promise. Moreover, governments should explore ways of using taxes and transfers to finance large capex investments. This would make the sector more financially viable, since tariffs can only create part of the sustainability. To increase their financial sustainability, Eleanor Allen, Arcadis’ Global Business Line Director for Water, advocates better education for water utilities on how to develop a holistic asset management programme. This should not only enable them to make sound financial decisions, but also encourage a culture of self-sufficiency in their provision of services, instead of “trying to beg for a rate increase all the time”.

CASE STUDY 6

Innovation provides the best insurance against drought in Singapore An unusual dearth of rainfall in January and February 2014 caused tropical Singapore to face one of its longest dry spells in 150 years. The greenery that characterised the island turned brown. Social media was abuzz with pictures of wilting vegetation and worried discussions on climate change. However, thanks to its far-sighted planning and investment in innovative technologies, Singapore was able to avoid rationing water for its 5 million residents. By running its NEWater (Singapore’s brand of ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water) and desalination plants at near-full capacity and injecting NEWater into the reservoirs to maintain reservoir stock levels, it was able to get through the dry spell. This shows that as climate change intensifies across the world, innovation is the key to resilience. PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, has taken an integrated water management approach, managing water, used water and drainage as an interconnected system, with the aspiration to capture every drop of rainwater, collect every drop of used water and recycle every drop of water more than once. With this strategy, PUB “closed”

the water loop and established a diversified and sustainable water portfolio comprising four sources known as the Four National Taps. These are: local reservoirs, imported water, NEWater, and desalinated water. NEWater and desalinated water are not dependent on rainfall and are thus more weather-resilient, bolstering Singapore against weather extremities such as droughts and floods. In particular, its foray into large-scale water recycling was the revolutionary game changer which allowed PUB to break away from its water vulnerability and placed Singapore on the world map for sustainable water management. NEWater’s sustainability is backed by a comprehensive sewer reticulation network and the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), a separate mega network for the long-term, cost-effective and large-scale collection and treatment of used water. By collecting every drop of used water, it is able to prevent pollution of the living environment and safeguard public health. Today, two-thirds of Singapore’s land area is water catchment, and rainwater is collected in 17 reservoirs, with a target to increase the water catchment area to up to 90% in the long term. Singapore is probably the city with the most extensive urban rainwater harvesting in the world. NEWater and desalinated water can meet up to 30% and 25% of Singapore’s water demand,

with plans to expand this to 55% and 25% of Singapore’s future water demand respectively in the long term. PUB continues to leverage R&D as a key driver for its water sustainability efforts and has developed a technology roadmap to identify critical areas to enhance its operations. Recognising that local expertise and technology would be valuable to communities around the world in need of environmental and water management systems, the Singapore government has also incorporated the industry into its national growth plan. The Environment & Water Industry Programme Office (EWI) was established in 2006 to develop innovative water technologies and capabilities, grow a vibrant cluster of companies and solutions providers, and support local water companies to tap overseas opportunities. “Both the state and private sector have a role in providing incentives for technological innovation in the water sector,” says Chew Men Leong, thenChief Executive of PUB. “The close collaboration between PUB and the private sector has spawned numerous innovations, which in turn boost the expertise of companies and research institutes based in Singapore, thus contributing to a vibrant water sector.” Singapore has been working with the private sector for years on infrastructural projects and

solutions for more effective ways of producing water. Some of the major projects include the DTSS and Marina Barrage. It also leverages the synergy gained from marrying the expertise and resources of the public and private sectors to delivering water solutions in a cost-effective manner, known as Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). Apart from infrastructural projects, water solutions and R&D is another area where PUB and the private sector play a role. Singapore appreciates that public investments in the form of R&D support and seeding funds are critical in driving innovation, with the National Research Foundation (NRF) committing millions of dollars in research grants to foster leading-edge technologies and create a thriving research community in Singapore. Beyond funding, Singapore provides a global testbed for new ideas and technologies. International water companies get ready access to test their products in PUB’s water facilities, and the synergy in constructive collaboration with PUB and local research institutes. R&D projects range from laboratory-scale systems to demonstration plants. By establishing track records, new technologies can become competitive in the water market. PUB has many facilities – including its waterworks, water reclamation plants, NEWater plants, reservoirs and stormwater canals – that can be made available as industrial test-bedding sites for both public- and private-sector innovators.

CASE STUDY 7

DC Water: Engaging with stakeholders in every possible platform That water is the “best product” ever is not something that is conveyed by utilities to their customers. But at District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) which supplies water and wastewater services to the District of Columbia, communicating this message is high priority. “While not-for-profit utilities certainly do not have the budgets to advertise on the scale of giant corporations, that does not mean they can’t engage in marketing their services and products,” says George Hawkins, General Manager, DC Water. “Advertisement space/time is a hard cost, but in-house production and creativity can save money and produce some high quality material,” he explains. DC Water has produced print advertisements to promote tap water, highlighting the economic and environmental benefits compared with bottled water. These have been placed in transit buses and subway trains. Social media is another very cost effective means of engaging with customers. DC Water started using Twitter and Facebook in early 2010 and now has a robust portfolio of social media feeds and sites including Flickr, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. “A presence on social media

allows utilities to engage customers wherever they choose to interact and doesn’t rely on the customers coming to your website,” says Mr Hawkins. In addition to posting work zone and service alerts on social media, DC Water regularly shares photos and videos of projects and programmes, and informs followers about their work. Water quality issues are often discussed. The utility’s Twitter account proved very valuable during a boil water alert issued earlier this year. The account was used to keep the community updated and monitored constantly to track concerns and respond to questions from customers. Social media also proved useful in updating and educating the public regarding the district’s biggest infrastructure project, the DC Clean Rivers Project. Lady Bird, the tunnel boring machine used, has its own Twitter feed (@LadyBirdTBM) and ‘she’ regularly posts about the purpose of ‘her’ work and the progress made. “It is an important tool for highlighting the benefits of this important project, which largely is occurring out of sight and otherwise might get little attention,” believes Mr Hawkins. One risk with social media is “spreading yourself too thin and trying to do too much, without the dedicated resources to manage this engagement”.

When bills go up, customers “don’t know what’s driving that increase”. DC Water believes there is “a need to explain and justify the increases and show how we are making every dollar go further through innovation and efficiency”. Each spring, DC Water hosts eight “budget town hall meetings” in every section of the city where the staff, including the General Manager, meet with residents to explain the rate proposal for the coming fiscal year, listen to their concerns and answer questions. Mr George Hawkins, General Manager, DC Water, conducting an internal staff session.

For that reason, DC Water has just hired its first Digital Communications Manager to develop a digital communications strategy, decide which tools to use, lead digital marketing campaigns, and produce fresh content. Direct interaction with customers also plays an important role. The Office of External Affairs at DC Water has a three-person “Outreach Team” that staffs dozens of community events, especially in the summer when they provide free water to participants at large festivals as well as smaller neighbourhood events. Innovative “tapwater versus bottled water taste test” challenges are organised around the city, which is another way the utility markets its product to customers.

The public keeps a pulse on DC Water’s large system and is often the first to witness or experience issues, such as discolored water or a water main break. Providing resources for customers to report these issues allows DC Water to rapidly identify and investigate issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. Customers are provided the option to report problems via phone, the DC Water website and social media, where customer complaints are tracked and responded to within 24-hours. “All of this engagement supports what I believe is critical to our success – we must do a good job of communicating with our customers, otherwise we won’t have their support for inevitable rate increases and investments in infrastructure,” says Mr Hawkins.

CASE STUDY 8

Cambodia: Turning entitled consumers into paying customers In some countries which struggle with poverty, it is hard to imagine having a water utility which supplies water 24X7 works on the basis of full-cost recovery. But Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) is doing just that. The culture in Cambodia was such that not paying taxes or utility bills was a sign of the political clout one possessed. “If you don’t pay tax, you are strong people,” explained Ek Sonn Chan, erstwhile General Director of PPWSA, now Secretary of State, Ministry of Industry and Handicraft. “If you don’t pay electricity, you are the best people, no one can touch you.” It was important to take the entrenched culture of entitlement and corruption head-on. The former director of the waterworks from whom Mr Chan took over was re-selling water from his connection to his neighbourhood while not paying any bills himself. In fact, this was the norm even among other senior staff. Calling personally on the errant ex-Director, who was a friend, Mr Chan informed him that a water meter had been installed on his connection, and if he did not pay the bills, his supply would be disconnected. The former Director complied and this led to a realisation amongst all the employees of the waterworks that the days of entitlement were over. This also sent a positive sign to other citizens that no rules were bent for waterworks staff. Next, the entitled military had to be tackled. One powerful army general intimidated the staff who tried to disconnect his water supplies for nonpayment of bills and drove them out. This left Mr Chan with no choice but to go himself. “I took four or five men with me,” recounts Mr Chan. Just as he was about to disconnect the pipe, he felt a gun pointing to his head and looked up to see the general himself. “All my staff had run away,” he says. Narrowly escaping being shot,

Mr Chan went back to his office and asked the police to help. 20 police officers were deployed to oversee the utility staff who dug up the general’s connection and disconnected the supplies. The fuming general went to the waterworks office the next day with several bodyguards. He was not allowed to meet Mr Chan until he took an appointment for another day and agreed to meet him alone. A chastened general came back for his appointment and this time Mr Chan laid the conditions for his reconnection. “First, you have to sign a commitment saying that you will respect the water supply authority and second, you need to pay a penalty for your bad behavior and you must allow us to broadcast this to the public, otherwise, no water in your house.” The general agreed. The submission of the general sent a strong message of change to the public. “After that, there was not much resistance from the policy makers, like the ministers,” said Mr Chan. When it came to the poor, Mr Chan’s approach was gentler. He and his staff spent much time explaining to them the advantages of applying for a water connection, and then paying bills regularly by the meter. He instructed his staff to not disconnect any connections before he visited the families personally to find out the problem and counsel them. In extreme situations, he paid their bills himself but persuaded the families to set aside a portion of their monthly income for their water bills. It was a slow and tedious process. By 1994, computerised billing was set up. By 2001, 100% of connections were metered. Billing collections increased from 50% in 1993 to 99.39% in 2008. Service coverage improved, water losses plummeted, and every other performance criterion improved. A whole population of entitled consumers who took free water for granted and poor families who lacked the resources or discipline to pay for water, were transformed into responsible customers.

KEY POINTS • Though it is often associated with technology, innovation is equally vital in other aspects of a water utility’s work such as planning, finance, operational management and communication. • In a fast-changing world with many future challenges, we need innovation to ensure smooth delivery of water and wastewater services. • Effective communication is another key success factor for other areas of a utility’s work. • A crisis can be very useful to educate the public about not taking water for granted and to convince political leaders to invest continuously in water systems. It can also be an opportunity for water utilities to engage their customers. • To connect with young people and get them involved in water issues and jobs, various channels must be used, including social media, educational water programmes in schools and other outreach programmes. • To attract more investment, appropriate regulatory regimes, tax structures and public support are also key ways of drawing in more private-sector financing into the water sector. • Tariff-setting, especially the conflict between politicians and operators over tariffsetting is the biggest hurdle to be crossed in developing countries. The costs of not providing a water service are far greater than the cost of the service itself, have to be impressed upon political leaders and people. • To enhance their bankability, water utilities must demonstrate credibility so as to win trust and investment from the private sector. • Water utilities must be better educated on how to develop a holistic asset management programme for greater financial sustainability.

WATER LEADERS DIALOGUE 2: FUTURE-PROOFING OUR CITIES

Panel Discussion at Water Leaders Dialogue 2 on Future-Proofing our Cities, chaired by Ms Lucia Cade, Market Sector Leader for Water across Australia and New Zealand at AECOM.

THE FUTURE IS NEAR, BUT ARE OUR CITIES READY? Accelerated urbanisation, population growth, unsustainable development and climate change are all upon us. As cities become bigger and extend endlessly in an urban sprawl, rendering the need for infrastructure to continually accommodate more and more users, getting a handle on the future becomes massively important. Natural hazards such as flooding and drought, temperature extremes, and tropical cyclone activity are already impacting cities. The Water Leaders Dialogue on Future-Proofing Our Cities, chaired by Lucia Cade, Market Sector Leader for Water across Australia and New Zealand at AECOM, explored solutions to ensure that cities are wellprepared for future challenges instead of only focusing on day-to-day issues. It brought into perspective the roles played by governments, policy-makers, utilities, the private sector, consumers and producers, drawing out new ways to harness their contributions. Effective leadership and partnerships are some key ingredients for success.

MAKING CROSS-CUTTING INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR DECISION-MAKING It was recognised at the Dialogue that with so much information available on climate change, we can no

longer plead ignorance or uncertainty as an excuse for inaction. The more important question now is – how do we inform decision-making? Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water, pointed out that it is often mistakenly assumed that climate change is only to do with temperature. Actually, the biggest impact will be on the water cycle. The staggering effects of climate change will be visible in sea-levels, precipitation, and droughts, which will introduce a whole new dimension to decision -making. Previous statistics can no longer always be relied upon for decisions on water infrastructure. Since the past is no longer a good indicator for the future, this aspect has to be factored into decision-making. Also, not all uncertainties are scientific. In fact, the most important are economic uncertainties. What will the economic situation be 50 years from now? Economic and demographic predictions are even more difficult than climate ones. There is thus a corresponding need for enormous coordination across different sectors, including water, energy, food, sanitation and health. The availability of cross-cutting information from different sectors is critical. For example, a decision made in order to optimise the water sector can have adverse impacts on the energy sector. Therefore, it is important to optimise the system as a whole.

CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS CAN WORK Dr. Lee Jung-moo, Chairman of the National Committee for 7th World Water Forum, suggested that there is significant opportunity for countries possessing advanced technologies to cooperate with other countries to understand local climate impacts, and thus develop a better grasp of how we can apply integrated approaches for urban planning and design. As Greg Koch, Director of Global Water Stewardship at CocaCola puts it, “the crux of water problems is not to rely on solutions from water technology” but also employ other solutions such as stakeholder engagement, which is useful in gaining public acceptance for government reforms. Lucia Cade observed that there is a growing need for decision-makers to better engage people, due to their higher expectations as their quality of urban life improves. The community is an essential stakeholder in decision-making because their behavior and attitudes drive identifying what the right solutions are [See Case Study 9]. In fact, cooperation and engagement can happen at multiple levels to bridge any gaps between policy and technology. For example, customers can be empowered to use their smartphones to report leaks as they see them. Smartphones open up a whole new channel for water agencies to provide information to their consumers about consumption levels, service outages and delivery problems. Wim Thomas, Chief Energy Adviser at Shell, shared that Canada’s Shell has also been working with communities to achieve resource-efficiency for water and energy. One way of doing this is by helping to treat wastewater in a town in order to use the treated effluent, instead of freshwater for pumping gas from underground reserves [See Case Study 10]. Tony Conway, Strategic Programmes Director of United Utilities, mentioned that in the UK, a national taskforce that focuses on how businesses can improve their water efficiency includes members from the business community, government bodies, regulators and others. Another key way of managing water demand is proactive customer engagement such as through water efficiency campaigns. Similarly, companies can collaborate with local city planners to build water management into urban design. Hydraulic models for urban drainage can be used by stakeholders to make better joint decisions.

INNOVATION IS NEEDED TO MAKE USE OF INNOVATION One viewpoint that was articulated often was that technological innovation is important but why have technologies that are in existence for several years not been used? As Peter Williams, Chief Technology Officer of Big Green Innovations at IBM observed, ample technological tools are available for asset management, emergency management, communication and metering systems; yet there has been a woeful record of utilising them. For example, pump optimisation tools for water networks have been in existence for 15 years, but are infrequently used on a relative basis. The same applies for tools related to modelling and risk analysis. More sophisticated tools are being developed, yet even the basic ones have still not found widespread adoption. This is similar to trying to get more money to build more infrastructure, instead of enhancing the capability of a utility’s existing asset base to develop more resilience to the effects of climate change. In cases where technology has been deployed effectively, excellent results have been found, such as the flood resilience achieved in China’s Songhua River basin [See Case Study 11]. Dang Lianwen, Commissioner of the Songliao River Commission, shared that this was also thanks to adequate investment in flood-control infrastructure (such as regulating reservoirs), supported by the great priority to water management accorded by the government. Another example of an innovative urban solution is Hong Kong’s plans of relocating the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works inside caverns in mountains to free up land space, as shared by Steve Fludder, Chief Executive of Global Water and Energy at AECOM [See Case Study 12].

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The crux of water problems is not to rely on solutions from water technology but also employ other solutions such as stakeholder engagement, which is useful in gaining public acceptance for government reforms.

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CASE STUDY 9

Rotterdam turns car parks and public squares into storage In the Netherlands, future-proofing cities for disasters is being intelligently connected to using water for spatial development of urban areas. “Cooperation between urban planners and water managers has resulted in new, innovative ideas to combine water infrastructure with design of public spaces and buildings,” says Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam.

Rainwater that falls on the square runs into large stainless steel gutters which carry the water into basins. When there is no rain, the basins can be used for rollerblading or other activities on wheels. Apart from local residents and other stakeholders, the designers involved teachers and students of the nearby Zadkine College and the Graphic Lyceum, members of the adjacent church, youth theatre and gym. During three workshops they discussed possible uses, desired atmosphere and how stormwater could influence the square.

Two inspiring multi-functional examples of this are the Kruisplein Car Park and Benthemplein Water Square in Rotterdam. In Kruisplein, additional water storage has been created on top of a new underground parking garage near Rotterdam Central Station. Through the use of “water shells” a strong but lightweight storage has been created which can hold up to 2,400 m3 of water. The devastation wrought by the floods of 1993 and 1995 were a wake-up call for the Dutch who were already engaged in executing the huge Delta Works programme after the destructive 1953 floods. It was realised that allowing room for stormwater and rivers within cities would be a better strategy than building taller dikes or larger sewers. At Benthemplein, a unique water square has been constructed, which could be mistaken to be a regular public square until one realises that it can actually store 1,800 m3 of water if the need arises. Completed in December 2013, this water square (the world’s largest) has been designed by Rotterdam architects in a highly collaborative manner.

Benthemplein Water Square in Rotterdam serves to store water when it rains.

“All agreed that the water square should not only be a dynamic place for young people, with lots of space for play, but should also have nice, green intimate places,” informs Mr Aboutaleb. Users also wanted the “water to be excitingly visible while running over the square with detours obligatory”. Care has been taken to paint all the areas that can flood in shades of blue. The space is gently defined and subdivided by a green structure of high grasses, colourful flowers and the existing large trees.

The mayor believes the water square has resulted in “an increased awareness of water management and climate change” apart from reducing flooding and opening up an “attractive public area”. He stresses that a “participatory process that gives local community involvement from the start” is of utmost importance. An important lesson learned was that the maintenance department should also be involved right from the beginning. Since different departments with different work cultures have to work together, early consultations help to give more time for sorting out differences.

Benthemplein Water Square also serves as a place for the community to gather and play when it is dry.

CASE STUDY 10

Shell partners with community to recycle water The availability of freshwater is a growing challenge for the energy industry as developing new hydro carbon resources can be waterintensive. Operating in water-scarce areas may bring social, operational and commercial challenges as regulations on water use tighten and the costs of using water increase. “Treated wastewater from municipalities can be a useful resource for an oil and gas operation if local fresh water sources are constrained physically or due to regulations,” says Wim Thomas, Chief Energy Adviser, Shell. “The biggest opportunities are in forming innovative partnerships with local stakeholders, and in getting the economics right,” he explains. At the Water Leaders Summit, Mr Thomas gave the example of Shell’s partnership with the city of Dawson Creek, about a thousand kilometres northeast of Vancouver, which is the centre of British Columbia’s natural gas and oil producing fields. In order to almost eliminate Shell’s need to draw on local freshwater sources for the operation of its Groundbirch natural gas venture in Northeast British Columbia, the oil and gas company funded the building of a water-recycling plant for the nearby city of Dawson Creek. With a capacity of 4,000 m3 a day, the plant treats sewage which was earlier released into the Dawson Creek after minimal treatment. Used water is now treated to a standard suitable for industrial and municipal uses and the local

municipality can use the water for cleaning roads and watering sports fields. Shell pipes its share of the water from the plant to its natural gas operations some 48 kilometres to the west of Dawson Creek to the Groundbirch gas field. Natural gas has a key role to play in meeting growing global demand for cleaner energy because it emits 50 to 70% less CO2 than coal when used to generate electricity. Because hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells requires volumes of water, Shell has long been aware of the need to use water responsibly at Groundbirch. Currently recycling approximately 75% of the water it produces, the company’s goal is to minimise the amount of freshwater it uses in drilling and completions. Most wastewater generated from oil and gas drilling operations is disposed of in disposal wells, empty oil or gas wells, or in saline aquifers. At some operations, like Groundbirch, it is also operationally and economically feasible to reuse production water. Apart from Dawson Creek, Petroleum Development Oman (34% ownership by Shell) has used an innovative approach to treat production water by using wetlands in Nimr, Oman; in Brunei Shell treats produced water that is re-injected in water flooding operations; in Alberta, water from tailing ponds is recycled in oil sands production. “The main challenges in exploring new water management solutions are the varying and complex compositions of production water, which can be extremely saline,” explains Mr Thomas.

City of Dawson Creekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s municipal water treatment lagoons, British Columbia.

Municipal re-use of reclaimed water, Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

CASE STUDY 11

Resilience to flooding in Songhua River Basin In 2013, the Songhua River basin in the northeast of China experienced its most severe flooding in a century. It was preceded by continuously heavy rain from June to August 2013 which swelled the Songhua River to about 1.5 times its usual volume and raised 36 rivers in the region to above danger levels. The Songhua has two tributaries, the Second Songhua River and the Nenjiang River. The total length of the Songhua River is 3,267 km, while the basin area is 561,200 km2. It is a densely populated region with 53.53 million people living in the river basin, and important cities with populations of more than 1 million along the river such as Harbin, Qiqihar and Jilin. The flooding could well have been an unmitigated disaster. But the damage was remarkably minimised. At the Water Leaders Dialogue on Future-Proofing our Cities during SIWW 2014, Dang Lianwen, Commissioner of the Songliao River Commission, detailed the elaborate flood control measures taken by his country before and after the extreme event. Changing levels of rainfall and river flows were closely monitored long before the 2013 floods. 30 regulating reservoirs had been tasked with protecting the life and property of people and ensuring the safety of the embankment. Key reservoirs in the basin had the capacity to impound floodwaters up to 4.0 billion m3. Elaborate preparations for flood control were put in place and strict responsibilities had been assigned. Rescue teams were on standby and many drills were carried out.

In order to develop a “scientific, realistic reservoir regulation scheme, and to accurately forecast the river water flows and rainfall levels, 265 rainfall forecasting and 323 flood forecasting studies were carried out”. The overall precision of forecasting was as high as 90%. “In the process of flood management for main reservoirs, we managed to predict and forecast the rainfall in the watershed and prioritise the safety of reservoirs,” said Commissioner Dang. “In compliance with the national guidelines on flood control, we identified all potential risks and applied more flexible and practical measures to tackle the emergent floods, based on the holistic evaluation of the actual flood situation, reservoir operational condition, and future rainfall patterns.” The Baishan and Fengman reservoirs were used to store flood water and thereby delay the discharge for six days, which successfully staggered the flood peaks, and relieved pressure downstream of the Songhua River. Mechanisms for decision-making and consultations were also streamlined. “At the flood control command center, we communicated with relevant government agencies and departments in a timely manner, coordinated views and needs of multiple stakeholders, and thus made informed decisions on flood control to ensure the safety of both reservoirs and downstream flood-prone areas,” said the Commissioner. The combination of technology and management techniques helped to not only minimise damage but also impart tremendous resilience in the face of one of China’s worst floods.

CASE STUDY 12

Hong Kong: Building sewage treatment works in caverns to free up land When land comes at a premium, space-saving solutions get more innovative. Hong Kong is wellknown for its creative designs for living in small spaces; its architects and designers frequently win awards for them. Steve Fludder, Chief Executive of Global Water and Energy at AECOM, gave yet another example of an intriguing innovation during SIWW 2014: the relocation of the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works into a cavern in order to free up valuable land for people in Hong Kong. According to Mr Fludder, “This is a fantastic undertaking and when this project is finished, the sewage treatment plant will be inside a cavern, in a mountain.” “The Hong Kong government has been exploring a number of ways to increase land supply,” says Daniel Chung, Director of Drainage Services, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). “Moving some of the existing municipal facilities underground is one of the viable measures. Relocating wastewater treatment plants to caverns offers the additional benefits of enhancing the living environment, as caverns act as natural barriers to potential environmental concerns such as odour and visual impact. Furthermore, we will look closely at the use of compact wastewater treatment technologies to achieve space optimisation.”

“From the treatment process perspective, apart from compactness, we are also looking for technologies that are energy-efficient and have low lifecycle costs,” explains Mr Fludder. Construction cost manifestly increases with cavern span length. Hence there is a need to “push the cavern design beyond current proven practices to achieve an optimum plant layout” that will lead to cost savings. For reconciling the various goals with the many constraints, much innovation will be required in the design of both caverns and the sewage treatment process. By the time the relocation is completed, the existing Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works would have been in service for 45 years. “The relocation project will not only release the sizeable plant area for other uses and improve the environment, but also provide an opportunity for technological advancement and process enhancement. There will be particular emphasis on energy-efficiency and other resource-saving initiatives, which will be in line with our commitment to sustainability,” explains Mr Chung. Stakeholder engagement has also been a vital part of the project so far, and the EMI (Experiential + Multi-platform + Iconic) approach had been adopted as part of the feasibility study. “Public engagement helped consolidate the public’s views and concerns, build consensus and foster their support for the project,” says Mr Chung.

A floating platform for the plant was also considered by the authorities. However, given that the Sha Tin plant will serve over 800,000 people, even with the treatment facilities put on a floating platform “there is still a need for pipelines and pumping stations to be installed on land and a permanent location for anchoring the floating platform for continuous operations”. Thus, a floating platform was not considered a suitable alternative for the Sha Tin plant project. As rock excavation is expensive, the whole scheme, comprising the cavern system and the sewage treatment process needs to be optimised.

Aerial view of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works.

KEY POINTS • We can no longer plead ignorance about climate change for inaction. We know enough to take action with regard to water infrastructure, however we need to make decision-making more informed by using cross-cutting information from different sectors. • Decision-makers need to have a better understanding of applying integrated approaches to urban planning and designing. • The crux of water problems is not to rely on solutions from water technology but also employ other solutions such as stakeholder engagement, which is useful in gaining public acceptance for government reforms. There is a growing need for decisionmakers to better engage people, due to their higher expectations as their quality of urban life improves. • Cooperation and engagement can happen at multiple levels to bridge any gaps between policy and technology. • A large number of technologies have already been available for a long period, so even as developing more innovative technologies is important, making use of the available ones is the first step in the journey towards effective management of water assets.

SINGAPORE WATER LECTURE: PIONEERING WATER REUSE AND PUBLIC OUTREACH

Ms Cathy Green, First Vice President of Orange County Water District, outlining the journey towards the first indirect water reuse project at the Singapore Water Lecture.

THE SINGAPORE WATER LECTURE TRACES HOW ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANNED INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE In the 1970s, when potable water reuse was only being talked about as a possible option to counter global water scarcity, Orange County Water District (OCWD) demonstrated through its Water Factory 21 that it can be done. In subsequent years, when more countries struggled to supply enough water to meet the demand, Water Factory 21 was studied as a shining example of reusing valuable resources and pioneering research into the use of reverse osmosis, which is now key towards success in recycling water. Today, the three-stage advanced treatment process of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet/hydrogen peroxide is an established standard for potable water reuse in the industry. But it all really started with Orange County’s visionary programme that sought to utilise recycled wastewater for recharging aquifers as a barrier against seawater intrusion. On June 2, 2014, OCWD was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2014 for its “pioneering work in groundwater management and water reclamation using advanced water reuse technologies, as well as its

achievements in public policy and community outreach that have advanced public acceptance on water reuse”. During the Singapore Water Lecture chaired by Prof Kishore Mahbubani (Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore), Cathy Green, Board Member of OCWD, said that the district had semi-arid climate averaging only 30 cm of rain per year. 70% of the water supplied to 2.4 million people came from the groundwater basin it managed. She outlined the journey of Water Factory 21, which expanded its functions beyond the countering of saline intrusion in 2008 and embarked on indirect potable water reuse through its ambitious Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). The aquifer supplies 89 million m3 of water per year, catering for the needs of 600,000 people. Ms Green emphasised OCWD’s strong partnership with Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), which laid the foundation of the project’s success. OCSD provides used water after primary and secondary treatment, which becomes the input for OCWD’s advanced water purification and GW replenishment. The district’s new water quality assurance laboratory came online in 2009, and this enhanced facility continues to be the key to managing water quality.

The water is tested for over 500 parameters with over 400,000 individual analyses per year.

distinguished experts in many fields. Disney Resort has partnered the event since its inception.

An important factor in selecting OCWD for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2014 is the comprehensive manner in which the district undertook public outreach and engagement to gain public acceptance of potable water reuse.

The district is also a recognised leader in environmental stewardship in the watershed. One example of its success was in restoring an endangered song bird which was on the brink of disappearing in the mid1980s. However, largely through the district’s habitat restoration and management of invasive predators, the bird has made a comeback – increasing from 26 pairs to 561 pairs.

The public engagement programme started a full ten years before the groundwater replenishment project. Some of the factors that won the public trust were the insistence on comprehensive testing and monitoring for the highest water quality, the appointment of an independent advisory panel, the trust based on the history with Water Factory 21, as well as tours and water tasting. “When people see it and taste it, we have found they trust it,” said Ms Green.

Ms Green outlined the following opportunities and challenges in the future:

Such has been the level of trust that OCWD is soon expanding its facility by 40% to a new annual capacity of a 127 million m3 per year, which will be completed by 2015.

• Investing in seawater desalination to broaden water portfolio • Increasing treatment efficiency • Improving percolation • Protecting groundwater from legacy industrial contamination and the effect of extreme weather on local weather and imported supplies • Gaining acceptance for direct potable reuse

OCWD has also become known for its annual children’s drinking water festival, which is the largest event of its kind in the USA. It reaches 7,000 students representing 27 cities, and comprises 400 volunteers and presenters. It has been an annual event for 18 years and has engaged more than 100,000 children. It consists of educational activities about water and how to protect the environment. Presentations are done by

Such has been the impact of OCWD’s successful water reuse programme that it has inspired states such as Texas and Colorado in the United States, and has even been replicated in countries such as Australia and Singapore. With the receipt of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2014, OCWD plans to continue investing in applied water research to develop new and breakthrough technologies to solve water challenges.

KEY POINTS • Orange County Water District (OCWD)’s visionary programme led to the threestage advanced treatment process of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet/ hydrogen peroxide becoming an established standard for potable water reuse in the industry. • Initially started to counter saline intrusion in 2008, OCWD’s Water Factory 21 embarked on indirect potable water reuse through its ambitious Groundwater Replenishment System. • The comprehensive public outreach and engagement programmes started by OCWD played a pivotal role in gaining public acceptance of potable water reuse.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, delivered the closing address to the delegates of the Water Leaders Summit. The Minister’s first point was that regardless of scale, there is value in an integrated management of the water cycle – the water supply, drainage and sewage for a city, district, province or country. Integrated governance across different layers of government and across different agencies could be achieved so that there is a single focal point for master planning. However, he cautioned against the pitfalls of over-convergence, for example in systems that convey both sewage and stormwater in the same channels. The second point was the need for innovation in the water-energy nexus. The key determinant for the availability, reliability, security and price of water in the future was going to be the source and cost of energy. Showing a picture of a mangrove tree from Pulau Semakau, which is Singapore’s only remaining landfill site for incinerated waste, the Minister highlighted that nature was able to almost effortlessly convert saline water into freshwater. He put before the delegates the “wild vision” of water producing plants of the future that functioned with the efficiency of the mangroves

and called for interdisciplinary research, generating novel solutions, learning from nature, protecting coastlines and generating fresh, life-giving water for both agriculture and cities. He noted that this could only come about through innovations and breakthrough technologies from inter-disciplinary research. The last point made by Minister Balakrishnan was the need to account for the true cost of water. By not charging the actual cost of water, governments are doing a disservice to the people. He suggested that in the countries that under-priced their water, it would be very difficult to persuade the private sector, especially Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), to put in competitive bids and even if private companies came in, the government would need to bear all the risk. Such countries would not have the cash flow to maintain and expand their networks, which would ultimately lead to their degradation. In Singapore, the cost of water is pegged to the long run marginal cost of securing the next drop of water. Subsidies to the poor are also highly targeted and given in the form of cash rebates, so that there was an incentive to conserve water and appreciate the real value of water.

Singapore’s Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Dr Vivian Balakrishnan concluded the Water Leaders Summit with the value of integrated water management, the need for innovation in the water-energy nexus, and the need to account for the true cost of water.

INDUSTRIAL WATER SOLUTIONS FORUM: SMALLER WATER FOOTPRINTS, GREATER BUSINESS VALUE The days when industries could withdraw as much freshwater as they wanted from nature have come to an end. As more people move into cities and food production struggles to match rising populations, urban and agricultural water demands are pushing industries to manage their water use more efficiently. This year’s Industrial Water Solutions Forum series was organised into two forums: the first, titled Investment Opportunities and Challenges Related to Water, was a collaboration between SIWW, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), and Global Water Intelligence (GWI). The second forum was on Water Interdependencies and Opportunities for Industrial Sectors. Organsied by PUB and Singapore’s EDB (Economic Development Board), it focused on four important areas: Chemicals and Refining, Pharmaceuticals, Microelectronics and Mining. Both sessions featured presentations and panel discussions by leaders in these sectors, to share knowledge and best-practices within and across the various industries which could bring about better cooperation and more informed implementation of water management strategies and innovative technologies. William Ambrose, Global Head of Business Risk, NBIM, presented an overview of funds management, which emphasised transparency and responsible investment, and how water was viewed both as an opportunity and risk. Other speakers also shared their insights into water investment and stewardship. Innovation and cross-industry communication can be harnessed to create smart networks to solve water challenges, and water pricing was identified as the answer to issues in water quality and supply. Participants also agree on the need for businesses to share ideas on sustainable water

management. One avenue for this would be “The ZeroImpact Project” introduced by Christopher Gasson, Publisher, GWI. This is a collaborative effort between GWI and PUB that aims to pool and share best practices for reducing the water footprint of industries within 30 years, including the opportunities for value creation in doing so. In his opening address, Goh Chee Kiong, Executive Director for CleanTech, EDB, highlighted the importance of solutions for a world of growing water-dependent and energy-intensive industries. Urging industry leaders to be more water and resource efficient as the industrial sector is the major consumer of water, he pointed out that it would also generate monetary savings that result in more globally competitive companies. Puah Aik Num, Deputy Director of Technology, PUB echoed this point when he presented water and energy demand trends that were projected to double and triple respectively by year 2060 if no technological advances were made. He encouraged industries to view increased water efficiency as a cost-saving incentive. Mr Goh also emphasised the need for stronger and more open collaborations between the end-users and water solutions-providers to generate solutions that would extend the frontiers of water innovation. Mr Gasson underlined the increasing value accorded to water as a raw material. He mentioned that more companies were being conscious of water management practices to enhance corporate social responsibility and build a better reputation for their brands. He also gave an example of how the pharmaceutical sector was tightening its regulations for the treatment and discharge of wastewater.

At the session on Chemicals and Refining, some key issues discussed were the difficulty of treating wastewater due to its chemical components, and managing cost and returns in technology investment. Some solutions to these challenges include an interesting case study presented by Perstorp Singapore, which showed how the company was progressively recovering more product from wastewater through customised technologies and optimising its cooling water management. Companies could also consider implementing solutions which â&#x20AC;&#x153;yield incremental but short payback periodsâ&#x20AC;?. Moreover, contrary to what some end users may think, many water technologies which can meet the challenges of water stewardship are already available. In the Microelectronics segment, two major watersaving principles were identified. One was using less water in manufacturing, which can be achieved by i) improving efficiency through upgrading plant and process equipment or ii) adjusting water supply pressures or using sleep modes. The second is to reuse and recycle water being used in processes. Taiwan, for example, has implemented strong measures to help its manufacturing industry reach a 90% recycling rate. The Pharmaceutical discussion revealed that some water sustainability was at the top of the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agenda. Some key measures to achieve this include reuse of water from manufacturing processes, recycling of purified water, and resource recovery from waste streams. Some challenges faced in this sector are unique, such as the need to address the quality of discharge where endocrine disruptors and toxins are

concerned. The complex nature of pharmaceutical wastewater makes its treatment difficult, also given that its components (such as drug ingredients) are often confidential. Hence, sharing knowledge on sustainability efforts within the industry could help in cross-pollination of ideas. Since this has been hindered by intellectual property issues, it was suggested that government agencies could initiate the path for sharing and incentivise collaboration. Water efficiency was a hot topic in the segment dealing with the mining industry. Excess water as well as shortage issues have to be handled very rapidly, otherwise there can be extremely high losses in revenue. Some drivers for industrial water solutions were highlighted: water security, environmental compliance on wastewater discharge, and making water solutions affordable to miners. The main challenges that emerged from discussions included the availability of water, reusing of wastewater, discharge regulations, mine drainage, and managing of waste streams. It was emphasised that in the mining industry, used water treatment is difficult due to its components like dissolved solids, heavy metals and toxins. For achieving sustainability of groundwater withdrawals, the strategy suggested was: optimisation of water usage throughout the value chain, avoidance of groundwater pumping and geographical reallocation of surface water, and mobilisation of alternative water sources (such as greywater and the reuse of treated wastewater). Once again, the strong need for collaboration and cooperation between different players (such as mining companies and water service providers) was stressed.

TECHXCHANGE: INVESTORS AND INNOVATORS EXCHANGE NOTES TechXchange was a one-day conference which connected innovators with potential partners and investors from around the world to discuss the latest developments in technology innovation and commercialisation. Chew Men Leong, then-Chief Executive of PUB, noted that organisations worldwide are “looking for the next game changer”. Patience was highlighted as a vital virtue in order to bring a successful technology to market. In a panel chaired by David Henderson, Managing Director of XPV Capital, industry leaders voiced their thoughts on the risk-adverse, high-cost sector of developing new water solutions. “The incubation period for a project can be from a few months to 15 years,” cautioned Avraham Ben Yosef, Vice-President of Engineering and Technologies at Mekorot, adding, “Developers must know it’s a marathon – not a sprint.”

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The incubation period for a project can be from a few months to 15 years. Developers must know it’s a marathon – not a sprint.

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Xylem’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patrick Decker, explained the trend of integrating complex physical machinery with networked sensors and software. With its strong analytics platform, pumping solutions and water technologies, Xylem is well equipped to derive opportunities from marrying IT and water technologies. Other companies which have similar advantages are Grundfos, which also integrates controls systems with its pumping solutions, and GE Water, which offers both water analytics and water treatment technologies, and has described this combination of fusing IT, data and machines as the “industrial Internet”. It was unanimously agreed that the right business model to derive company-sustaining revenue is most critical for success. Putting it concisely, Electro Scan CEO Chuck Hansen said: “Companies either learn to make money, or they don’t.” Veolia and Xylem offered similar advice: leverage revenues and near-term incremental wins and to drive the business while it works on medium to long-term opportunities. Dr Andrew Benedek, Chairman and CEO for Anaergia Inc and the first winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, recalled his experience of nurturing the pathbreaking company Zenon. The company had a cash-generating side of the business – the laboratory which funded R&D and product development of membranes. Dr Benedek is using the same model with Anaergia, which also has a revenue-generating business

that allows it to fund and develop solutions to combine wastewater and organic waste management. Laurent Auguste, Executive Vice President, Innovation & Markets of Veolia, posited that water solutions providers could offer a means to optimise businesses. With business interests in water and waste, Veolia sees itself as breaking down conventional silos and moving to a fusion between energy, waste and water. Mr Auguste spoke about positioning water solutions providers as “enablers” which can create value for clients from the oil and gas as well as food and beverage markets. Water is a crucial raw material for these industries. By ensuring quality and quantity of water, value could be created for the client. Thus, it is possible to reuse water, recover energy and resources by optimising processes. Clarifying the value proposition of a company’s services for clients is important. The onus is on water solutions providers to “demystify things,” as Mr Decker noted. That there has to be alignment of expectations between investors and water technology companies was also pointed out at TechXchange. Often, the expectations are poorly communicated, as also how success is to be measured.

in commercialising the use of membranes in water treatment benefited his company Zenon, as it was only after some time that Zenon encountered market competition by wastewater provider Memcor. Some companies at TechXchange, such as Cerahelix and CeramHyd, are also potential first-movers in the more recent market for ceramic membranes. In addition, eleven companies competed in the international TechShowcase, which linked innovative start-up and growth stage companies with potential partners and investors. These companies shared their disruptive water technologies and business pitch with delegates, who then rated each company based on its market strategy for the BlueTruffle™ Award and the disruptive potential of its technology for the Disrupto-Meter™ Award. The forum ended on a celebratory note when American company Puralytics took home the Disrupt-o-Meter™ Award (for its light-activated nanotechnology water purification), and Singaporebased Medad Technologies bagged the BlueTruffle™ Award (thanks to the marketing of its cost-reducing technology for thermal desalination).

Chuck Hansen observed that history punishes those who come late, underlining the benefits of being the first-mover in commercialisation efforts. Dr Benedek shared that the first-mover advantage

HYDRO-GEN: PREPARING YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONALS FOR THE FUTURE Developed to nurture the next generation of water leaders and entrepreneurs, Hydro-Gen (short for ‘Hydro Generation’) at SIWW 2014 provided a series of engaging activities for young talent from around the world to expand their knowledge on water issues and hone their skills in related technologies. It consisted of two flagship initiatives – the Young Water Leaders Summit and HydroPreneur , SIWW’s first accelerator programme for water technologies.

YOUNG WATER LEADERS SUMMIT (YWLS) The inaugural Young Water Leaders Summit brought together approximately 100 participants under 35 years of age from over 30 countries. Designed to be a platform to groom water leaders for the future, the Summit provided a well-structured programme for participants to discuss solutions for problems with global peers at the Young Water Leaders Forum and interact with thought leaders at the Water Professionals Panel. Since the industry experts and decision-makers were also at hand at the Water Leaders Summit and Water Convention, the young professionals were able to widen their horizons with new insights into business and technical know-how. The Young Professionals Networking Reception helped in forming new contacts and learning about career opportunities.

“

Before attending this Summit, I had a relatively simple-minded take on how the mechanisms of water polices and methodologies operated but having heard from many leaders during the various dialogues, I came to realise that there are many factors that one needs to consider from a multifaceted perspective because the stakeholders of water involved are numerous

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Roundtable Discussion at the Young Water Leaders Forum.

“Before attending this Summit, I had a relatively simpleminded take on how the mechanisms of water polices and methodologies operated,” said Bradford Loh, a young delegate from the University of Cambridge. “But having heard from many leaders during the various dialogues, I came to realise that there are many factors that one needs to consider from a multifaceted perspective because the stakeholders of water involved are numerous”. The topics of water security for the future, water and sanitation, and water stewardship were discussed at three workshops which brought forth many interesting discussions. An important highlight for the youth was the dialogue session with Grace Fu, Singapore’s Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for the Foreign Affairs, where there was extensive interaction between her and young leaders during the Q&A session. Ms Fu shared Singapore’s experience in achieving water self-sufficiency through strong political will, integrated water management and implementation of innovative water technologies. She also encouraged the next generation of water leaders to play a role in fostering better understanding between different stakeholders and driving water consciousness in their own communities.

Dialogue session with Ms Grace Fu, Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for the Foreign Affairs of Singapore.

Fireside chat with Dr Andrew Benedek (left), Chairman and CEO of Anaergia Inc at HydroPitch Day.

“My participation in the YWLS during SIWW 2014 has not only widened and deepened my knowledge base in water and sanitation; it has also provided me with a platform for networking with my fellow young people as well the senior water leaders globally,” said Evans Tembo, the only participant from Zambia.

“We really came from nothing to understanding about how to set up a company,” said Lawrence Lin, who represented Hydro C.L.E.A.R during the pitch. Distinguished names joined in the judging of the teams, such as Dr Andrew Benedek, Chairman and CEO for Anaergia Inc and the first winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, as well as Lord Ronald Oxburgh, Member, House of Lords, United Kingdom.

HYDROPRENEUR PROGRAMME (HPP) Featured by the Wall Street Journal, the HydroPreneur Programme (HPP) helped over 50 aspiring global water entrepreneurs to develop water start-ups and commercialise their technologies through a 9-week industry-oriented training programme conducted in collaboration with internationally established accelerators – the National University of Singapore’s Lean LaunchPad and the Founder Institute. Of the 17 teams that participated in the programme, six were given the opportunity to promote innovative ideas to a select panel of water industry leaders, venture capitalists and potential investors on Hydro Pitch Day. Teams G-Sense, WateROAM, Distil, Ecosoftt, HydroC.L.E.A.R Tech and Orca took to the stage to present their potential products within three minutes, and were subjected to intense questioning by judges.

Orca’s full-face scuba mask with undersea communication, navigation and data processing capabilities bagged the ‘Most Disruptive Innovation’ award, while the team with the ‘Most Investment Potential’ was Hydro-C.L.E.A.R Tech, for their development of an organic material that can absorb oil/organic solvents up to 200 times its weight. The third HPP award, the ‘Rising Entrepreneur Star’, went to WateROAM and the team’s mobile filtration system based on ceramic membranes that offer a durable water supply for disaster survivors at a communal level. Mentors were on hand during the programme to guide the teams through the process. Nigel Wylie, Managing Director of Environmental Dynamics International Asia and founder and Director of Thrive Water, was one such mentor. “This is the first time I’ve seen a specific entrepreneur programme aimed at young people that deals with more than just tech funds,” he said.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organisers of the Singapore International Water Week 2014 would like to thank the chairpersons and speakers of the Water Leaders Summit, as well as all the delegates for their kind contributions and participation in the discussion sessions. We would also like to acknowledge the contributions from Sahana Singh, Editor, Asia Water Magazine, as well as Chong Su Li, Salman Arshad, Sallie Yaw, Marilyn Chew, Dessy Sukendar, Radhakrishnan Prakash and Udisha Saklani from the Institute of Water Policy (IWP).

IN CONVERSATION Moderator: Prof Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore; and Chairperson, Water Leaders Summit Speakers: • HE Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development • Mr Jean-Louis Chaussade, Chief Executive Officer, Suez Environnment Company • Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for National Development, Singapore

THE SINGAPORE WATER LECTURE Chairperson: Prof Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore Speaker: Ms Cathy Green, Board Member, Orange County Water District, Winner of Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2014

OPENING PLENARY “SHAPING OUR CITIES, WATER AND ENVIRONMENT FOR A LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE” Chairperson: Prof Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore; and Chairperson, Water Leaders Summit Speakers: • HE Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, China • The Honourable Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, Sri Lanka • The Right Honourable Greg Clark MP, Minister of State for Cities and Constitution, United Kingdom • Ms Helen Clark, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme • HE Kirsten Brosbøl, Minister for the Environment, Denmark • HE Melanie Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus, Minister for Infrastructure and Environment, The Netherlands • Mr Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development • HE Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, United Arab Emirates

THE WATER LEADERS ROUNDTABLE WATER FOR ALL: SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER FUTURE Chairperson: Prof Asit Biswas, Founder, Third World Centre for Water Management Speakers: • HE Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development • Dr Benedito Braga, President, World Water Council • HE Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, China • Dr Herbert Oberhänsli, Vice President, Economics and International Relations, Nestlé • Mr Patrick Decker, Chief Executive Officer & President, Xylem • Mr Tan Gee Paw, Chairman, PUB Singapore

WATER LEADERS DIALOGUE 1 BREAKING BOUNDARIES: DEVELOPING A BETTER WATER UTILITY Chairperson: Ms Cindy Wallis-Lage, President, Black & Veatch Water Speakers: • Dr Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, Deputy Governor for Planning and Development, Saline Water Conversion Corporation; and President, International Desalination Association • Dr Bindu Lohani, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, Asian Development Bank

WATER LEADERS DIALOGUE 2 FUTURE-PROOFING OUR CITIES Chairperson: Ms Lucia Cade, Market Sector Leader, Water, AECOM Speakers: • Mr Dang Lianwen, Commissioner, Songliao River Commission • Mr Greg Koch, Director, Global Water Stewardship, Coca-Cola • Dr Lee Jung-moo, Chairman, National Committee for the 7th World Water Forum • Mr Michel Jarraud, Chair, UN-Water

• Mr Chew Men Leong, then-Chief Executive, PUB Singapore

• Dr Peter Williams, Chief Technology Officer, Big Green Innovations, IBM

• HE Ek Sonn Chan, Secretary of State, Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, Cambodia

• Mr Steve Fludder, Chief Executive, Global Water and Energy, AECOM

• Ms Eleanor Allen, Global Business Line Director – Water, Arcadis

• Mr Tony Conway, Strategic Programmes Director, United Utilities

• Mr George Hawkins, General Manager, District of Columbia Water and Sewerage Authority

• Mr Wim Thomas, Chief Energy Adviser, Shell

• Mr James Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer, Sydney Water • Mr Martien den Blanken, Chief Executive Officer, PWN • Mr Mike Markus, General Manager, Orange County Water District • Mr Steve Edwards, Chairman , President and CEO, Black & Veatch • Mrs Sue Murphy, CEO, Water Corporation • Ms Usha Rao-Monari, Chief Executive Officer, Global Water Development Partners / Blackstone Portfolio Company

SPECIAL THANKS

ABOUT SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WATER WEEK

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform to share and cocreate innovative water solutions. Stakeholders from the global water industry gather at SIWW to share business opportunities and showcase the latest water technologies. SIWW is part of the strategic programme of the Singapore Government to grow the water industry and develop water technologies. The 6th Singapore International Water Week was held in conjunction with the 4th World Cities Summit and the 2nd CleanEnviro Summit Singapore, from 1–5 June 2014 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, in Singapore.

LEE KUAN YEW WATER PRIZE SPONSOR:

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NOTES

For general enquiries on SIWW, please contact: Mr Bernard Tan Managing Director Tel: +65 6731 3826 Email: info@siww.com.sg