The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, has produced this brief (14 page) Blue Paper: What Will Drive the Next Era of Water Managementt?
Here is some of what what Professor Tommy Koh said in his introductory message to the Blue Paper:
Having chaired the SIWW Water Leaders Summit (WLS) since 2008, I am always inspired by the insights and success stories shared. This year, we heard from His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, about the critical importance of multilateral cooperation in resolving our increasingly complex climate and water problems, and the 2018 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
Laureate Professor Rita Colwell’s pioneering research that has transformed water safety measures worldwide.
This edition further emphasised the need for political will and 4P - public-private-people partnership - in encouraging innovative solutions to our water issues. In addition, for the first time, our speakers at the Summit included a youth representative, Ms Maryam Farhanah. She reminded us that decision makers need to be brave, if true innovation is to be achieved in time to address current and future water challenges.
The Summit’s key discussion outcomes are captured in this Blue Paper, and I hope they will strengthen our determination to surmount our water difficulties.
Here is what Eco-Business said:
Countries will be confronted with an increasingly complex challenge over the next 15 years. Major risks such as poorly managed urbanisation, climate change, and unequal rather than inclusive growth in many societies, are converging and compounding one another.
They may also spread and become global issues, for instance, through forced migration. It is thus imperative for countries to resolve such problems by adapting innovations from multiple sources, including governments, companies, and civic society. Indeed, there is ample opportunity for countries to share solutions for a more sustainable environment, effective investments in human capital, and urban planning for more cohesive communities.
The 2018 Blue Paper highlights key discussions from the recent Singapore International Water Week, marking its 10 years of water excellence. It contains insights from global water leaders and experts on the circular economy, closed-water-energy-waste loops, water reuse, and digitalisation which hope to inform policy and business and catalyse action towards liveable, water-secure, and sustainable Asian cities of the future.
Sound like a lot of thought leaders!
Enjoy!
Tip of the Day: "Remember if you arrive at 6:00 am and leave at 5:00, no one will think you are working as hard as the person who arrives at 10:00 and leaves at 6:15." - @ass_deans
Comments