Water problems arising from climate change will be one of the key issues discussed at the fourth Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), which starts on Monday.
Organisers of the global water platform for policy-makers, industry leaders and water experts have decided to focus on the theme of “Sustainable Water Solutions for a Changing Urban Environment”.
And with climate change resulting in extreme weather conditions - severe flooding in some areas and drought in others - water solutions for affected regions will be highly sought after.
The four-day event will also feature water solutions for industries and innovations developed in Singapore, as well as the very first South East Asia Water Ministers Forum.
“The search for water solutions remains a challenge for many countries. The issues are growing to be more complicated, more complex - growing population, climate change,” SIWW 2011 managing director Michael Toh said yesterday.
“So this year, the water week has taken a broader approach; we’ll cover issues including climate change and some of the issues policy leaders would have to face in terms of public pressures, financial pressures.”
In conjunction with SIWW, the World Health Organisation will launch the fourth edition of guidelines for drinking-water quality - a set of international norms on water quality and human health used as the basis for regulation and standard setting in developing and developed countries.
Meanwhile, the authorities here will officially open the Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs, Singapore’s 16th and 17th reservoirs.
