Sustaining Access to Drinking Water Amid Climate Change at the COP29 Singapore Pavilion - Ms Grace Fu

Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, at Sustaining Access to Drinking Water Amid Climate Change at the COP29 Singapore Pavilion on 19 November 2024

Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning,

1 Welcome to the Singapore Panel on Sustaining Access to Drinking Water amid Climate Change. I am glad to see so many of us gathered here today.

2 The world faces a future of increasing water scarcity, with growing consequences for communities and countries everywhere. We are witnessing how extreme weather patterns, brought about by climate change, are intensifying the strain on our water resources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) expects 50% more people to live under water stress if average global temperatures rise by 2°C, rather than by 1.5°C. Beyond the impact on “blue water” in our rivers, lakes and reservoirs, the degradation of “green water” in our soils and plant life, and which circulates through the atmosphere and generates the rainfall we receive on land, is in itself a driver of climate change.

3 Water connects all countries and regions, through both the water we see and invisible atmospheric moisture flows, and its connection with climate and biodiversity. To tackle the issue of water security, we must recognise the water cycle as a global common good, and take concerted and collective action through multi-lateral mechanisms and cooperation between countries. We need to seek out opportunities and tap on one another’s strengths, such as in the areas of technology dissemination, partnership and collaboration, and demand management. Only then, can we effectively tackle our shared water security challenges. Let me say a little more about these three key areas.

4 Many of the technology solutions to address water security are within reach and already readily available. Mature and proven technologies have the potential for widespread scalability and adoption, allowing solutions to reach and impact large populations across the globe.

5 An area with great untapped potential is the recycling of used water.

6 Allow me to briefly share Singapore’s NEWater journey. Singapore is a small island city-state with limited natural water resources, and is amongst the most water-stressed countries in the world. As such, there was a need to strengthen our water security. More than fifty years ago, we began studying the feasibility of reclaiming used water. Back then, the technology was expensive and nascent. In the 1990s, advancements in membrane technologies brought down the cost of reclaiming used water. Armed with lessons on how water was recycled in the United States, along with decades of experimenting and innovating, we finally had a breakthrough in the early 2000s. Using advanced membrane technologies, we produced NEWater, a high-grade reclaimed water. It is so clean that it can be used for manufacturing processes that require water of high purity, like wafer fabrication. Today, a small amount of NEWater is also used to top up our reservoirs to supplement our potable water needs.

7 Even so, we continue to look for ways to improve through investments in technology. As part of Singapore’s voluntary commitments to the UN Water Action Agenda, we committed to further research and development into improving the energy efficiency of our weather-resilient water sources. For NEWater, we are working on improving recovery rates with the Flow-Reversal Technology in reverse osmosis membranes. This will allow us to produce more NEWater from the same amount of used water.

8 In order to reap the benefits of technology and ensure that solutions can go where they are needed, we must look at ways to strengthen collaboration and complement this with a strong policy foundation in demand management, for the sustainable development of water resources.

9 International collaboration can bring about better global water management. Earlier this year, we launched the Singapore Water Center, a partnership between Singapore and the World Bank. Established within the World Bank Group’s Singapore office, the Center will serve as a knowledge hub of Singapore’s experience in water management, ranging from water policies to technological and innovative practices for the water sector. Through the Center, we will support capacity building in water management and technologies in other countries. We explore opportunities for mutual learning. PUB renewed our MOU with the Philippines’ Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), which includes the exchange of knowledge, experiences and technologies in water management.

10 In the face of water scarcity, demand management is gaining importance in water management.

11 Fundamentally, we must price water to reflect its scarcity and ensure its efficient and equitable use by all. Coupled with targeted subsidies to ensure access by vulnerable communities, right pricing of water discourages excessive consumption and supports water-saving innovations. In Singapore, water is priced to reflect the cost of producing the next drop of water, which will be from NEWater and desalination. Right-pricing water has enabled us to invest, long-term, in water infrastructure, including plants and pipelines, to ensure a sustainable water supply.

12 As consumers, all of us, have to play a role of conserving water through our daily habits. It is important for governments to involve the industry and community in water conservation. In Singapore, we mark World Water Day with a month-long campaign on the theme of “Make Every Drop Count”, to rally the community and businesses in conserving water. To encourage and recognise leaders amongst organisations and businesses, we present the Singapore Watermark Awards, the highest accolade for those who demonstrate strong actions in water management and conservation. We have also imposed mandatory requirement on large water industrial users to recycle used industrial water.

13 I look forward to today’s panel, and believe that it will be one of many rich and engaging conversations that we will have on transforming water challenges into opportunities. Together, we can make great strides in securing our water future amid climate change. Thank you.