CLEAN WATER SUPPLIES TO SINGAPORE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

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CLEAN WATER SUPPLIES TO SINGAPORE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

• 
  KOG Yue Choong
  

EAST WEST ENGRG CONSULTANTS NATIONAL UNIVERSI
TY OF SINGAPORE
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INTRODUCTION

• Most SE Asian countries struggle to clean up
  their major rivers polluted by industries and
  households because of inadequate infrastructure
  
• Despite globalization, the ownership and
  management of natural resources remains a
  strictly national concern
  
• Singapore needs resources of many times its size
  for food, water and energy to sustain its people
  and economy
  
• Sharing of water resources is a source of tension
  between Singapore and its neighbours Malaysia and
  Indonesia.

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FUTURE WATER CRISIS?

• Many signs
• 1. 1 available while current use more than half
  of the available quantity and by 2025 three times
  the current supply expected to be needed
  
• 2. Mismanagement of water resources, high UFW
• 3. Excessive ground water withdrawals
• 4. Fertilizers and pesticides pollute rivers and
  lakes, e.g. Cambodia
  
• 5. Rapid urbanization results in polluted water
  because of lack of waste disposal, e.g. SE Asia
  
• 6. Global warming lakes and reservoirs submerge
  by rising water levels
  
• 7. Industrial waste pollutes rivers, e.g. China
• 8. Paleoclimatologists last 140 yrs very wet
  periods compared to the last 4000 years what if
  normalcy returns?

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FUTURE WATER CRISIS?

• World Bank estimated that 1 person out of 3 will
  have poor access to clean water by 2025 unless
  governments invest more in water supply systems
  
• Asia has the lowest per capita availability
• Per capital availability in Asia declined by 50
  between 1955 and 1990
  
• 21st century water replaces oil as source of
  geopolitical tension and determines power or
  decline. Countries with a well-developed water
  infrastructure and low operation costs have
  competitive edge.

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WATER SUPPLIES AS A SECURITY ISSUE

• Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman
  informed the British High Commissioner Anthony
  Head of possibility of turning off the water
  supply to Singapore in Johor.
• Lee, Singapores first PM, threatened his
  Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir, to send the
  Armed Forces to Johor to restore water supply
  
• Indonesian PM Wahid told Mahathir that Indonesia
  and Malaysia had thought of jointly withholding
  Singapores water supply.
  

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MANAGING SINGAPORE WATER DEMAND

• Education and persuasion
• Pricing and fiscal incentives
• Legislative and administrative control
• Improvement in water distribution system
• Per capita consumption reduced from the peak of
  142 m3 in 1997 to 107 m3 in 2003
  
• Singapores annual water consumption of 0.5
  billion m3 per yr (1.2 million m3 daily)
  increases with approximately 4 annually (half of
  the supply from Singapore and half from Johor).
• Total storage capacity of 14 reservoirs in
  Singapore and Johor is 142 million m3 (4 mths
  supply) and 788 million m3 (1.5 yrs supply)
  respectively.

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PROCURING SINGAPORE WATER SUPPLIES

• Singapore suffers from scarcity of water annual
  per capita internal renewable water resources
  only 172 m3
  
• From 1965-2003, Singapore spent US2 billion to
  dam 7 rivers and develop the Bedok and Lower
  Seletar Scheme SE Asia 1st urban storm water
  collection system
• Half of Singapore is catchment. On completion of
  the Marina Barrage scheme in 2007, two-third will
  be catchment
  
• Under the 1961 and 1962, the Johor River Water
  Agreement which will expire in 2011 and 2061,
  Singapore can draw from the Johor 0.4 million m3
  and 1.15 million m3 a day respectively.

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PROCURING SINGAPORE WATER SUPPLIES

• Water agreement with Indonesia on the supply of a
  daily 4.5 million m3 from Riau in 1991. Also
  identification of the Sungei Kampar in West
  Sumatra to supply water to Riau in 1992. A
  subsequent study concluded that infrastructure
  costs of water transport to Singapore are high.
• Projected demand for a population of 7 million in
  2061 is 4 million m3 daily
  
• Singapore has yet to secure Malaysian agreement
  for a new 100 yrs water agreement after 2061
  because Malaysia cannot commit itself in view of
  increased water demand, pollution and
  urbanization
• Sensitive issue for some Malaysians
• Singapore needs to resolve this because of the
  long lead time of alternative sources.
  

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SECURING SINGAPOREs WATER SUPPLIES

• Water supplies to Singapore must be secured by
  reducing level of dependency
  
• 3 desalination plants by 2011 with 1st plant
  operational in 2005 with a capacity of 0.14
  million m3 daily. 0. 4 million m3 a day by
  2010/2011
• 1 water plant of treated used water (NEWater
  plant) of 0.01 million m3 a day operational since
  2000. 2 NEWater plants each with 0.023 million m3
  daily operational in 2002. By 2010, NEWater 0.2
  million m3 daily.
• Urban storm collection scheme duplicated in other
  areas. Infrastructure in place, operation ready
  but not operated at full capacity when cheaper
  sources are available.

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SECURING SINGAPOREs WATER SUPPLIES

• Explore use of tankers to transport fresh water
  from water rich countries such as Laos and Papua
  New Guinea. Singapore can be a trading hub for
  water like oil
• Identify appropriate use for more polluted
  surface runoff not collected by storm collection
  system or treated effluent from sewage treatment
  works. At worst, this is the contingency plan in
  case of emergency
• From security viewpoint, totally self-sufficient
  in water crisis. From economic competitiveness
  viewpoint, the least expensive water supply
  system. Singapore must maintain political
  environment in SE Asia receptive for sharing of
  water.

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CONCLUSION

• With technology, water should be secured to
  eventually become a pecuniary issue by
  desalinating/recycling water or buying water from
  Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries
• If Singapore can be impervious to Malaysias
  threat to cut off water supply, water could end
  to be a contentious issue in Singapore-Malaysia
  relations
• The securing of water widens policy options,
  makes negotiation possible, contributes to
  reduction of threat perception and may bring a
  diplomatic resolution to difficulties
• Ample political will and rationality of the
  national leadership of Singapore and Malaysia to
  resolve water issue