Singapore To Host High-Level International Water Meetings In June

Singapore - Singapore will play host to more than 20 high-level international meetings, forums, award ceremonies and workshops on the sidelines of Singapore International Water Week, the global event on water solutions that will be held here from 23 to 27 June 2008.

For the first time in Singapore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will be holding an international meeting on the fourth edition of its guidelines on drinking-water quality, from 19-23 June 2008. More than 20 WHO water quality experts will be in Singapore to review work for the 4th edition of the WHO guidelines on drinking-water quality, which will be used by both developing and developed countries worldwide as the basis for regulation and standard setting to ensure the safety of drinking water.

In its capacity as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, the Singapore Health Promotion Board is organising a sharing session on 23 June 2008, on "Healthy Cities for a Sustainable Future", to highlight the role governments and NGOs can play in building healthy communities.

"The Singapore International Water Week is attracting many top figures from governments, international organisations, NGOs, business and academia to our shores, so it presents the perfect opportunity for us to organise concurrent meetings for various international and regional leaders in the water industry. This is very much in line with our vision to make Singapore a global hydrohub, and for Singapore International Water Week to be the global platform for water solutions," said Mr Michael Toh, General Manager of Singapore International Water Week 2008.

Also being held for the first time in Singapore is a workshop on new concepts in the integrated management of the urban water cycle, jointly organised by the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Asian Development Bank and PUB, Singapore's national water agency. The workshop on 22 June 2008 will see participants from Asia-Pacific countries such as China, India, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. They will be introduced to state-of-the-art concepts in urban water management and the adaptation and transfer of technology and knowledge to regional mega-cities.

For the first time in Asia, the Global Water Research Coalition (GWRC) will be holding its twice-yearly Board of Directors Meeting in Singapore from 22 to 23 June 2008. Fifteen of the world's leading water research organisations will meet to update one another on projects in progress, and discuss new research ideas.

Two international award ceremonies will be held here as well.

The International Water Association (IWA) Project Innovation Awards, which celebrates excellence and innovation in water engineering projects worldwide, will take place on 26 June 2008. The programme runs on a two-year cycle with awards for regional projects given out at three regional forums (North America, Europe and East Asia & Pacific) and awards for global projects given out at the biennial IWA Congress (to be held in Vienna in September 2008). The ceremony in Singapore will present innovation awards for the East Asia & Pacific region.

The inaugural International Desalination Association (IDA) Fellowship award is the second award ceremony to be held on the sidelines of Water Week. The IDA Fellowship Scheme, which was established last year, aims to promote knowledge sharing through the attachment of professionals to major water companies. The value of the IDA Fellowship Award is US$10,000 and IDA has chosen PUB to be the first hosting agency for the inaugural IDA Fellowship Award. An IDA Fellow will be attached to spearhead a project involving desalination or water reuse. The selection committee has chosen two IDA Fellows this year. They are Mr Salah I. Al Khamis from the Saline Water Conversion Corp in Saudi Arabia, and Mr Jorge Arroyo from the Texas Water Development Board.

Three youth-focused events will take place as well. They are the inaugural Singapore Junior Water Prize (9 June 2008), a contest for students aged 15 to 20, the winners of which will be sent to an international event in Stockholm; the Symposium for Young Water Talents (23 June 2008), for graduate students doing water-related research; and the National Youth Achievement Awards / Gold Award Holders Alumni's 2nd Asia Pacific Youth Water Forum (24-26 June 2008), where 150 youth leaders from Singapore and 30 from the region will discuss sustainable water management and solutions.

Other international co-located events during Singapore International Water Week (23 to 27 June 2008) include:

• The South-east Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) Board of Directors Meeting. SEAWUN is non-governmental organisation with 56 members that include water utilities, water associations and consulting companies from across South-east Asia, and which aims to strengthen regional ties and improve performance in the water and sanitation sector.
• The Asia-Pacific Water Forum Governing Council (APWF), chaired by Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore's ambassador-at-large, will be holding its 3rd meeting. The APWF‘s goal is to contribute to sustainable water management in order to achieve the targets set out by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for the Asia-Pacific region.

For the full list of co-located events during the Singapore International Water Week, log on to http://www.siww.com.sg/aboutevent/colocatingevents.php.

More than 200 top policy makers, ministers, mayors, academics and decision-makers in the water industry and international organisations such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, will also be taking part in the Water Leaders Summit, one of the key components of Singapore International Water Week. Some 600 delegates will also attend the Water Convention, a scientific conference on technology and practical solutions in the water industry. In addition, more than 5,000 trade visitors are expected at the Water Expo, an event for buyers and sellers of water technologies and solutions.

SOURCE: Singapore International Water Week