I hear that Singapore will also be organising its own international water conference next year.

Indeed, the first Singapore International Water Week in June 2008 will be a milestone for us, and will put us even more firmly on the international radar.

The Singapore International Water Week is a five-day international event which will provide opportunities for government officials, industry leaders and water specialists and practitioners to gather and discuss policies, business solutions and water technologies. Comprising the Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention and Water Expo, it culminates in the presentation of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, a prestigious international award to recognise outstanding contributions in solving water issues.

The theme of the inaugural Singapore International Water Week is Sustainable Water Solutions for Cities.

More than half of the world's population will be living in cities by 2008, which makes the need for sustainable water solutions more important than ever. Technology can help overcome many water challenges and continuous research and development work in water technologies is necessary to find new sustainable solutions to solve the world's water problems.

Through this theme at the Singapore International Water Week, we aim to stimulate discussions and knowledge transfer among industry leaders and practitioners by showcasing successful case studies and effective solutions.

In conjunction with Singapore International Water Week, the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize will also be presented. What is the thinking behind that?

We want to recognise individuals who have applied new and innovative breakthroughs in water technologies to solve water problems and implemented effective policies and management to significantly improve living conditions in the world. At the same time, what better way to pay tribute to our Minister Mentor, who showed tremendous vision in commissioning various water projects, including the Singapore River clean-up and the Marina Barrage.

As the chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize nominating committee, what sort of submissions do you hope to see?

Given the worldwide importance of water as a strategic resource, I hope to see submissions where proven policies, programmes or technologies have helped mankind in a big way. It is our wish that the first winner and all future winners of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize will inspire even more innovation to solve the world's water needs.

Nominees will go through a rigorous selection process. The nominating committee will evaluate the submissions in the first round and make recommendations to the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Council chaired by Dr Tony Tan. From there, the Prize Council will select one deserving winner.

We are grateful for the kind support of $1.5 million from the Singapore Millennium Foundation over the next five years for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize.

PUB itself has also won several accolades. How important is it to win?

We recently won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award, widely regarded as one of the highest accolades in the international water sector.

Last year, PUB was named the Water Agency of the Year 2006 in Dubai, the first awarded by Global Water Intelligence in its annual awards. PUB has also won various international engineering and communications awards, such as the 2005 and 2007 ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards for the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System and Marina Barrage respectively and the IWA Marketing and Communications Awards.

The importance is not in the winning itself, at least not in the `beating' of others. Accolades are important firstly because they are an objective assessment of how we have done. Secondly, they are a fantastic boost to staff morale. It is encouraging for our people to see that the work they do is recognised at an international level. And, of course, such awards also help to raise Singapore's profile as a hydrohub.

Just as important, I think, is the invitation we received to join the Global Water Research Coalition. We officially became a member on 4 May 2006. PUB is the first in Asia invited to join this coalition of 13 of the world's leading water research organisations to promote the advancement of water science. This is not a prize but it's definitely a kind of recognition, and it plugs us firmly into the highest echelons of the international R&D scene.

PUB's plate is very full. Are we biting off more than we can chew?

Are we aiming high? Yes - we always do. Developing a sustainable water supply for our country seemed like an insurmountable challenge many years ago. But Singapore knows from experience that with a can-do attitude, commitment and political will, ambitious targets can be reached.

With so many parties invested in strengthening Singapore as a global hydrohub, I think we are in for exciting times.

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