They came from near and far Central America, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Central and North East Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.

WaterHub, PUB's centre for technology, learning and networking, continues to attract delegates from the world over. In the last year, it played host to more than 200 seminars, conferences and knowledge sharing sessions.

Making inroads in the region and Asia-Pacific markets, WaterHub has created new partnerships with the various nations that are all thirsting for more information on water.

With the water sector gaining more prominence in Singapore and overseas, WaterHub has held more than 400 training programmes and welcomed more than 12,000 local and international participants coming through its doors.

On the international front, delegates from India, China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were among those who learnt about Singapore's water management experience at WaterHub.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Singapore Co-operation Programme and the ASCI SUI International Training Programme in December 2006 received tremendous response and positive feedback.

"Our most successful programme is the Integrated Water Resource Management Programme which has seen more than 30,000 local and international delegates attending," said Mr Ng Han Tong, PUB's Director of Industry Development.

WaterHub also held several key water conferences and seminars such as the IWA Water Utility Leaders Forum in May 2006 and the Ultra Pure Water Conference in September 2006. These help to reinforce WaterHub's role as the nexus of knowledge sharing and industry networking.

More recently, the International Water Association set up its Regional Office at WaterHub. Siemens Water Technologies will also make WaterHub its home for its global R&D centre.

Moving forward, WaterHub will continue to reach out to the industry and research institutes through tie-ups with various universities and institutes of higher learning and other networking initiatives.

By LUANA CHOW