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Dr Yaacob Ibrahim
Minister for the Environment
and Water Resources |
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Ensuring water sustainability is crucial to Singapore's
success. Today, we have developed a diversified and
robust supply of water through the Four National Taps,
namely water from local catchments, imported water,
NEWater and desalinated water.
However, as water is a strategic resource, we cannot
just sit back and pat ourselves on the back. There is a
projected increase in industrial activities and Singapore's
population is expected to grow from today's five million.
With water demand expected to double in the long
term, we have to plan ahead to meet this growing need.
This is especially so since years of careful planning
and execution, besides investments in research and
development, are needed to create new sources of water
and more efficient treatment processes.
Through technology, we will have the potential to increase
our water catchment to 90% of Singapore's land area.
Given the limits to further increase our land area, we will
also have to concurrently grow other sources of water. In
the long term, we plan for NEWater and desalinated water
to be able to meet 50% and 30% of our future water needs
respectively. With this build up, when the second of our
Water Agreements to import water expires in 2061, we
can be self-sufficient if necessary.
Developing and tapping on these additional sources of
water will incur higher costs. Hence, all of us will need
to use water wisely to help manage water demand. I also
urge everyone to keep our waters clean, so that all of us
can enjoy an enhanced living environment as our rivers
and reservoirs are revitalised under the Active, Beautiful,
Clean Waters programme.
Through this document, I hope fellow Singaporeans and
residents can better understand the comprehensive plan
to ensure that Singapore has sufficient water in the next
50 years and beyond. With our collective efforts, future
generations will continue to have access to an adequate
and affordable supply of water. |
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