SINGAPORE - More than 250 representatives from water industries around the world will gather here in June to discuss technological solutions to water challenges faced by countries in different parts of the globe.
Such issues, which span efforts to encourage innovation investment, reduce water consumption and improve processes to collect wastewater, are challenges faced by many cities and will be on the agenda at the upcoming event, national water agency PUB said on Wednesday at a media preview.
The inaugural Singapore International Water Week Technology and Innovation Summit, organised by national water agency PUB, will be held June 16 and 17 at the One Farrer Hotel.
It is a prelude to the Singapore International Water Week 2016 - a biennial event which gathers industry leaders to discuss, share and co-create water solutions. The outcomes of this year's summit will be compiled and used to shape content and discussions for the 2016 event.
The summit in June will have a strong focus on water technology and innovation in the industrial sector, a major water user. In Singapore, about 55 per cent of water demand comes from this sector. This has been projected to grow to 70 per cent by 2060, with the remaining 30 per cent coming from the domestic sector.
The summit in June will also bring together senior delegates from water and wastewater utilities, industrial water users, solution providers, research institutes, international organisations, investors and technology multipliers.
PUB chief executive Ng Joo Hee, who is also chairman of the summit, said: "Singapore is forced by our circumstance to find alternative ways to water sufficiency and sustainable water security.
"Our way of doing this is to think out of the box, to innovate and to try new ways. This is only possible because we have used our imagination, researching and testing continuously, and exploited technology to overcome our water challenges."
Singapore draws its water from four sources - collecting rain, treating wastewater, desalination and from Malaysia.
