NINETY-seven percent of the earth’s water is saltwater in oceans and seas. Of the 3% that is fresh water, only 1 percent is available for drinking- the remaining 2% is frozen in the polar ice caps.
Water is probably the most important substance on the planet – without it, we can’t survive. Due to a number of factors, including an increasing global population, changes to the way we live and work, and extreme weather events caused by global warming, our global supply of fresh water is being used up fast.
Singapore continues to be a model of effective water management as more and more countries begin experiencing water scarcity. Singapore is a small island. They do not have aquifers or groundwater. Rainfall is plentiful in Singapore, but without enough land to store water, it has almost exclusively relied on importing water from Malaysia to meet demand. Four water sources are imported water, water from local catchment areas, desalinated water, and NEWater (reclaimed water). Despite a continuing increase in population (now 5.4 million, but expected to increase to 6.9 million by 2030), Singapore is expected to become water-independent by 2060, a year before the expiration of its final water import treaty with Malaysia. By 2060, NEWater should supply as much as 55 percent of Singapore’s water demand. Desalinated water should contribute 25 percent, with the rest of the supply being met by reservoirs and imported water. Their key strategies are: Collect every drop of water, Reuse water endlessly, and Desalinate seawater. Singapore’s per capita household water consumption was reduced from 165 litres per day in 2003 to 143 litres in 2017. The target is to lower it to 130 liters by 2030.
