Article 2: Singapore
gearing up for increasing
water stress in Asia.
People affected by water
shortages
800 million Asians (According to statistics from
2000)
A billion more Asians by 2050 according to MIT academic journal, PLoS ONE
Causes of the water stress
Increasing
economy
Impact on society and politics
Overcrowding, foreign talent, immigrants, pressure on infrastructure,
racial/social tensions
Increasing population
size
Climate
change
Solutions
Technology: Researchers use computer simulations to identify which cause has
the greatest impact on SIngapore's water stress
4 main sources of water; local catchements, imported water, NEWater,
desalination
PUB
PUB will continue to develop new methods to minimise the cost and
energy consumption of water production while enhancing the resilence
of the water supply
PUB will encourage the public to save
water
Commercial water users that use 60,000 cubic m of water or more a year have to submit Water Efficiency Management
plans
Other countries
China
Main driver: Industrial growth
India
Population growth
Malaysia
Facing dry spells which emphasises
need to diversify water sources.
Issue
In 2060, water demand is expected to double: 430 million gallons a day
Lack natural freshwater sources and fossil fuel reserves