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Curriculum Vitae for speakers at the 2009 Water Leaders Summit
Suntec City Convention Centre, Ballroom
23 -24 June 2009
“Sustainable Water Solutions for Cities: Sustainable Cities – Infrastructure and Technologies for Water”
| TIME |
PROGRAMME |
| Day 1: 23 Jun 09, Tuesday |
| 0830h |
Opening Performance |
| 0835h |
Welcome Address by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Singapore – Dr Yaacob Ibrahim |
| 0845h |
Welcome Remarks by
• International Desalination Association
• International Water Association |
| 0900h |
Ministerial Forum – A Global Water Perspective: Leadership and Opportunities
The Ministerial Forum is a platform for senior government representatives to share their views on water developments and issues the different regions are facing. The speakers will also share on how governments around the world have displayed nimbleness and agility in managing emerging challenges.
- Special Address by HRH Prince Willem Alexander, Prince of Orange,
The Netherlands
- Address by HE Dr Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hussayen,
Minister of Water & Electricity, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Address by HE Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Water Supply,
Sri Lanka (Invited)
- Address by HE General (Ret’d) Joginder Jaswant Singh,
Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, India |
| 1030h |
Tea Break |
| 1115h |
Plenary Session – Sustainable Water Solutions for Cities: Overcoming the Financial Crisis with Innovative Polices, Infrastructure and Technologies
Rapid urbanisation, increasing population and economic growth have brought about increasing demands for resources such as water. The challenges of these demands become even more acute and pressing when global events such as the recent financial crisis hit the world with unprecedented impacts.
The associated environmental and social impacts combined with climate change also pose many new challenges to the water futures of the world’s cities. Technology has improved remarkably, particularly in the field of membranes, to offer more alternative solutions to water difficulties. However, for many new technologies to be applied most effectively, careful infrastructural planning has to be undertaken from the early stages of urban planning.
Unfortunately for many developed and rapidly developing areas, there is neither time nor resources for a complete water infrastructural overhaul. Keynote speakers will address the role of the government in addressing water challenges amid other pressing societal issues, the role of the industry in bringing water solutions to fruition, and the role of international organisations in bridging differences to bring sustainable water solutions to the populations.
• Address by Summit Chairperson
- Prof Tommy Koh, Chair of the Asia Pacific Water Forum Governing Council and Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore
• Address by Keynote Speaker
- Mr Len Rodman, Chairman, President & CEO Black & Veatch
- Mr James W. Adams, Vice President (East Asia and Pacific), The World Bank
- Mr Yue Zhong Ming, President, Pearl River Water Resources Commission, China
• Q & A (50 mins) |
| 1245h |
Lunch (Networking Sessions) |
| 1400h |
The Second Singapore Water Lecture(45 mins lecture + 45 mins Q & A)
• By Winner of Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2009 – Prof Gatze Lettinga
• Chairperson : Prof Kishore Mahbubani, Dean,
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy |
| 1530h |
Tea Break (Networking Sessions)
(to be held at Water Expo)
End of Day 1 (Delegates can arrange individual networking sessions) |
| Evening |
Opening of Singapore’s Changi Water Reclamation Plant
(Special Event of SIWW 2009) |
| Day 2: 24 Jun 09, Wednesday |
| 0900h |
Roundtable 1 – Session - Seeing Light in the Cloud: Investment Opportunities Boosting Water Infrastructure
Investments in water and used water infrastructure have often taken a back-seat in government budgets and planning. There has been neglect in refurbishing ageing infrastructures, particularly the underground water mains and sewerage systems. Estimates worldwide on the investment required to address the backlog of urban refurbishments amount to trillions of dollars. Also, despite the long-term impacts on the natural environment and water resources, many countries and cities are facing the dilemma of having to prioritise more on social and economic challenges over environmental ones – which in time will most likely take even more resources to heal the damages.
Given the current challenging economic times, infrastructure projects are seen as the quickest and surest way to create employment for citizens. They are pitched as one of the key measures to tide countries and cities over the financial crisis that has affected virtually every part of the world. Riding on this trend, there will potentially be opportunities to increase focus and attention to improve on water and used water infrastructures around the world. Particularly, refurbishments of derelict water and used water networks present a huge pool of opportunities for priority investment. This is on top of the desalination and water reuse infrastructures, in which advancements have gained momentum. Both are now one of the world’s main supplies of drinking water offering reliability and portability around the world. Another silver lining is that the desalination sector has seen encouraging growth rates, which bring about a need to encourage and engage more people to enter this area.
Nevertheless, governments will need to continue to work even more closely with companies and organisations to ensure that the engineering and investment efficiencies in both new and existing infrastructures are improved. Value-for-money returns should also be passed on to the communities and users who will enjoy reasonable standards of clean water supply and sanitation, on par with the state of social and economic development.
This session aims to give a balanced view of the challenges and opportunities that have risen from the recent developments around the world. How the various sectors could come together, learning from past experiences and avoiding previous mistakes, while tapping on the opportunities that are now available. And ensure that both governments and the people obtain good value for money from future investments.
Roundtable 1 Chairperson
- Ms Lisa Henthorne, President IDA
Click here to download presentation
Speaker
- H.E. Loay Al-Musallam, CEO, National Water Company, Saudi Arabia
- Mr Tang Kin Fei, President, Singapore Water Association and Group President & CEO, Sembcorp Industries Ltd
- Mr Bernard Guirkinger, Senior Executive Vice President, Suez Environnement
- Prof Benedito Braga, Vice President, World Water Council and Director, Brazilian National Water Agency, Brazil
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| 1030h |
Tea Break (Networking Sessions) |
| 1115h |
Roundtable Session – Leveraging on Technology: Developing Cost-effective Water Innovations for the Long Term
In the last two decades, science and technology have altered the way water can be reclaimed – from the sea, land and waste. Advances in reverse osmosis and membrane technologies have made desalination, water recycling and other water purification techniques more affordable. These technological solutions have enabled many cities to grow amid scarce water resources.
Both government and private sector led financing are critical to catalyse the development of such water innovations to meet growing water supply needs. This is especially so as the world moves away from freshwater sources, and begins using desalination and water reuse to meet their drinking, agriculture or industrial needs. Nevertheless, for many emerging technologies, implementation comes at a high price. Successful implementations will need to overcome these costs and a reiterative process of innovation and improvement to bring these costs down even further for long-term sustainability.
The panel of speakers will touch on the relative impacts and outcomes of privately led versus government led or sponsored innovations, what the motivations behind developing these new technologies are, and how they can be applied to the unique circumstances that each country faces.
Chairperson
- Dr David Garman, President IWA
Click here to download presentation
Speaker
- Lord Ronald Oxburgh, UK
- Dr Andrew Benedek, Chairman & CEO, Benedek Group of Companies
- Mr Tom Searle, Group Chief Executive and President International, CH2MHill
- Prof Gatze Lettinga, the second Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize winner, The Netherlands
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| 1245h |
Closing Session
• Sum-up by Summit Chairperson
- Prof Tommy Koh
• Closing Remarks by Minister for the Environment & Water Resources
- Dr Yaccob Ibrahim |
| 1300h |
Lunch (Networking Sessions)
End of Water Leaders Summit |
| Evening |
Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Award Ceremony and Dinner |
As at 1 Jun 09
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