This annual meeting brings together ministers, mayors, top government officials, global water industry leaders, heads of international organisations, leading researchers and practitioners to consider pressing water governance, technology and business issues. By invitation only, this event targets 200 to 300 distinguished participants.

To be chaired by Professor Tommy Koh – Chairperson of the Asia Pacific Water Forum Governing Council and Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore – Water Leaders Summit 2009 promises to exceed expectations, with a special focus on technology and infrastructure. The winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2009, Prof Gatze Lettinga will also deliver the acclaimed Singapore Water Lecture.

This Summit will review old assumptions and generate bold ideas, all of which will be subsequently documented in the Blue Paper– a synthesis of the Summit's outcomes.

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 from the perspectives of the different regions. The speakers will also share on how governments around the world have displayed nimbleness and agility in managing emerging challenges.

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 no such luxury of time and resources for a complete water infrastructural overhaul.

The keynote speakers at the plenary forum will address the role of the government in addressing water challenges amidst other pressing societal issues, the role of the industry in bringing water solutions to the reality and the role of international organisations in bridging the differences to common goal bringing sustainable water solutions to the populations.

Roundtable Session –
Seeing Light in the Cloud: Investment Opportunities Boosting Water Infrastructure
Investments in water and used water infrastructure have often taken a backseat in government budgets and planning. There has been neglect in refurbishing ageing infrastructures, particularly the underground water mains and sewerage systems, It is estimated that worldwide investment required to address the backlog of urban refurbishment amounts to trillions of dollars. Also, despite the long-term impacts on the natural environment and water resources, many countries and cities are faced with the dilemma of having to put social and economic challenges before the longer term environmental issues - which in time to come would take even more resources to heal the damages.

Given the current economic climate, infrastructure projects are seen as the quick and surest way to create employment for the citizens. It is also 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 the water and used water infrastructure around the world. In particular, refurbishments of derelict water and used water networks present a huge pool of opportunities for priority investment. This is of course on top of the desalination and water reuse infrastructure which advancements have gained momentum for it to be one of the world’s main supplies of drinking water with its reliability and portability around the world.  Another silver lining is that the desalination sector has seen encouraging growth rates and there is in fact 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 infrastructure 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, in par with the state of social and economic development.

This session attempts to give a balanced view of the challenges and opportunities that have arisen from the recent developments around the world. How could the various sectors come together, learning from past experiences and avoiding previous mistakes, to tap on the opportunities that are now available and ensure that both the governments and the communities obtain good value for money from the investments which will have to be paid for in years to come?

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, from the land and from 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 even though their water resources are scarce.

Both government-led and private sector-led financing are critical to catalyse the development of such innovative water technologies to meet the growing water supply needs. This is especially so when the world moves away from freshwater sources, and begins using desalination and water reuse to meet their water needs, whether for drinking, agriculture or industrial applications. Nevertheless, for many emerging technologies, implementation comes at a high cost. Successful implementations require overcoming these costs and a reiterative process of innovation and improvements to bring these costs down even further for long-term sustainability.

The panel of speakers will touch on the relative impacts and outcomes of Government, Corporation, Society partnerships on developing innovation, what are the motivations behind developing these new technologies, and how they can be applied to the unique circumstances that each country faces.

The Water Leaders Summit is supported by the International Desalination Association and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Jointly organised by: