Monday, March 24, 2008
Water me up baby!
Combating Water Woes (Focus: Singapore)
Water Issues in Singapore
Singapore: An independent republic
Location: South-East Asia (2nd smallest country in Asia)
Size: slightly bigger than Toronto
Population: 4,680,600
Natural resources: Not much
Industries: Service and high-tech manufacturing
Pulau Redang, Malaysia
Malaysia: God blessed this nation with... H20
Friendly neighbor right next door
Abundant of resources (land, water, natural beauty, beaches)
Current Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and Lee Hsien Loong with some durians (a tropical fruit)
Why can't we be friends
-
50% of Singapore's water supply comes from God
14 reservoirs to purify water
Seeks help from Malaysia
Two water agreements were signed in 1961 and 1962
Singapore built and maintains the waterworks in Johor (dams, pipelines, reservoirs)
Singapore has "the sole and absolute right" to a fixed amount of raw water until 2011 and 2061, respectively
Price of unprocessed raw water is RM$0.03 per 1, 000 gallons
RM$1 = CAD$ 0.322243
Singapore processes the raw water and sells back clean and safe, drinkable water to Malaysia for a low cost
Minister Mentor of Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew
Ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohammed
Bully, Bully
Malaysia constant threats to “turn off the taps”
Singapore retorts back with Military consequences
With the termination date of 2011, new water talks arises in 2003
Malaysia complains Singapore has been profiteering of them
Singapore complains Malaysia is jealous of our success and is being a bully
View of the Esplanade Arts Centre, Singapore
Applicable Theories
- Ronald Wright - progress trap
- Singapore's ambition is more than the society can handle?
- Singapore is heavily dependent on service industries (tourism, SIA etc) and high-tech manufacturing (pharmaceutical, computer parts etc)
- Singapore badly affected by Iraq war, SARS, terrorists
- Over-reliant on globalization
- Water Situation
- Ronald Wright's principles - primacy of environment over culture and technology
- Natural resources trump human culture
- Lack of water could inevitably destroy Singapore society as a whole
- Inevitability of violence - Singapore would attack Malaysia if they stop supplying water
- The “one global village” problem - Singapore's strong trade relation with the US irate Malaysia (The US is Singapore’s 2nd largest trading partner, while Singapore, in turn, is the 11th largest partner for the US)
- Without water, will lead to environmental and societal collapse
- McGuire's distinction of end of the world
- Without water, "whole sale" destruction of human life and plants
- Singapore as a society, country, economic power will be lost
- Asian cultures of family values will be destroyed
- Singapore would become inhabitable
- Unable to function as a society, Singapore would not be able to keep up with the other economies of the world
Pipes running from Malaysia to Singapore and vice versa
Waste not, want not
Singapore's solution
Lessen independence on Malaysia
desalination of sea water
the purification of waste water
enlarged water catchment area
Largest fountain in the world at Suntec City Convention Mall, Singapore (waste of water?)
Newater
Taste like chicken... NOT (Recycling waste)
Source: YOU!
Purification method of
Conventional water treatment process
Micro-filtration
Reverse osmosis
Ultraviolet disinfection
This method is common in Australia, few American cities, even in London as well
The Newater visitor center
Advantages of Newater
Cheaper than desalination
Not weather dependent (help countries facing droughts)
Sustainable and environmentally friendly
Effective waste management
Disadvantages of Newater
Psychological barrier
High costs
Water stress around the world
One out of six people lack access to safe drinking water (1.1 billion people)
Two out of six lack adequate sanitation (2.6 billion people)
Millions of people fall ill from water-borne diseases (diarrhoeal diseases, gastrointestinal
diseases etc)
Agricultural crisis
Environmental crisis (affects ecosystem etc)
Help save the world before it turns into
Funny joke between Malaysian and Singaporean
A Singaporean was on holiday in Malaysia. He was having his coffee, croissants, bread, butter & jam at the hotel’s coffee house. A Malaysian man who was chewing gum, sat down next to him and started a casual conversation.
Malaysian: “You Singaporeans eat the whole bread?”
Singaporean: “Of course.”
Malaysian: “We don’t. In Malaysia , we only eat what’s inside. The crusts we collect in a container, recycle it, transform them into croissants & sell them across to Singapore.”
The Malaysian then had a smirk on his face while the Singaporean listened in silence…
Malaysian: “Do you eat the jam with the bread?”
Singaporean: “Of course.”
Malaysian (chuckling): “We don’t. In Malaysia , we eat fresh fruit for breakfast, then we put all the peels, seeds & other left-overs in a container, recycle them, transform them into jam, before we sell it across to
Singapore.”
This time, the Singaporean retorted: “Do you have sex in Malaysia?”
Malaysian: “Why, of course we do.”
Singaporean: “Do you wear protection?”
Malaysian: “Of course! We wear condoms.”
Singaporean: “And what do you do with the condoms once you’ve used them?”
Malaysian: “Stupid question! Of course we throw them away.”
Singaporean: “We don’t. In Singapore, the government secretly puts them in a container, recycle them, melt them down into chewing gum & sell them across to Malaysia, and that’s the real reason why we banned chewing gum in Singapore!”
Bibliography
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw02/020128up.htm
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/latestdata.html
http://www.arts.ubc.ca/index.php?id=467&backPID=471&tt_news=110
http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php?id=25
http://www.science.org.au/nova/095/095print.htm
http://www.pub.gov.sg/NEWater_files/index.html
http://app.mfa.gov.sg/generator/asppages/washington/TradeServices.asp
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