Overcoming fate of a water-stressed country

LAST year, the World Resources Institute (WRI) ranked Singapore as one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. It thinks that, by 2040, Singapore would be one of eight countries most vulnerable to disruptions in water supply. Water planners in the national water agency PUB are not in the least surprised by this, although I suspect even well-informed readers of The Business Times may find the WRI's conclusion somewhat incredible. Certainly, most Singaporeans today would find the notion that our water taps could run dry to be an inconceivable one.

In reality though, no big city is ever self-sufficient in water. Every metropolis is compelled to bring water from without to quench the thirst of its citizens. The Romans built impressive aqueducts to feed their cities. New York City is famous for not having to filter its drinking water because city fathers had the foresight to buy and protect 5,000 sq km of unspoiled watershed in upstate New York. Hong Kong is dependent on mainland China for water, getting mos…