Understanding the value of water
Have Singapore's policies done enough to nurture a deep-seated culture of conservation and shape a population that truly appreciates the scarce resource?
Add BT as a preferred source
SINGAPORE faced its longest and worst dry spell in history in 2014. For two months starting in January, the island saw a severe dearth of rainfall (near-zero in February) and shrinking water bodies. A photo of a significantly dried up lake at the Botanic Gardens, published in a local newspaper, perfectly encapsulated the magnitude of the crisis.
Instead of saving water, Singaporeans' water consumption in fact increased by 5 per cent over the two months. Daily water use rose from an average of 400 million gallons to 420 million gallons - surpassing levels during 2013's worst haze episode. Following the drought, a poll of 701 people by The Straits Times revealed that 17.8 per cent of respondents had consumed more water as a result of the drought, while 62.5 per cent thought the drought made little difference to their water consumption.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan considered the possibility of conducting water rationing exercises to educate the public about the value of water, notwithstanding the current lack of operational need for such exercises.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
