DPM Gan Kim Yong at the Singapore International Water Week 2026

Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations,

Honourable UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, Ministers, Colleagues, Friends,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning to all of you. Welcome to the 11th edition of the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW).

This year, we are very happy to have 2,000 delegates joining us, including 700 global leaders and 500 exhibiting companies, and a further 25,000 trade visitors who are expected to visit the show.

Over the next few days, the SIWW will feature more than 80 sessions, including roundtables and summits to discuss policies and strategies, workshops and forums to advance innovation, and the Water Expo to drive business partnerships.

More importantly, the Water Week is where ideas are translated into action. This year, we will see more than 50 product launches, 26 new project announcements, and 8 MOUs and contracts being signed.

This is an important and timely event, because water is fundamental to our economy, our society and our lives.

In a world facing climate change and greater uncertainty, water is also a matter of resilience.

Yet the global water situation remains deeply concerning. Earlier this year, a United Nations report warned that the world is entering an era of “global water bankruptcy”. Four billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month a year. Billions still lack safely managed drinking water and sanitation. Current agri-water management practices will also be insufficient to feed the world sustainably by 2050. Urbanisation and climate change are adding to the pressure.

For Singapore, these challenges are not just theoretical. We are a small island city-state with limited natural water resources. We have no large rivers or natural aquifers. Climate change will bring more dry and wet extremes – our dry months may become drier, and our rainy months wetter. In the longer term, if we do nothing, nearly a third of Singapore will be at risk of coastal flooding as sea level rises.

At the same time, our economy will continue to need more water as some of the fastest-growing sectors like semiconductor and data centres are water intensive. Our non-domestic sector is expected to account for two-thirds of future water demand by 2065, up from 55 per cent today.

So we must act with urgency. But we must also plan with foresight. Water infrastructure takes time to plan and build. Water technologies take time to develop and deploy. And no country can solve these challenges alone.

This morning, I will focus on three areas where we must make progress together: investment, innovation, and international cooperation.

Investment

First, investment.

Water security requires sustained, long-term investment. It is not something we can wait to build only when a crisis arrives. We must plan early, invest consistently, and implement across decades.

This has been Singapore’s approach.

Over the years, we have built up a diversified and resilient water supply system known as our Four National Taps: local catchment water, imported water, NEWater, and desalinated water.

This strategy has served us well, but we cannot be complacent. We need to continue investing in our water infrastructure to support a growing population and our economy.

Tengah Service Reservoir is a good example. Tengah is a new town in the west of Singapore. When completed, it will house around 42,000 new homes. It will be located near the Jurong Innovation District, an important node for advanced manufacturing and innovation.

To support this new town and the surrounding developments, we have recently completed the construction of Tengah Service Reservoir even before the town was fully completed. The planning for the service reservoir in fact started 10 years ago, back in 2016.

This is what long-term planning and investment means in practice. It is not only about expanding capacity. It is about building resilience ahead of demand, integrating water planning with urban and economic planning, and ensuring that future generations inherit systems that are robust and reliable.

The same principle applies today. We must plan and sustain investment over the long term. Water systems must be made more investable, scalable and resilient. Public funding will remain important. But the scale of the challenge means that we also need to mobilise private capital, strengthen institutions, and develop bankable projects that can deliver results at scale.

Innovation

Second, innovation.

For Singapore, innovation has been at the heart of our water journey. NEWater, desalination, used water treatment, intelligent water management systems – these solutions did not happen by chance. They were developed through sustained research, close partnerships between government, industry and academia, and a willingness to test, deploy and improve solutions in real-world situations.

This remains essential as our water challenges evolve.

In particular, we need better industrial water solutions. As wafer fabs, data centres and other high-value sectors expand, we must find ways to grow our economy while using water more efficiently and sustainably.

This is why Industrial Water Solutions is a major theme at this year’s Water Week.

I am pleased to announce that we will be awarding an initial funding of $12 million to support the research and development of Industrial Water Solutions under RIE2030. This initial funding will focus on two priority sectors that are critical to Singapore’s economy and among the most water-intensive – wafer fabrication and data centres. For wafer fabrication, the goal is to develop cost-effective treatment and recycling solutions. For data centres, we aim to enhance water efficiency without compromising energy efficiency. To do this, we will bring together trade associations, the Singapore Water Association, and research and development centres to develop, deploy and validate practical solutions.

This builds on our long-running investments in water research and innovation. Under RIE2025, we have already invested S$74 million to develop technologies in areas such as desalination and used water treatment. These investments have strengthened Singapore’s water innovation ecosystem and advanced our water technologies. Under RIE2030, we are building on this foundation. We have committed $85 million at the start of this tranche to develop and validate technologies across several key areas, including water treatment, desalination, managing contaminants of emerging concern, and sustainable solutions and operations.

Our aim is not only to meet Singapore’s own needs. We also want to develop solutions that can be applied in cities and industries around the world.

If we can help industrial users reduce, reuse and recycle water more effectively, this will support both economic growth and environmental sustainability.

International cooperation

Third, international cooperation.

Water challenges are a global concern, and the solutions we need – whether in financing, technology, governance or adaptation – require partnership. This is why platforms like SIWW matter. They allow us to bring together governments, cities, international organisations, businesses, researchers and investors to share ideas and build partnerships that span across borders.

This year, we are also placing stronger emphasis on climate adaptation, coastal protection and flood management. At SIWW 2024, we introduced a new programme pillar on climate adaptation, centred around coastal protection and flood management. This year, we are building on that momentum through platforms such as the Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit. The Summit will bring together global leaders to share successful strategies and co-create innovative solutions. This is important because many cities face similar risks. Around the world, coastal populations are exposed to more intense storms, rising sea levels, and greater flood risks. We can move faster and further if we learn from one another.

International cooperation is also needed to mobilise financing and strengthen delivery. The World Bank’s Water Forward programme is a good example. It brings together countries, financing institutions, technical agencies, philanthropies and private-sector leaders to move water from a source of risk to become a driver of jobs, growth and resilience.

Singapore is committed to doing our part. We will invest in our own resilience. We will support innovation and test-bedding. We will work with international partners and participate actively through platforms such as the UN Water Conference and the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resource Management to strengthen knowledge exchanges on water sustainability and to promote water resilience.

Conclusion

Water is more than just a resource. It is the foundation of life, and the bedrock of a sustainable future.

Let us make the best of the engagement opportunities at this week’s gathering to renew our resolve, deepen our partnerships, and turn ideas into action.

Together, we can better address the water challenges and build a more secure, sustainable and liveable future for all.

I wish all of you a fruitful Singapore International Water Week. Thank you very much.