This June we were invited in Singapore for the International Water Week (SIWW). It was a special and inspiring week for World Waternet, joining like-minded water cycle peers from PUB (Public Utilities Board), Singapore’s National Water Agency. For over ten years, The Dutch and Singaporeans have been exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas on how to manage water in an increasingly urbanised and climate-impacted world.
Dare to Water Cycle, change the systems together
What stood out this year was how strongly the different conversations connected. Whether discussing blue-green infrastructure through the ABC Waters programme, designing water-resilient cities, strengthening utilities in Lao PDR, financing long-term water improvements, protecting catchments, or giving sanitation the attention it deserves, the same theme kept returning: healthy water cycles require us to connect systems that are too often managed separately.
"Every policy has to bend at the knee for our water survival"
These words were famously declared by Singapore's founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, at the 2008 Singapore International Water Week. It’s one of the ingredients of the success of Singapore’s water story to bring water into the core (building) infrastructure of its city. We witnessed this commitment in action during the Active Beautiful Clean (ABC) seminar.
ABC waters programme
At its core, ABC Waters promotes nature-based solutions and blue-green infrastructure that reimagine conventional drainage systems. Instead of viewing stormwater as a nuisance to remove as quickly as possible, it is treated as part of the natural water cycle that can be managed, stored, filtered, and integrated into urban life. Blue-green infrastructure helps reduce flood risks, improve water quality, moderate urban heat, increase biodiversity, and create attractive public spaces. With over 189 public and private housing development projects in the last twenty years ABC design principles put the water cycle at the epicenter of any project.
Technical visits during the World Cities Summit
This broader connection between water and urban development was also evident through discussions at the World Cities Summit and site visits such as Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, where Nature-based Solutions are used in the form of wetlands to cleanse the parks water before being reinfiltrated into Aquifers and even supply drinking water for local playgrounds (after additional UV treatment).
Projects like these demonstrate that healthy water cycles are shaped as much by decisions about land use, public space, governance, and community design as by utility operations. Water utilities have a critical role to play, but they cannot deliver water-sensitive cities in isolation. Collaboration across sectors remains essential.
Spotlighting the water cycle approach from source to tap and back to nature
A healthy water cycle connects every stage of the journey: source protection, water supply, urban use, wastewater management, stormwater management, and the return of water to the environment. Weaknesses in any part of the cycle eventually affect the whole system. World Waternet CEO, Frodo van Oostveen, COO, Peter Jansen and, Lao PDR Project Coordinator, Mick Morada took it upon themselves to present World Waternet’s projects and how they all fall into a bigger picture.
Upstream work in Kenya showcases the importance of involving communities in maintaining river health upstream. In Lao PDR we are taking our first steps into constructing a Water treatment plant together with Unicef, so now that the upstream water has been protected, we can capture it and treat it for consumption. Which takes us to our focus on Non-revenue Water and GIS, water needs to be delivered and delivered reliably, while avoiding leaks. Finally, in Jordan we use crucial infrastructure to handle waste water to Waste Water treatment plants and back into nature.
The right type of funder for the right kind of projects
Building healthy water cycles takes a lot of collaboration and careful planning. Projects need to go through scoping, feasibility studies, and pilots before they can be scaled. It should come as no surprise that each stage is a project in itself, but how do you access sustainable finance? Thankfully, we were given a masterclass on public and private financing from the World Bank, and got a sneak peek of their “Playbook Framework”.
Learning from the Singapore Water Centre model
The Singapore Water Centre, a centre of excellence established by the World Bank and the Singapore Government to strengthen and mobilise investment in the water sector, offered valuable inspiration for the future launch of a Netherlands Water Centre in 2027 and the continued growth of our network of hubs.
Water Authority Amstel, Gooi and Vecht join the Leading Utilities of the World
During SIWW, colleagues from Water Authority Amstel, Gooi and Vecht (AGV) officially joined the Leading Utilities of the World (LUOW) network. During the event, Managing Director Sander Mager and André Struker shared AGV’s experiences with nature-based solutions and decarbonisation, highlighting how the water board is working with natural systems while progressing towards climate neutrality. By both sharing and acquiring knowledge through international networks such as LUOW, AGV and World Waternet continue to strengthen their expertise, gain new perspectives, and develop solutions that create lasting impact at home and abroad.
