Have you ever wondered which country in the world gets the most rain? And no, before you get ahead
of yourself, this time the answer has absolutely nothing to do with the title of this video?
The country where it rains the most on the whole planet is none other than Colombia.
But no, this video is not about the land of coffee and Shakira.
So despite not being number one on this particular list, our protagonist today,
Singapore, is still one of the leaders in this world ranking. Specifically,
it occupies the fourteenth place with about 95 inches or 2,400 mm per year of average rainfall.
Given that fact, the first thing we might imagine is that Singapore
has plenty of water, right? Well, no, or at least, not exactly. The truth is that
despite being one of the rainiest countries on the planet, it suffers from water shortages.
So the two key questions that come up here are:
How on earth is it possible that they suffer water shortages with
all that rainfall and being as small as they are? What has Singapore done
so far and what does it intend to do to tackle this problem?
Do you remember the video we made about Israel and the miracle of water? Well,
pay attention because the city of Merlion does not want to be left behind.
Let’s go.
Singapore is a truly fascinating country. A place we love talking about on VisualPolitik.
Now, while we normally cover issues like legal security, the economic model or even
military defense, this time we're going to take a look at a radically different topic: water.
I know, I know, I am sure that at this very moment many of you are wondering,
but [host], what the hell does water have to do with politics? Which, after all,
is what this channel is supposed to be all about.
Well, you know what? The truth is that it has a lot to do with it,
much more than you might think at first.
You see, although Singapore is one of the countries where it rains the most
in the world, the problem is that it is also one of the most densely populated.
With about five and a half million inhabitants in an area of just over 270 square miles,
that’s 700 square kilometers, there is not enough space to store the
fresh water that falls in the form of rain. It would be hard to imagine,
for example, a massive reservoir in the middle of the city. Surely not possible.
In total, this city-State has 17 water catchment reservoirs, but, not surprisingly, most of them
are very small and are not able to meet the enormous demand for water that this city has. It
is precisely for this reason that water management has become a key issue in the country's politics.
In fact, Singapore is considered one of the most water-stressed countries in the world,
this time ranking first in the list of the 33 countries at extreme risk of water stress by 2040.
Of course, thanks to its economic prosperity,
the city is growing steadily, and with it the demand for water. Take a look.
Of course, it's not just about population. Despite being an eminently urban nation,
more than 55% of all water demand comes from economic activity, not from households.
A percentage that is expected to increase to 70% by the year 2060:
I have already told you that Singapore is growing all the time! Industry,
tourism, even agricultural experiments that we covered in a past video here on VisualPolitik.
So with all this in mind, the question then becomes:
How on earth can water supply be guaranteed in a country with a territory increasingly
under pressure from the growing needs of housing, industries, hotels and businesses of all kinds?
What plan do they have up their sleeves in one of the wealthiest
and most prosperous territories in the world?
Well, let's take a look.
(WATER IS ALSO POLITICAL)
As I have already mentioned, the city of the Merlion – the lion with the body of a fish – is
one of the most urbanized, densely populated and most water-dependent places in the world.
The capacity to build infrastructure is limited
in theory. It is basically a question of square footage.
That is why about half of all the water consumed in the country is
imported from its nearest neighbor, Malaysia.
Well, as it happens,
this is where all the fuss comes in. The pure and simple politicking of the whole matter.
Because, VisualPolitik fans, the water supply in this city-State depends today
primarily on a long-standing and well-negotiated agreement on the part of Singapore. An agreement
with the authorities of the State of Johor that the Malaysian government does not like at all.
Thanks to the agreement with the State of Johor, Singapore operates a dam
that currently allows it to import about 198 million gallons or
900 million liters of untreated water per day from the neighboring country.
The problem for the Malaysians is the price: the Singaporean and Johor State authorities
agreed on a compensation for the extracted water of 3 Malaysian sen per 1,000 gallons,
which is equivalent to about 0.007 US dollars per 3,785 liters of water.
The reason the price is so derisory is that it cannot be changed unilaterally. The agreement,
which came into force in 1962 and is valid for 99 years,
establishes that the price cannot be modified after the first 25 years. In other words,
the price since 1987 has remained unchanged. But that's not all. The agreement includes a
clause that obliges Singapore to sell back to Johor up to 2% of the water it imports
after being treated and being made safe for drinking, at a price of 50 sen per 1,000 gallons.
In other words, Singapore imports 1,000 gallons of untreated water at 3 sen,
and sells 1,000 gallons of treated water at 50 sen.
In addition, the agreement did not provide for any kind of price revision based on
inflation or anything like that. A good deal for Singapore, don't you think?
(Singapore 'clear, consistent' in position that Malaysia has lost
right to review water price under 1962 agreement – The Straits Times)
So as you can imagine, all this is something that has generated enormous frustration for Malaysia.
Hardly surprising when the deal effectively means giving away their water to Singapore. So there
has been a lot of back-and-forth and diplomatic conflict between the two countries over water.
And of course, that's what explains news headlines like this:
(June 2018 – Mahathir revives water dispute with Singapore, calls 1962 deal 'ridiculous' – Today)
But, now hold on a minute, the agreement is not forever.
As we have told you, it has a duration of 99 years, which means that in 2061,
Singapore will lose its right to import water under such advantageous conditions.
What’s more, as we’ve already explained in a past video,
Singapore has a fortress mentality. So they don't want to be so dependent on a third country for
something so vital. They consider it a strategic weakness. Almost a national security problem.
And yes, I know, the year 2061 is still
some time away, but do you know what? In Singapore, they're already preparing.
We've told you about this in a lot of videos. These people like to be cautious.
So, no sooner said than done. The Singaporean government has set itself
the fundamental goal of achieving water self-sufficiency by 2060 at the latest.
This is a gigantic challenge for which the city-State has launched a plan that
combines the reduction of consumption, the use of every last drop and, of course,
the ability to produce clean water on its own.
To achieve an abundant, economical and potentially unlimited supply of fresh water.
Want to know how they hope to achieve this? Well... check it out.
(THE FOUR TAPS OF SINGAPORE)
As I told you at the beginning, despite the fact that rainfall in Singapore is very abundant,
the problem is that they have no usable groundwater and no large bodies of freshwater
available. It goes without saying that there is no room for large reservoirs.
In order to solve this problem, current water management is based on what has been
baptized as "the four national taps", that is, the country's four major water sources.
The first of these is precisely the one based on the collection of water
from local basins to feed a network of micro-reservoirs and reservoirs.
In order to enhance this source of water, as early as 1972,
Singapore promoted the so-called Water Master Plan. This plan consisted of identifying all
possible catchment areas and reservoirs to collect rainwater and use them in the water supply system.
Thanks to this plan, new reservoirs were created, bringing the total number of reservoirs to 17.
Among them is a large urban reservoir that bathes the heart of the city-state, including
its most famous landmark, Marina Bay. Yes, that’s right. Surprising as it may
sound, since 2008 that huge lagoon, Singapore's historic signature bay,
the place where the Merlion spurts its water, has been converted into a freshwater reservoir.
We have already explained the second national tap: water imported from Malaysia. A source
that is expected to run dry in 2061. And finally, in third and fourth place are
NEWater and desalinated water respectively. And, take note, because these two domestic sources
are most interesting and the key to achieving water self-sufficiency. Especially NEWater.
NEWater is one of the most advanced reclaimed or recycled water systems
in the world, and Singapore's main bet for achieving water self-sufficiency.
It consists of a four-barrier filtration system that converts wastewater, that is,
water that has already been used, into potable water. First the water goes through
a conventional purification treatment, then it passes through a second stage
consisting of a micro and ultrafiltration system through extremely fine membranes.
The third stage consists of reverse osmosis,
a pressurized purification system that removes unwanted molecules,
ions, large particles and salts and minerals that you don't want to be there.
And finally, as a fourth barrier, ultraviolet rays are applied to disinfect the water of
bacteria. It
sounds like a complex system, but in reality it is not so complex. Singapore already has five NEWater
plants dedicated to wastewater reclamation, and a sixth will be operational by 2025.
And okay, I'm sure you're wondering... but is this water safe to drink?
Well, yes, the answer is yes. It is water that is perfectly acceptable for human consumption.
In fact, the NEWater process has passed more than 150,000
scientific tests that have led to its approval by the World Health
Organization and its qualification as "ultra-clean" safe drinking water.
Despite this, and I suppose as a matter of misgivings – don't tell me you wouldn't have them
– NEWater water is usually supplied separately mainly for industrial and commercial uses,
or for things like industrial-size air-conditioning cooling systems.
[Because yes, in Singapore, air conditioning is a critical appliance].
But hold on, wait a minute because that is slowly changing.
Some of this water is used to supplement the domestic drinking water supply. How? Well,
some of it is pumped and mixed with water from reservoirs for domestic consumption.
And, of course, given the existing limitations,
water pumped by NEWater for domestic consumption is becoming more and more significant. In fact,
it is expected to account for more than half of all water consumption by 2060.
Not even Israel has come that far yet.
And then, finally, we would have desalinated water. This fourth
national source is not so new. It has been around for a long time,
Singapore currently has four desalination plants that are
capable of meeting a high percentage of the water demand. So much so that by 2060,
desalinated water is expected to supply up to 30% of the national demand.
This, added to the water coming from the NEWater plants, is expected to guarantee
up to 85% of the national water consumption, allowing,
in addition, to have significant fresh water reserves in the main storage network.
Isn't that incredible?
Of course, if we consider both the cases of Israel and Singapore,
it seems that when we talk about water scarcity, what we really mean is water mismanagement.
The fact is that this plan is how Singapore hopes to achieve self-sufficiency by the year 2061,
when the contract to import water from Malaysia
expires. At that time it is expected that the four domestic taps will become three.
Obviously this plan entails a gargantuan effort
and significant investments, which are of course not free.
(Singapore to raise water price by 30% over two years – The Business Times)
On the other hand, in the near future, Singapore may become an
important exporter of water management and water treatment technologies. Just
think what these techniques would mean in countries like Saudi Arabia,
Qatar or even in a place with such disastrous water management as India.
And what can I say, if anyone knows how to make money, it is precisely the people of Singapore,
right? Money in exchange for prosperity and fresh water for all.
But having come this far, it's your turn:
Do you think that technological advances will solve the world's water problems in the future,
and with them the possible political challenges that may
arise? Will Singapore's technology mean the end of water scarcity?
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