Water & Wastewater Asia January/February 2022

FROM THE EDITOR
ANOTHER START
Over the course of last year, the world
arguably experienced some of the most
immediate consequences it will encounter
in the face of climate change. For instance,
North America and Europe experienced
more intense heatwaves and wildfires
during summer. Particularly in Greenland,
rain, instead of snow, fell for the first time at
Greenland’s 3,200m high summit in August.
The effect of higher temperature brought
forth by global warming is poised to set
Greenland melt faster, contributing to rise in
sea level.
Closer to Asia, Taiwan concluded its worst
drought in 56 years in June. And in Henan,
China, the Chinese city received a year’s
worth of rain in just three days in what was
dubbed a “once in a thousand years’ flood
in July. Most recently, our neighbouring
Malaysia experienced heavy rainfall which
was followed by widespread flooding in eight
states across the country in December.
The World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO) highlighted that extreme weather
events are now the “new norm”, and some of
these actually bear the footprint of humaninduced
climate change, as WMO Secretary-
General Prof. Petteri Taalas, noted: “At the
current rate of increase in greenhouse gas
concentrations, we will see a temperature
increase by the end of this century far in
excess of the Paris Agreement targets of
1.5-2°C above pre-industrial levels.”
In this issue, we spoke with Eric Lai, regional
managing director, industry – Asia-Pacific
and country director for Singapore,
Grundfos, who described the recently
concluded COP26 as “a big step forward”
with several announcements surrounding
the importance on strengthening water
resilience and efficiency. One example
is the Reducing Water Footprint
Coalition, launched and led by the UK
government, which calls for nations and
non-state actors to make commitment
on accelerating research and how water
consumption can be reduced. To find out
more, flip to page 16.
And on page 40, Prakash Govindan,
COO of Gradiant, discussed more on the
growing importance for the water-intensive
semiconductor industry to embrace
sustainability in the supply chain. He
explained: “Freshwater scarcity poses a
major threat to economic growth, water
security, and sustainability for our future
generations.
“The challenge of providing adequate and
safe drinking water is further complicated
by climate change and the pressures of
economic development. These stresses
drive the need to make the most out of our
limited water supplies.”
A new year is just starting to unfold, and
plenty of opportunities and possibilities
awaits to be filled. And with the Lunar New
Year just around the corner, the Water
& Wastewater Asia team would like to
wish all our readers Gong Xi Fa Cai and a
progressive and prosperous 2022.
Cheers,
Josephine Tan
Published by
PABLO PUBLISHING & EXHIBITION PTE LTD
3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62,
#01-23 Link@AMK Singapore 569139
Tel: (65) 6266 5512
E-mail: info@pabloasia.com
Company Registration No: 200001473N
Singapore MICA (P) No: 102/12/2021
REGIONAL OFFICES (CHINA)
PABLO BEIJING
Tel: +86 10 6509 7728
Email: pablobeijing@163.com
PABLO SHANGHAI
Tel: +86 21 5238 9737
Email: pabloshanghai@163.net
All rights reserved. Views of writers do not necessarily reflect the views
of the Publisher and the Singapore Water Association. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without prior
permission in writing from the Publisher and copyright owner. Whilst every
care is taken to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication, the
Publisher accepts no liability for damages caused by misinterpretation
of information, expressed or implied, within the pages of the magazine.
All advertisements are accepted on the understanding that the Advertiser
is authorised to publish the contents of the advertisements, and in this
respect, the Advertiser shall indemnify the Publisher against all claims or
suits for libel, violation of right of privacy and copyright infringements.
Water & Wastewater Asia is a controlled-circulation bi-monthly magazine.
It is mailed free-of-charge to readers who meet a set of criteria. Paid
subscription is available to those who do not fit our terms of control. Please
refer to subscription form provided in the publication for more details.
Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd
PABLO SINGAPORE
William Pang • Publisher
williampang@pabloasia.com
Josephine Tan • Editor
josephine@pabloasia.com
Pang YanJun • Business Development Manager
yanjun@pabloasia.com
let's connect!
Goh Meng Yong • Graphic Designer
mengyong@pabloasia.com
Shu Ai LIng • Circulation Manager
circulation@pabloasia.com
PABLO BEIJING
Ellen Gao • General Manager
pablobeijing@163.com
PABLO SHANGHAI
Daisy Wang • Editor
pabloshanghai@163.net
@waterwastewaterasia
Water & Wastewater Asia
incorporates the official newsletter
of Singapore Water Association
4 WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022