The NTU-MSU International Workshop and Conference on The Economics and Policy of Water and the Environment in Singapore (Fri-Sat, 29-30 June 2012 at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel) will bring together scholars and practitioners from economics, social sciences, engineering, and the life sciences, as well as delegates from government and the private sector, to achieve the following objectives: (1) define and present updated information about major water-related challenges to global sustainable development; (2) establish an agenda for the critical interdisciplinary research projects needed to address these water challenges; and (3) foster and support the establishment of multidisciplinary and international project teams to begin jointly undertaking water-related research and projects in these areas.
Water may soon become the scarcest natural resource on the planet, because we face growing challenges related to both water quantity and quality. Academic researchers, private sector practitioners and governments throughout the world have accumulated a rich body of knowledge in studying and responding to these water-related challenges. And Singapore, both on its own and as part of a larger regional community, is well acquainted with the importance of assuring adequate and sustainable supplies of water. Given the long term and essential role that water plays for human and ecosystem health, and global economic growth and development, conferences such as this one will be increasingly important to evaluate what we have learned, assess future research and policy needs, and help establish interdisciplinary working groups.