Yugal K. Joshi

Water Demand Management in Singapore: Involving the Public

Water demand management requires the implementation of instruments and strategies that consider pricing, mandatory water conservation requirements and the engagement of the public and private sectors as well as of the society at large. In the case of Singapore, water is treated as an economic good. It is priced to recover the full costs of production and to reflect the scarcity of the resource and the high cost of developing additional water sources. Within a framework for water conservation, public education, information and awareness instruments have played a very important part in making the public appreciate the importance of conserving the resource. This paper analyses the water demand strategies that have been developed in the city-state, with emphasis on education efforts and on the results obtained in terms of water conservation. Lessons learnt from this study can provide very useful experiences for cities in developed and developing countries on the type of policies that could be successful in reducing consumption as well as in providing alternative supplies of water for both the domestic and the industrial sectors They also provide useful insights on the different ways to make the public realise the importance of using water sustainably for its long-term conservation even when immediate access to clean water may not be an issue.

Cleaning of the Singapore River and Kallang Basin in Singapore: Economic, Social, and Environmental Dimensions

By 1977, decades of development and inadequate long-term planning in Singapore had resulted in heavy pollution in the waterways of the city-state, threatening its very survival. This paper analyzes the strategies for cleaning the Singapore River and Kallang Basin as part of an overall development plan which aimed at sustained growth. It also analyzes the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of these strategies not only to improve the conditions of the rivers and their surroundings, but also to develop the city-state, provide its population with an improved quality of life, including a clean environment, and most importantly, propel Singapore towards the path to sustainability and economic prosperity.

Water quality management in Singapore: the role of institutions, laws and regulations

Abstract The paper analyses the legal and regulatory instruments for water quality management that have been set in place in Singapore for control of water pollution, and their evolution since the time of independence in 1965. The role of institutions in the strict implementation of the laws and regulations is also discussed, with special emphasis on the efficient inter-institutional coordination machinery that has made it possible. The analyses show that overall long-term planning and policy-making and a strong political will have been instrumental to give all aspects of water management high priority in the national agenda, thus directly supporting urban, industrial and commercial growth. Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Water Resources Management and Governance as Part of an Overall Framework for Growth and Development

Singapore has recognized the importance of universal principles and paradigms in the management of water resources whilst also acknowledging that they do not automatically lead to improvement unless there is a strong emphasis on policy and programme implementation. As a result, the city-state has developed a comprehensive, holistic vision for the overall management of its water resources, making them essential elements for overall development, economic growth and national security. This paper discusses the city-state’s long-term, comprehensive water resources strategies including their policy-making, planning, management, governance and development. It also argues that Singapore is one of the very few countries, if not the only one, that has developed its water policies as part of the overall development goals of the city-state. Keywords: Singapore, water resources, governance, management, development.

A Test to the Moga Community of Interests

Over the years, the consistent transparent, predictable and reliable business case Nestle has followed in Moga has made the villagers trust the company. It has also made many of them loyal suppliers. As one farmer who was interviewed for this study said, “loyalty and trust have to be a two ways street”. Trust lies at the core of the community of interests Nestle has established with Moga’s farmers. This trust and staunchness in the company can be best indicated by considering what transpired during the decade-long period of terrorism in Punjab, from 1982 to 1993. During those years, the separatist group Khalistan Commando Force proclaimed the independence of Punjab and engaged in a series of terrorist activities to attain its goal.

Contributions to the Local Economy

Nestle’s work to make of Moga a thriving milk district is perhaps one of the best examples of how the goals, success, needs and demands of different community of interests are closely interlinked. Without claiming to be a development agency, Nestle nevertheless consciously made crucial contributions to the community of Moga on issues that were fundamental for the socio-economic development of the region as a whole, and also to its farmers at the household and individual levels.

Sharing the Future: Concluding Thoughts

Nestle and India have a one hundred year old story to tell about how it was, it is and it will continue to be possible to Create Shared Value opportunities for the myriads of people who have taken part in this continuing journey.

India’s Revolutions: Seizing Local Potential and Harnessing National Opportunities

In retrospect, the construction of the factory at Moga could not have been any timelier. The Green Revolution reached this region of Punjab around 1965–1966, shortly after its opening, when the farmers were encouraged by the Government to grow hybrid wheat and corn, which produced much higher yields. This intensification of agricultural production resulted into higher output even when land area cultivated augmented only marginally, and more importantly, it brought about higher earnings and many socio-economic advantages for many rural communities. Encouraged by such positive developments, they were more willing to experiment with new ideas which could further improve their standards of living.

Evolution of the Dairy Industry in Moga

In retrospect, Nestle’s activities in Moga initiated the beginning of the dairy revolution in Punjab in 1961. It was the only milk procurer in the Moga milkshed area for years. It developed, prepared and nurtured the growth of the dairy industry in the entire region. This was accomplished despite the fact that for the first two decades, pricing was Government-controlled and depended on cooperatives. In fact, because of Nestle’s hard work over the past five decades, Punjab in 2012 contributed to about 10.5 % of total dairy production at the national level despite having approximately 3 % of the Indian dairy population. This is an important nutritional contribution to the country, especially as milk tends to be the only acceptable source of animal protein for vegetarians and many times the only intake landless, small and marginal farmers can afford.

Moga as a Catalyst for Development

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, considerable benefits that accrued to the region can be for the most part traced back to the presence and activities of Nestle. However, as the Indian economy expanded during the post-1990 period, the levels and extent of its impacts, though still significant, are not of similar orders of magnitudes as the changes that were observed during the first 30 years of the Moga factory. By then, national and state-level macroeconomic growth led to an overall improvement in the communities’ physical capital and available infrastructure. Villagers began to be connected to the electricity grid; the use and ownership of landline and mobile phones exploded; accessibility by land to the region improved and market access to and from Moga was facilitated as the transportation system was modernized, the number of paved roads grew and the number of motorized vehicles increased steadily; and irrigation systems and fodder-chopping activities were mechanized.