A Political Economy of Water Security: The Case of Singapore

Water is a basic necessity, without which no individual or nation can survive. Every nation, therefore, needs to ensure its water security, which encompasses all dimensions of human health, livelihood and well-being, and food and energy production. All industrial nations first strived to ensure their water security through early substantial investments in infrastructure, institutions, and capacity to manage water and wastewater. Singapore is an important case to understand the political economy of water security. With its high dependence on neighbouring nation for water supply and with limited land to collect and store rainwater, Singapore encountered drought, flood, and pollution since its independence in 1965. Over the years, Singapore adopted integrated, effective, robust and cost-efficient approaches with strategic investments in research and technology to treat, recycle, and supply water. Today, the country is recognized internationally not only as a model city for integrated water management but also as an emerging global hydro-hub. Touching on the causes of water insecurity in the world today, this chapter delineates the Singapore story of how ‘water scarcity’ in the nation has been transformed into ‘water opportunity’. To bring critical insights, the chapter also compares the Singapore case with two other similar nations: Saudi Arabia and Israel.