PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency

I am Xie Nanzheng from PUB’s InfoTech & Digital Transformation Department. I graduated from NUS with a Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial and Systems Engineering and started off as an Engineer with Changi Water Reclamation Plant. My work with Changi Water Reclamation Plant afforded me a glimpse into how PUB runs the entire water loop and the pivotal role we play in securing Singapore's future by ensuring a sustainable and resilient water supply. I was later posted to the Infotech & Digital Transformation Department as a Cybersecurity Analyst. PUB places emphasis on operational resilience and encourages staff to cultivate an innovative, agile and creative mindset. To ensure that I am at the top of my game, I improved myself by attaining professional certifications such as NUS’ Professional Certificate in Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Ethical Hacking. PUB also provides avenues for staff to explore further learning opportunities and encourages continuous learning and development. Moving forward, I plan to enrol for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) to further my professional development. As my job scope involves overseeing PUB’s overall cybersecurity strategy and ensuring cyber compliance in accordance with best practices and regulatory requirements, I believe this certification will enhance my domain proficiency and broaden my knowledge base for better productivity, while ensuring my relevance in the rapidly changing cybersecurity field. More importantly, I will be able to integrate my experience working in operational technology plants with cybersecurity domain knowledge, and better strengthen PUB’s operational resiliency. #MSEFamily #OurSustainabilityOurResilienceOurEveryday

"At PUB, we want to further enhance our processes using technology and possibly leverage on AI to build up efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness. Without technology it will be hard for us to continue to meet rising water demand." Speaking to GWI, our Chief Executive Ong Tze-Ch’in outlined his leadership focus as he steers PUB through challenges such as protecting our coasts against sea level rise and flooding while continuing to ensure Singapore's water security. In our pursuit to be a smart utility, PUB has been digitalising its operations over the last five years. For instance, thousands of sensors are deployed in Singapore's water network to optimise operations. PUB will continue to explore new technologies and upskill staff, to improve productivity and be future-ready.

With projections indicating a potential rise of up to 1.15 meters in mean sea levels around Singapore by 2100, along with a significant increase in extreme rainfall, the inevitability of floods is not a matter of "if" but rather "when". In the latest episode of The Business Times' "Lens On" podcast, Director of PUB's Coastal Protection Department Hazel Khoo discussed Singapore's vulnerability to the effects of climate change. She also emphasised that while PUB has reduced flood-prone areas in Singapore from 3,200 hectares in the 1970s to less than 30 hectares today, expanding drains to accommodate every extreme rainfall scenario is not feasible due to land constraints. Flooding could become a part of our daily lives, and members of the public need to do their part to ensure they are prepared for flash floods, kept informed of which areas to avoid and what to do during such incidents. Tune in to the podcast to discover some of the insights we gleaned from other countries and the innovative solutions that are currently being explored! https://lnkd.in/grgQ5yHS

PUB supported Science Centre’s Youth STEM Empowerment Programme by hosting participating secondary school students at the Marina Barrage Sustainable Singapore Gallery last month. Besides learning about Singapore's Water Story, the youths also deepened their understanding on water conservation and the need to combat climate change. They then applied what they learnt by working on creative water projects to solve community problems. Kudos to the young sustainability warriors for showing us that everyone has a part to play in taking climate action!

At the Coastal Protection Business Forum at #SIWW2024 yesterday, the Singapore Water Association (SWA) launched a new coastal protection chapter aimed at promoting collaboration among local and international companies. Additionally, the SWA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore and the Forum for Climate Change Adaptation (FCCA) to bring together industry and academic expertise, further enhancing collaboration in this emerging sector.

At #SIWW2024’s inaugural Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit this morning, industry leaders and academics emphasised the importance of community resilience in managing coastal and flood protection. With more extreme weather events, it is not possible to eliminate flooding altogether, despite best efforts. Everyone can do their part to strengthen our community resilience, by knowing what to in the face of floods. As the national coastal protection agency, we are also continually building our knowledge to better understand and address our coastal and inland flood risks. 📚 We have awarded the second tranche of 8 research projects under the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore. Established just last September, CFI Singapore is the nation’s first Centre of Excellence dedicated to strengthening local capabilities and expertise in coastal protection and flood management. The 8 new research projects will build upon the first tranche of 9 research projects that CFI Singapore embarked on last year. 📢 We have also launched an Applied Research grant call as part of our Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme (CFRP) to seek innovative research proposals in 5 focus areas: sustainable materials, smart structural health monitoring, decision-making for adaptive planning, innovative solutions, and sensors for sediment transport. Interested IHLs, public and private sector companies based in Singapore are invited to submit their proposals through the application portal (https://lnkd.in/dsPeusZf) by 6 August 2024, 4pm. Read our press release to find out more: https://lnkd.in/gbeWyKDM

🤝 Addressing global water challenges through innovation and collaboration 🤝 In partnership with the World Bank Group, the Singapore Water Center - launched by Minister Grace Fu and World Bank Managing Director, Operations, Ms Anna Bjerde - aims to foster the exchange of best-in-class knowledge towards ensuring a water secure future for all. Through conducting training activities, joint research projects, and pilot studies of novel technologies, the Center is set to enhance capacity building and serve as a thought leader on water resources management. The Center will tap on PUB’s expertise and experience to share with World Bank client countries and utilities in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific region.

Congratulations to the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024 Laureate, Professor Gertjan Medema 👏 With a career spanning from the 1990s, Professor Medema's expertise has been foundational in establishing wastewater-based epidemiology as a tool for public health surveillance, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore benefitted from Professor Medema’s work through the testing of wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 shortly after he discovered its potential as an epidemiological tool and early warning system for outbreaks. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in 2020, NEA’s Environmental Health Institute (EHI), together with PUB, Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), and other collaborators from the local universities and research institutes embarked on the WBE process quickly. As a result, Singapore has been able to ramp up its testing to hundreds of sites, including workers’ dormitories, residential areas, town centres, student hostels, and welfare homes. The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize honours outstanding contributions towards solving the world’s water challenges by developing or applying innovative technologies, policies or programmes which benefit humanity.

The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) returns for the 10th edition from 18-22 June 💧   The biennial event brings over 20,000 experts and stakeholders from the global water industry to share knowledge and best practices to solve urban water and climate challenges. This year, a Coastal and Flood Resilience Cities Roundtable will be held for the first time, to address ways to deal with extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels faced by global cities. Watch this space for highlights of SIWW. Find out more at https://www.siww.com.sg/

One distinct impact of climate change on Singapore is the increased frequency and intensity of rainstorms, which could overwhelm our drainage infrastructure and cause flash floods. Watch the video to learn how PUB is leveraging findings from Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study (V3) to plan ahead and implement measures to ensure Singapore's flood resilience.