I must admit that it was rather daunting to know the fact that I was going to be sitting through an eight-hour long forum. However, to my utmost surprise, the Asia Pacific Youth Water Forum managed to engage me for the entire time with various influential public figures sharing interesting facts and solutions to the persistent problems regarding water.

“We need to find ways to work with nature,” said Mr Liat Teng Lit, Chief Executive Officer, Alexandra Hospital and Chairman, Water Network. We all know that all living things need water to survive, but what Mr Liat saw in the relationship between water and the ecosystem really created a whole new picture for me.

Mr Liat stressed it is vital to find ways to work with nature to conserve water. Far-fetched as it might seem, he suggested to have otters living in the waters of Marina Barrage. This will instill a sense of responsibility in Singaporeans, helping us to keep our waters unpolluted so that the otters can survive

“Just by setting a simple goal of keeping an animal alive, we can get everything right,” said Mr Liat. Clean water for the otters also means clean water for us. If each of us contributes to creating a suitable environment for other living things to thrive in, we would definitely be playing apart in building a healthy living environment for ourselves.

By Gillian Shen, School of Film & Media Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic