Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) Posts from Black & Veatch

Kampong and Avatar promotes environmental awareness

Posted Jul 13 2011 by Year 1 Students in Ideas, SIWW 2011 Posts with Comments Off

By Elijah Phua, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

It was like a well-mixed cocktail incorporating a tour, an elaborate kampong-cum-nature exhibition and a chunk of a homemade Avatar movie set. In observance of Earth Day 2011, a converted auditorium in Keppel Golf Club featuring all the above exhibits brought together several schools with a clear message: save the Earth before the ultimate damage has been inflicted.

Mangroves at southern point of Keppel Club

The day started off with the club’s Deputy General Manager Desmond Chua giving a tour of the surroundings and the soon to be completed Mangrove Walkway.

“Green” exhibit by St. Anthony Primary School students

We were brought into a club on the way to the main exhibition when we chanced upon one smaller but still important one.

The exhibition which replicated the past life of Keppel Club, which stood where the village “Kampong Agas” formally resided.

The “kampong side” of the exhibition

This was the main highlight, beginning with a dramatic reenactment by a staff member ofkampong life through stories and items of nostalgia. The exhibition was laden with genuine plants from the club’s nursery that flourished comfortably.

A “floater” made of recycled plastic bottles in the “Avatar” movie set

Next, the exhibit took us through the rainforest themed surroundings with documentaries on Gaia’s fate, Man’s impact on her and a surprise highlight: a part of forest from the famous movie “Avatar”.

The exhibition was not complete without a “pledge corner” with strung up cardboard pieces with the many Earth Day pledges numerous visitors had put up.

In all, the exhibition was a huge success in the eyes of environmental awareness. And relating to my cocktail analogy from before, recycle well before drinking.

The cardboard wall of “green pledges”

Green Technology innovators in the making

By Wong King Lam, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

Information gathering in progress

The first feeling I got when I interviewed the Green Club members of Commonwealth Secondary was shock. The Green Club was not just some club made and done half-heartedly, it was an actual moving force of green-ness.

Ethan Lou, a Secondary 1 student and member of the Green Club, was the first student I interviewed. He listed out the many activities that the Green Club had, such as their Scientific Enquiries, which had the Sec 1’s finding out more about a certain scientific subject. Their latest one was about making pet rockets in order to find out how to use water pressure to maximise the accuracy and effiency of the rockets.

That led me to ask more about their other projects. I heard more about their rain garden from the Green Club’s Koh Joon Meng, the representative of the Secondary 2’s in the Green Club. The Secondary 1’s and 2’s were learning about water conservation, which led to the creation of the rain garden which was supported by PUB and Sony.

The rain garden’s water actually comes from their school’s tap water, which goes through several layers of purification, before being used for the pond filled with fish. Which they sometimes catch to serve in the school canteen. Even their food is green!

Perhaps what surprised me more was the mention of other projects yet to be completed or confirmed by the Green Club’s President, Secondary 3 student Yi Jie or their teacher-in-charge, Madam Soh. Such as underground cameras to examine pollution deep in the earth sponsored by Olympus or building more rain gardens in Singapore.

The Green Club was not what I expected. I thought I would see a tiny club with few achievements and mostly just talk instead of action. Guess I was wrong.

Singapore’s Little Green Dot

Posted Jul 13 2011 by Year 3 Students in From the Floor, Ideas, SIWW 2011 Posts with Comments Off

By Yu Pei Fern, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

Singapore is making its presence felt in China, and not just as an economic competitor.

A detailed map of the city’s layout, which will include three Eco parks; one for

Tianjin, China, is about to face changes in its cityscape as major Singaporean building companies including Keppel Group begin building the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco City (SSTTEC).

The eco-city is an economic collaboration between Singapore and China and is intended to be a model city for other cities in China. Essentially, it is a city in China built on technologies developed in Singapore.

The detailed blueprints for the city was unveiled at the water expo at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), which opened on 4th July 2011. The representatives

80 percent of the eco city is intended for residential purposes, though there is intended room for both work and play as well. The estimated population is 350 000.

“China intends to use this eco-city to show the world that they can do it, because most people think of China as quite hazy and dirty,” said marketing manager Cynthia Yow, in her mid thirties.

Singapore is in charge of developing the site in Tianjin, which is well known for its highly polluted air, land and sea.

In fact, before the development of the land began in 2008, the site was originally a useless plot of land that was one-third salt farm, one-third non-arable land, and one-third polluted water. The site choice was made to increase the effect globally, as the task they gave themselves could be considered impossible.

Living in the city will indeed be very energy efficient in all green ways. Using Singapore as a model, 50 percent of the water in the city will come from alternative sources such as recycled water. Currently, NEWater, which is Singapore’s premier water recycling technology, accounts for 30 percent of the water demand in Singapore.

The city is even divided into different areas that use different sources of natural energy, such as a wind-powered district.

The collaboration can be considered as part of Singapore’s plan to become a global hydrohub.

According to Ms Yow, Singapore was chosen to be the main developer as developers and government officials from China thought highly of Singapore’s urban and water planning, saying that it was very well organised.

“This will be Singapore’s way of showcasing their developments, that they should be considered inspirations for the rest of the world for their groundbreaking achievements in green living,” Ms Yow added.

The eco-city is expected to be completed in 10 to 15 years time.

Keppel Club’s Kampong

Posted Jul 12 2011 by Year 1 Students in Ideas, People, SIWW 2011 Posts with Comments Off

By Shahidah Adriana Tahir, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

A kampong would be the last thing anyone would ever imagine to see in modern day Singapore. That was the exact reason why I was in such awe when I stepped into the multi-purpose hall of Keppel Club today (7 July 2011).

So what is a kampong doing in the premises of a Golf & Social Club? The brainchild of Desmond Chua, Deputy General Manager, the kampong was made entirely by the staff of Keppel Club. Aside from the televisions, projectors and fog machines, everything in the hall was hand made, and with 100% recyclable materials.

Videos emphasising the importance of conserving our forests were screened throughout my adventure around the kampong, which morphed into an Avatar-inspired forest halfway. The floor was completely covered in leaves, and trees made from cardboard and newspapers were made into temporary pillars. Flowers made from parts of a plastic bottle dotted the area, decorating the hall beautifully.

Abdullah in front of his kampong house

At the end of the tour, Abdullah, a staff member of Keppel Club, took on the role of penghulu kampung* and brought a history lesson to life. He reintroduced simple toys and tools that were used in the olden days, explaining how creativity “forced” people back in the day to be innovative and make the most out of absolutely anything they could find. I was brought back to my Malay roots when I played with the batu serembat** that was on the display table.

The kampong is not a permanent exhibition in Keppel Club. As Earth Week 2011 comes to a close this Friday, the hall would be converted back to its usual state and probably hold a wedding or two. Fret not though, as the exhibition would be back again next year, an event you might want to mark on your calendars and experience for yourself.

* head of the kampung

** five stones, a traditional Malay game

Not yet time for goodbyes

Posted Jul 12 2011 by Youth@Singapore International Water Week in People, SIWW 2011 Posts, Uncategorized with Comments Off

I was first introduced to the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) by my erstwhile lecturer, Ms Koh Joh Ting, who’s now with PUB. I was invited to do it last year but had to turn it down because I was in the army, so when the opportunity came up this year, I grabbed it.

With a few weeks to go before I fly off to New York’s Columbia University for my Masters degree, how I spend my time here is very important. I’m glad I chose to become a youth reporter with the SIWW. I’ve learnt so much about water issues, the many steps Singapore’s taking to ensure self-sufficiency, emerging trends, the latest industry innovations and so on. I got to talk to visitors and participants, including the charismatic Mr Anders Berntell, Executive Director of the Stockholm International Water Institute (holler if you’re reading this!). Though I must say it’s quite a bummer that I didn’t get to meet any of the others who contributed to this blog…

It wasn’t all smooth-sailing tough – there were points where I felt like I wasn’t performing up to mark or doing enough. I was recovering from a tonsil infection and was graduating that week, so it was quite a challenging, packed week.

But I couldn’t be more thankful for the experience. SIWW 2011 may be over but it’s legacy will live on. I’ve gained so much from it, learnt so much about the world in which I live, and, most importantly, learnt so much about myself. And the challenges were certainly manageable – I had the honour of having Ms Koh (and her colleagues) guided me when I questioned myself, and the benefit of the constant adrenalin rush that I always experience before, during and after every interview. And of course, Black & Veatch for opening up such an opportunity for me to showcase what I can do.

Would I do it all over again? Definitely. And that’s why it’s yet not time for goodbyes.

By Sujith Kumar, Roving Reporters for Youth@SIWW

A Reservoir of Youth At SIWW

Posted Jul 12 2011 by Year 3 Students in People, Sights, Sounds & Quotes, SIWW 2011 Posts with Comments Off

By Ynex Lee, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

Youth and the water industry – they don’t seem like your usual mix, but here at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) event, youths and water go hand in hand.

Helping out at the SIWW 2011 event are several Temasek Polytechnic (TP) students, who are officially known as the SIWW ambassadors. These Year 2 and 3 Chemical Engineering students have been tasked to show visitors and international delegates around certain exhibits in the event, including PUB‘s exhibits.

“It’s really fun! When you’re involved (in the exhibition itself), you get to learn more,” said fellow ambassador Lai Hai Mei, 19, a Year 3 student from TP.

“There are even real plants, such as pitcher plants here. There’s so much real biodiversity, there were even spider webs and flies (around the plants) when we first came,” she added, as she pointed out a spider web tucked neatly between some leaves.

A SIWW Ambassador (in blue) introduces his exhibit to students.

“It’s good exposure to the industry,” agreed Sean Yusri McKinney, 18, a Year 2 TP student.

But just how do these youths make a difference in the ever-changing water industry?

“We hope to create a greater awareness among youths through this event,” explained Lilian Lim, 31, Community Relations Manager at PUB.

“Through working with them, we will be able to impart our knowledge (to them),” she added.

Youths themselves agreed that they could make a difference to Singapore’s situation with water.

Sustaining Singapore’s water supply is “obviously very important”, as we “do not have many natural resources” to support ourselves with, admitted Sean.

The PUB exhibition’s main sign with visitors browsing in the back.

By engaging youths to volunteer in the exhibitions and showcasing the more unique solutions to water problems to visitors, it is hoped that interest will be garnered from the next generation of young Singaporeans, so they can contribute to the water industry in the future.

Sean summed it up best with this quote: “More minds, more creativity, more chances for future success!”

Volunteer numbers for the past few conventions have been steadily rising each year. All volunteers attended professional training sessions, which taught them correct posture and how to project their voices, among other things.

Each experience promises to be beneficial to students as the event is filled with innovative solutions to water problems from all over. SIWW has also evolved from being more business oriented to integrating youths into its midst.

The SIWW 2011 was held from 4^th to 8^th July 2011.

Gem in The City

Posted Jul 12 2011 by Year 1 Students in SIWW 2011 Posts, Sustainable Water Solutions with Comments Off

By Yong Jia Ying Avelin, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

I went on a school excursion trip to Berlayer Creek today (7 July 2011). The first thing that came to my mind was: What is so interesting about a mangrove swamp? It hit me the moment I arrived there – an oasis of the remaining forested areas preserved in the heart of the city.

Berlayer Creek

To start off the tour of the area, we first had the Deputy General Manager of Keppel Bay Club, Mr Desmond Chua provide us with a simple but detailed background information about the creek.

“The Berlayer Creek remains undisturbed in the past hundred over years of its short history. To current date, it contains over more than 50 species of the bird, which roughly translates up to about 30% of the whole bird population in Singapore. However, it currently faces a crisis, for the construction of various buildings around the estate has affected its growth.”

After the official address, we were led to an exhibition held at Keppel Hall, 3^rd Level of the Main Clubhouse of Keppel Club. It is jointly organized by the club itself and PUB, Singapore as part of its efforts to make known the Singapore International Water Week.

The exhibits were a treat to both the eyes and ears! They were engaging as we came to learn about how the club was doing its part as an advocate for the programme, which was to promote the conversation of water and green initiatives through creative implementations such as a model of a Kampung, forest and a severely polluted river.

At the end of the tour, we had two staff members of Keppel Club kindly demonstrate to us the hard work put in to construct the many exhibits through pure hard work and determination, as all of the materials used in its construction were purely recycled.

Commonwealth Secondary Paving The Way For Water Conservation

Posted Jul 12 2011 by Year 1 Students in Sights, Sounds & Quotes, SIWW 2011 Posts, Sustainable Water Solutions with Comments Off

By Nur Hazirah, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

Washing hands is a common practice in toilets. However, once you’re done, have you ever wondered where the water goes? That is not the case for the girls using the second-floor toilets in Commonwealth Secondary School (CSS). They are well aware of how the sink water will be treated by their school’s very own constructed treatment wetland.

The wetland helps filter the water by going through a system of plants which help get rid of insoluble pollutants before moving on to a pond for the removal of soluble pollutants. The final product is then moved to another fish inhabited pond. The water though non-potable, is safe for washing and watering.

The second pond used to remove soluble pollutants

Its construction was a school initiated movement in order to further educate their students on recycling water as well as the importance of conserving water. CSS have also partnered up with PUB to help spread their teachings.

“The students here are one of the most enthusiastic I’ve seen,” a representitve of PUB’s 3P (People, Public, Private) network praised.

With students like these, it was no wonder that CSS won multiple awards for their hard work. Examples include the Green Audit (Lotus) Award and the PUB Watermark Award. They were also the first school in Singapore to receive the President’s Award for the Environment.

They have also recently unveiled their newest project for Singapore International Water Week. They have managed to combine hydroponics into their wetland by making use of the plants to help maintain the cleanliness of the final pond. The plants remove the pollutants, fish feces, and use it for nutrients.

A reporter asks about the hydroponics set-up

So, the next time you’re washing your hands, remember that every small contribution goes a long way. Let’s do our part to help conserve water.

‘Avatar’ in Keppel Club

Posted Jul 12 2011 by Year 1 Students in Ideas, Sights, Sounds & Quotes, SIWW 2011 Posts with Comments Off

By Pascal Sambor, Diploma in Creative Writing for TV and New Media, Singapore Polytechnic

What I found most impressive was a small section of the exhibition that was based on a scene from the movie ‘Avatar’. The organisers felt it would appeal more to youths and get them interested in the exhibition. This proved to be a success as many of my classmates, including myself, really liked it.

Welcome to Pandora

The ‘Avatar’ section was part of our visit to the Keppel Club and Berlayer Creek, which provided a lot of insight into how the club is doing its part in conserving the environment.

This set was made entirely out of recycled materials

First off, we visited the Berlayer Creek and were then greeted by Deputy General Manager of the Keppel Club, Mr Desmond Chua. He told us how the club was doing its part to help conserve the environment and how construction works were affecting the ecology in the surrounding waters. However, he was quick to assure us that as soon as the works were completed, which is targeted at October 2011, they would do their best to bring back eco-diversity to the waters.

More recycled materials in Pandora

After that, we were given a short tour around the club. Our last stop was probably the best. Being the International Year of Forests, the club came up with the idea of holding an exhibition to raise awareness regarding environmental conservation. To put the message across even further, everything in the exhibition was made entirely out of recycled materials. According to Mr Chua, the entire set took about one to two weeks to be completed. The set consisted of items ranging from used plastics bottles to recycled wooden planks.

The exhibition was definitely an eye-opening one and I encourage all to come and see it.

A whole new world

Posted Jul 11 2011 by Youth@Singapore International Water Week in Ideas, People, SIWW 2011 Posts, Sustainable Water Solutions with Comments Off

I live in the north, and going all the way to Anchorvale to experience the Sengkang Floating Wetland was like entering to a whole new world.

The wetland, located in Punggol Reservoir, is part of the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters programme by PUB, Singapore’s national water agency. It is also the country’s largest man-made wetland measuring to half a football field.

Once I got off Farmway LRT station, I was greeted with a gentle breeze and the serene sight of youths playing Frisbee, people jogging around the neighbourhood and families leisurely strolling along the field. A far cry from the noise, heat and furrowed eyebrows I’m used to where I live.

The guided walk at Sengkang Floating Wetland was led secondary three students from Pei Hwa Secondary School, and the visitors were mainly students from neighbouring Yuying Secondary School and grassroots members (and their children) from the Hong Kah North Citizen’s Consultative Committee.

The meeting place

Participants from Hong Kah North Citizen’s Consultative Committee

On the trail, I half-expected the guides to read from the script, verbatim. One of the guides, Norman Chan, 15, said before the trail, “I’m worried that my mind would go blank!” He didn’t have to worry. I was completely surprised when the guides interacted with visitors confidently. They were highly knowledgeable and engaged well with the audience that it was hard not to get sucked into their enthusiasm.

The starting point

Some of the topics they covered were the history of Punggol (did you know that “Punggol” means “throwing sticks at trees to catch fruits”?), the many uses of the wetland (it’s an ecological diverse habitat that is also used for sports and recreation purposes), and the ABC Waters programme.

School's in session

Of course, teens being teens, some of the young visitors attempted to twist what the guides were saying into something else altogether, and then laughed at their own jokes. At these times, my eyes threatened to roll out of my skull but I quietly told the guides to soldier on.

And boy they did. They answered all the questions thrown at them with panache and didn’t falter under the pressure or the sweltering heat.

A dragonfly takes a rest

Can you spot the snails’ eggs?

Once the tour was over, I went around asking visitors if they enjoyed themselves, and they unanimously agreed.

“The reservoir is developed very creatively…it’s used for so many purposes, for leisure and as a water source. It’s good to have back-up water sources,” said Om Bahadur Thepa, 17, a secondary four student from Yuying Secondary. Earlier, his schoolmate made the same point and referred to Singapore’s need to become entirely self-sufficient.

However, the heat was a common concern. In fact, I fell onto one of the orange fruit sculptures at the end of the tour (the floating island has a tutti-frutti theme befitting Punggol’s history) because I was too tired to see where I was going.

“It would be great if they could put some attap shelters for people to rest,” said Tan Xieng Yiong, 15, who was one of the guides.

Even though the tour’s over, the experience from engaging in a whole new world – one that is green, serene and sustainable – will remain clearly etched in my mind and heart.

Young visitors resting in the mangosteen pavillion

By Sujith Kumar, Roving Reporters for Youth@SIWW

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Kampong and Avatar promotes environmental awareness

Green Technology innovators in the making

Singapore’s Little Green Dot

Keppel Club’s Kampong

Not yet time for goodbyes

A Reservoir of Youth At SIWW

Gem in The City

Commonwealth Secondary Paving The Way For Water Conservation

‘Avatar’ in Keppel Club

A whole new world

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