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NTS Bulletin October 2012

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NTS VIEWPOINT

Creating ripples with ‘water diplomacy’

By Pau Khan Khup Hangzo

Singapore’s innovative water solutions have been hailed as a success story. Equally impressive, however, is the transformation of its water diplomacy. It has gone from bilateral engagement with Malaysia on water supply, to sharing the benefits of its water management experience with other countries.

Singapore’s water diplomacy was in its formative years centred on relations with Malaysia. Due to geographical limitations, such as its small size and lack of natural aquifers and groundwater, Singapore had been forced to look beyond its borders for its water supply.

Its engagement with Malaysia resulted in two landmark water agreements, signed in 1961 and 1962 respectively. The 1961 agreement obliged Malaysia to sell to Singapore 86 million gallons of water per day, and the 1962 agreement a further 250 million gallons per day. The 1961 agreement expired in 2011 and the 1962 agreement will expire in 2060.

However, these water agreements are not without their problems. Following Singapore’s independence in 1965, the price of water became a major irritant in relations between the two countries. Malaysia’s go-it-alone approach in arriving at a decision to raise the price of water raised concerns in Singapore. It was feared that such actions, if allowed, could set a precedent for unilateral action by Malaysia.

In the face of such issues, Singapore embarked on a programme of self-sufficiency in water. The country’s treated wastewater, dubbed NEWater, now accounts for 30 per cent of its total water needs. Another 10 per cent of its water requirements are drawn from desalination plants in the country. Also, 67 per cent of Singapore’s land area is now water catchment. These efforts have enabled Singapore to gradually reduce its water dependence on Malaysia, from 80 per cent in 1965, to 40 per cent in 2011.

The success of Singapore’s self-sufficiency efforts has also heralded a new phase in its water diplomacy. Singapore is now actively engaging with international water issues in an effort to position itself as a ‘hydrohub’.

The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is a case in point. Launched in 2008, the SIWW has become a major annual event for water practitioners around the world. The meeting has enabled Singapore to showcase its experience and its innovative water solutions.

The SIWW also provides Singapore with the platform to explore opportunities in the integration of water solutions and urban planning with cities around the world. For example, Singapore has shared its expertise in water-sector reform and wastewater management with countries such as Australia, India and Mauritius.

Water technologies have also become integral to Singapore’s humanitarian assistance efforts. In response to the 2009 typhoon in the Philippines and the 2011 floods in Thailand, Singapore sent water quality monitoring and water purification equipment to enable victims to gain access to clean drinking water.

Singapore’s experience in water management is becoming increasingly relevant and its water diplomacy timely. Rapid urbanisation has put tremendous pressures on urban infrastructure, the environment and natural resources, especially in developing countries. Singapore, through its water diplomacy, can help these countries confront the challenges associated with accelerating growth.

Pau Khan Khup Hangzo is Associate Research Fellow with the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. A version of this article was published in Today, 27 September 2012.

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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

Phuc, Xuan To, Robert O’Sullivan, Jacob Olander et al., 2012, REDD+ in Vietnam: Integrating national and subnational approaches, Forest Trends Association and Climate Focus.

Drawing on Vietnam’s experiences, this report examines ways to effectively implement Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Plus (REDD+) mechanisms as well as design REDD+ to deliver ecosystem conservation and restoration in an economically efficient and socially sustainable manner. The report highlights three case studies that demonstrate both the potential opportunities and complexities of nested approaches to REDD+.

Vaggione, P. et al., 2012, Urban planning for city leaders, Kenya: UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

This guide is targeted at leaders in developing and emerging countries. Noting that climate change effects will be most felt by urban populations, it looks at topics such as integrating resilience in urban planning and urban investment; mainstreaming adaptation in building standards and land policies; adapting infrastructure to climate variability; and mainstreaming mitigation in spatial and transport planning.

Chan, Faith Ka Shun, Gordon Mitchell, Olalekan Adekola et al., 2012, ‘Flood risk in Asia’s urban mega-deltas: Drivers, impacts and response’, Environment and Urbanization Asia, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 41–61.

This article examines flood risks in several Asian deltaic cities, noting that such cities are affected by the lack of sufficient strategic planning coupled with difficulties in defending the cities through traditional engineering approaches. The article concludes by highlighting flood management mechanisms implemented in other parts of the world that could be incorporated into the flood management plans of Asia’s deltaic cities.

Events & Announcements

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ENERGY AND HUMAN SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

Andrews-Speed, Philip, Mikkal E. Herberg, Tomoko Hosoe et al., 2012, Oil and gas for Asia: Geopolitical implications of Asia’s rising demand, NBR Special Report No. 41, Seattle, WA: The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR).

This report examines the geopolitical implications of Asia’s growing demand for oil and gas and key issues related to this theme, such as the controversy over the sanctions on Iran, the role of national oil companies in today’s energy security landscape, and the intensified competition for oil and gas due to the concern over the safety of nuclear power.

Caballero-Anthony, Mely, Chang Youngho and Nur Azha Putra (eds), 2012, Rethinking energy security in Asia: A non-traditional view of human security, Heidelberg: Springer.

This volume examines energy security in Asia from the human security perspective. It focuses on the ways that governments and other actors have approached energy security challenges in some of Asia’s fastest-growing states, namely, Indonesia, Singapore, India and China. Essays in this volume address environmental and socioeconomic impacts, the role of civil society, energy sustainability and policy trends.

Events & Announcements

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FOOD AND HEALTH SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies, 2012, Expert working group meeting on an ‘Asian rice futures market’ (22–23 March 2012), Report, Singapore.

An expert working group meeting was hosted by the RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies in March 2012 to examine the proposal for Singapore to host an international rice futures market. The feasibility of a regional rice futures exchange was discussed, as was its potential food security implications, particularly with regard to rice price volatility and the welfare of smallholder farmers. This report provides an overview of the meeting’s panel presentations, outlines expert opinions conveyed in discussions and provides potential steps for moving forward.

World Bank, 2012, Global Monitoring Report 2012: Food prices, nutrition, and the Millennium Development Goals, Washington, DC.

This report examines how the food price spikes of 2007–2008 and 2010–2011 have impacted progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ahead of the 2015 deadline. It measures the effect of food prices on all MDGs, not only those related to food and nutrition; and outlines the linkages between food prices and poverty. The report also examines how trade policy, aid and international financial institutions can better function to improve food security.

Events & Announcements

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INTERNAL AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICT

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

Miller, Derek B. and Lisa Rudnick, 2012, A framework document for evidence-based programme design on reintegration, Geneva: UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

This publication presents a framework for an evidence-based reintegration programme to support efforts aimed at stronger local impact at the field level. The framework is designed to support locally effective implementation of both existing and developing policy on reintegration, with a focus on the operational requirements of reintegration practitioners.

Wolff, Stefan and Oya Dursun-Özkanca, 2012, ‘Regional and international conflict regulation: Diplomatic, economic and military interventions’, Civil Wars, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 297–323.

This article examines different conflict regulation strategies in order to better understand which interventions are effective for preventing, managing and settling intra-state and internationalised conflicts. The study finds six factors to be relevant: (1) availability of resources and willingness to deploy them; (2) commonality of interest among states or a major lead nation; (3) long-term and sustained conflict regulation efforts; (4) effective external cooperation with major partners; (5) permissive conflict context; and (6) local interest in ending rather than continuing the conflict.

Bernauer, Thomas, Tobias Böhmelt, Halvard Buhaug et al., 2012, ‘Water-related intrastate conflict and cooperation (WARICC): A new event dataset’, International Interactions, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 529–45.

This article reports on the construction, coding and data structure of a WARICC georeferenced dataset for 35 Mediterranean, Middle East and Sahel countries from 1992 to 2009. A selection of descriptive statistics and illustrations serves to demonstrate the usefulness of the new dataset for quantitative analyses of intra-state conflict and cooperation over water resources.

Events & Announcements

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TRANSNATIONAL CRIME

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

Piotrowicz, Ryszard, 2012, ‘States’ obligations under human rights law towards victims of trafficking in human beings: Positive developments in positive obligations’, International Journal of Refugee Law, 4 April.

This article discusses enslavement as an international crime. It highlights the significance of recent rulings by international human rights tribunals which shed light on the extent to which human trafficking is covered by the prohibition on slavery, forced labour and servitude; and the extent of states’ positive obligations towards those who have been trafficked or are at risk of being trafficked.

Von Lampe, Klaus, 2012, ‘Transnational organized crime challenges for future research’, Crime, Law and Social Change, Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 179–94.

This review article assesses the state of research on transnational organised crime. It identifies major themes in the research, and proposes the way forward for future research. It argues that future studies must be embedded in a comparative framework in order to attain deeper insights. The article also highlights the need for continuous support for coordinated, multinational research projects, and the importance of independence from outside influence.

Vogl, Frank, 2012, Waging war on corruption: Inside the movement fighting the abuse of power, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

This is an insider’s account of the battle against the abuse of public office by politicians and officials for personal gain. The author observes that more people have become aware of the risks posed by corruption, not only to security, democracy and human rights, but also to the plight of hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people. As such, more people in more countries have a keener sense of being able to confront abuses of government power. This, according to the author, is evident in the recent Arab Spring uprisings and the ‘Occupy’ protests.

Events & Announcements

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WATER SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

National Research Council, 2012, Himalayan glaciers: Climate change, water resources, and water security, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

This report reviews the scientific evidence on the environmental changes in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region and their possible impact on water supply. It notes that urbanisation, rising living standards and population growth are likely to have significant impacts on water demand. The report suggests that to effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic and ecological complexities of the region.

World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), 2012, The United Nations World Water Development Report 4, Paris: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This fourth edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR4) highlights the importance of freshwater resources to development. It focuses on the linkages between water and the factors driving change. The report provides information on current status and trends related to supply, uses, management, institutions and financing. It also addresses issues such as gender equality, water-related disasters, health and the role of ecosystems. As with earlier editions, the WWDR4 includes country-level case studies describing the progress made in meeting water-related objectives.

UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 2012, The UN-Water status report on the application of integrated approaches to water resources management, Nairobi.

The starting point of this report is the Agenda 21 recommendation for an integrated approach to the management of water resources. The report highlights that there has been definite headway made: 64 per cent of countries have developed integrated water resources management plans, and 34 per cent report an advanced stage of implementation. However, progress appears to have slowed, or even regressed, in low and medium Human Development Index (HDI) countries since the last survey carried out in 2008. Much remains to be done to finance and implement plans in HDI countries.

Events & Announcements

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You are free to publish this material in its entirety or only in part in your newspapers, wire services, internet-based information networks and newsletters and you may use the information in your radio-TV discussions or as a basis for discussion in different fora, provided full credit is given to the author(s) and the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). Kindly inform the publisher (NTS_Centre@ntu.edu.sg) and provide details of when and where the publication was used.

About the Centre:

The Centre for NTS Studies, based in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), was inaugurated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan in May 2008. The Centre maintains research in the fields of Climate Change, Food Security, Energy Security, Health Security, as well as Internal and Cross Border Conflict. It produces policy-relevant analyses aimed at furthering awareness and building capacity to address NTS issues and challenges in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The Centre also provides a platform for scholars and policymakers within and outside Asia to discuss and analyse NTS issues in the region.

The Centre is the Coordinator of the ASEAN-Canada Research Partnership (2012�2015) supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. It also serves as the Secretariat of the initiative.

In 2009, the Centre was chosen by the MacArthur Foundation as a lead institution for its three-year Asia Security Initiative (2009�2012), to develop policy research capacity and recommend policies on the critical security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific. It is also a founding member and the Secretariat for the Consortium of Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia).

More information on the Centre can be found at www.rsis.edu.sg/nts.