Singapore launches its ABC Water Professional Certification

From the CEO

Some two weeks ago I spoke at the launch of Singapore’s ABC Waters Professional Registry and the new Urban Drainage Handbook. Singapore’s ABC Waters Programme is its local brand of water sensitive urban design and I have been very fortunate to be involved in Singapore’s rapid march towards becoming a water sensitive city. The Public Utilities Board of Singapore (PUB) won an award for its ABC Waters Programme at the Global Water Awards 2013 at the Global Water Summit in Seville, Spain and is congratulated in being a key bridging organisation in creating a whole-of-government approach to integrated urban water management. PUB is one of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities key overseas participant organisation.

Since the introduction of their ABC (Active, Beautiful and Clean) Waters Program in 2006, there have been many parallel initiatives in Singapore aimed at ‘Institutionalising’ WSUD. Capacity building of professionals in Singapore involved in water sensitive urban design is an integral part of the number of parallel initiatives adopted in Singapore. Training courses have been developed and professionals from the engineering, architectural and landscape architectural sectors have been steadily acquiring knowledge and design skills. This was in preparation for the revision of the Code of Practice on Surface Water Drainage in Singapore which now requires ABC Waters features to be included in drainage schemes in development larger than 0.2 Ha. In line with the revisions made, the design, overseeing of the construction, and development of a maintenance plan for the ABC Waters design features will need to be undertaken and endorsed by an ABC Waters Professional – the registry of which was launched some two weeks ago. The development and accreditation of professionals with formal training in the concept development, design and implementation of water sensitive urban design is a significant step towards the institutionalisation of water sensitive urban design in Singapore. More significantly, the accreditation and registry of these professionals are administered across three professional bodies in Singapore, the Institution of Engineers Singapore, the Singapore Institute of Architects and the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects. Indeed, an impressive integration of the key professional sectors involved in delivering sustainable urban stormwater management in cities and towns of the future.

Since 2006, a number of iconic projects have been completed as strategic initiative to raise community awareness and to improve the quality of water and life by harnessing the full potential of our waterbodies in Singapore. Of note is the award-winning Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park project where some 3 km section of the formerly concrete-lined Kallang River has been converted into a natural waterway with adjoining parkland activated with clever landscape designs featuring water cleansing raingardens, water play areas, quiet places for passive recreational purposes.

There have also been many, more subtle projects aimed at developing pilot-scale demonstration of roadside bioretention swales, raingardens at housing estates and liner constructed wetlands along the drainage corridors of Singapore’s many thousands of kilometres of concrete storm channels. These systems are actively monitored and a growing database on the performance of these systems are being established to further strengthen the design of ABC Waters Features in Singapore in years to come [https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=826920873207007;res=IELENG].

Professor Tony Wong
CEO