The Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme: Water as an Environmental Asset

The Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme: Water as an Environmental Asset

Singapore has historically emphasised rigorous environmental management, beginning with flood risk management during the nation’s early days to the development of a Drainage Master Plan during the 1970s, the integration of water with the urban landscape during the 1980s, and the establishment and working of the Waterbodies Design Panel from 1989 through the 1990s. Following this, a range of institutional and policy changes in the 2000s, including the reorganisation of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) in 2001 to become Singapore’s national water authority, paved the way for the implementation of the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme in 2006.

The ABC Waters Programme aims to transform waterways and reservoirs in Singapore beyond their drainage and water storage functions, to allow these spaces to be used for community bonding and recreation. In this way, PUB aims to create a sense of stewardship amongst the public towards water and provide opportunities for interaction with waterbodies and waterways as part of urban neighbourhoods. At the same time, the programme also contributes to the city’s stormwater management strategy by lowering flood risk.

The ABC Waters Programme was pursued alongside other important goals such as enlarging the water catchment to boost water supply, resulting in political support for the programme from leaders. At the same time, Members of Parliament and grassroots leaders were duly convinced of the viability of the programme.

Beyond getting political buy-in, public outreach and communication were imperative to achieve the programme’s intended stewardship aims. A large public relations campaign was set in place, including the creation of a mascot Water Wally, a lifestyle magazine “PURE”, and the production of a game show for primetime television aptly titled “ABCs of Water”. The campaign culminated in the six-day ABC Waters Exhibition in 2007.

Inter-agency exchanges, design integration into the urban space, as well as the increased costs of this approach and the resultant landscaping, were challenges to the implementation of the ABC Waters Programme. By ensuring that the features introduced were low-maintenance, costs were reduced in the long run. Key learnings from the programme’s success include the importance of dynamic urban governance – working with other agencies and with markets when necessary – and of reaching out to public stakeholders.

Singapore is still far from fully unlocking the potential of water as an environmental asset. Incentivising the private sector, as well as other public agencies to incorporate ABC Waters features in their projects will go a long way towards making Singapore a City of Gardens and Water.