Investing in collaborative, innovative efforts that work towards achieving water security for all is the best way to address this dangerous crisis head-on as for many, it is now a matter of survival. In aiming to future-proof and ensure the sustainability of water sources across all nations, a global dialog is needed, where leaders and industry experts can exchange best practices on technology-driven solutions and effective governance.

Events like the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) help facilitate these discussions. This year’s SIWW was a fully virtual event that took place over two weeks, from June 21 to July 2. ArchTam had a strong presence at this year’s event, which saw thousands of participants from around the world coming together to share and co-create innovative solutions to meet the world’s most pressing water challenges.

While leaders and experts from our Water business line engaged in events throughout the week, two of these events were led by ArchTam team members – “Riding the Wave: Ensuring Security Against Climate Uncertainties,” an engaging panel discussion in which I moderated that focused on insights and strategic responses to safeguarding urban water systems; and “Rising Above: Integrated Adaptive Pathways for Urban Environments,” an informative, all-women session on innovation in practice held by executive director Dr. Kuang Ping Chiu.

Below are some key discussion points from these two sessions.

Key actions toward ending water shortage

Three primary ways to address water shortage were highlighted during these discussions:

• Instating persistent demand reduction, which calls for the need to track the trend of water usage.
• Strengthening resilient water technologies by analyzing where areas of high population stand in terms of existing resources, and by building new means with industries as technology-enabled structure requires industry collaboration and by recycling.
• Decarbonizing water by reducing energy use in water treatment and conveyance.

By keeping a conscious focus on these three areas, we can radically restructure all forms of water consumption and prevent the current scarcity from worsening.

Our personal lifestyle choices make an impact on water security.

An action that can be taken to alleviate and deescalate the water crisis is to conserve water on an operational level. This requires society as a whole to examine how water is used and create strategies that focus on reducing wastage, preventing damage to water quality, and improving overall water management. For example, the water footprint of a standard smartphone is around 13,000 liters, or approximately 130 bathtubs [2,3]. This is the amount of water it takes to produce all the parts of the phone, including the microchip, glass, plastic, and metal, and much of that water is drinkable. Reexamining how we operate in creating and producing products could have a substantial impact on maintaining a secure water supply.

Increasing population, urbanization and high living standards.

By 2050, 68% of the world population is projected to live in urban areas [4]. This increase in urbanization is not a negative thing, but it will make significant impacts on the ecological environment that can lead to the lack of access to safe water and sanitation, and an increase water-related disasters such as floods and droughts. The challenge is how to undertake sustainable development without causing damage to the natural environment, e.g., avoiding crucial issues leading to the rapid deterioration and degradation of the water quality in the water supply intake points. Reuse and recycle should be a part of this focus in dealing with the water scarcity issues as well as investing in key technology and infrastructure. This comes with enacting the right policies and regulations to keep up with future needs. The layout of a plan should cover 100 years or more to ensure water sustainability for future generations.

Innovating for sustainability

When it comes to innovation, the willingness to embrace change and collaboration for a sustainable future must be present. Change requires more than just the technical innovation – it also includes evolving business models, governance structures, triggers and integrating general change management practices. During “Rising Above: Integrated Adaptive Pathways for Urban Environments,” Dr. Kuang Ping Chiu discussed how public sector agencies such as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Sydney Water responded to climate challenges and adopted innovative solutions to solve serious water challenges. While these two major metropolitan areas experience different effects of climate change, both have proactive policies to deal with the immediate impact to citizens, the urban fabric, and natural systems.

Sustainability believes in the proper use of resources without exhausting them for future generations. The changing climate conditions and limited resources available to us demand more efficient water systems than what we currently have. Efficient water management requires a holistic approach in which different stakeholders – policy makers, scientists, industry leaders, engineers, academicians and water management professionals – come together to engage in conversations and deliberations on how to leverage innovation to safeguard urban water systems against the effects of climate uncertainties; and how future infrastructure systems can build resilience to extreme weather events while enhancing resource efficiency.

These conversations exemplify the role of resilient water infrastructure as a critical building block for worldwide sustainable development, including the fast-urbanizing Asia region. Developing efficient and inclusive water supplies and future-proofing coastal infrastructure that lasts generations is not a one-time effort, but a continuing endeavor we must address through dialog and collaboration that will lead to effective action.

[1]https://www.unwater.org/app/uploads/2021/07/SDG6_indicators_summary_progress_2021.png
[2] https://www.watercalculator.org/footprint/the-hidden-water-in-everyday-products/
[3] https://qz.com/1396289/your-water-footprint-is-just-as-important-as-your-carbon-footprint/
[4] https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html

The post Facilitating solutions to water resilience challenges through global dialog appeared first on Blog.

The project provided an opportunity to demonstrate our strengths while being involved in creating an important urban landmark for Malaysia — not just for today’s generation, but also for those in years to come. It was a chance to step forward with progressive and executable ideas. Potentially, the River of Life project will impact many lives positively and will bring enduring benefits to the city as a whole.

As the winning firm tasked to deliver the project, today, we have teams from Malaysia and Singapore working on this project — from the points of design, master planning, architecture, engineering, infrastructure, environment and economics — demonstrating cohesiveness in collaboration and passion for delivery excellence.

The works are progressing well and the team working on the River of Life project is a highly motivated bunch — motivated to do well for themselves, their team, the client, and the communities that will benefit from the project.

As director of the overall project, I often interact with team members of all levels. In our conversations, we also talk about what motivates them to succeed and deliver excellence.

What I keep hearing is that their involvement since the conceptual development stage of the project has increased their commitment to seeing the many unique pieces coming together and how each of the team members plays a role in making that happen. It is worth noting that the scale and complex nature of this project means different team members have unique views of the “big picture.”

For example, Mark Vergara, technical director, environment, who leads a group that oversees the environmental aspects, believes that the client’s trust in ArchTam makes him proud of the work we are doing and motivates him to challenge the norm. For instance, the client’s receptiveness to innovative ideas allows the team to take their creativity several notches above standard solutions for the design. Mark’s work in this process includes flood modelling, water sensitive urban design, biodiversity enhancement, habitat creation and sustainability.

The lead for signage and wayfinding, Giles Clement, associate, landscape design, design + planning, economics, looks forward to seeing how his work will be used by locals and visitors and how the community will benefit from them. He states that ArchTam’s wayfinding system, which covers the entire site, will be the most comprehensive ever found in the Malaysian capital. Designed with the community in mind, the system makes it easy for people to find their way around the river, a noteworthy achievement for the team.

Seetha Raghupathy, project manager for River of Life Urban Design Guidelines (Package 1A), believes the team’s work has enduring importance as what we are delivering addresses not just existing but also future conditions. She also encourages team members to continually think for the client and the community. She expressed that our involvement in developing a robust set of urban design guidelines means ArchTam has the opportunity to meaningfully steer the nature of private developments within this iconic piece of public space in Kuala Lumpur, ensuring that urban progress and community development go hand in hand.

Michael Barry, who is responsible for appointing subconsultants and is project manager for four of the ten construction packages, finds the level of collaboration and diversity within the project a powerful factor. To him, this has resulted in a continuous transfer of knowledge between the local and international team members — from the standpoints of technical know-how to the culture and history of the project site.

Our collective passion and winning attitude towards this project are reflected in some of the recent accolades that it has received, including ArchTam’s 2014 Excellence Award for Best Win and the Awards for Excellence 2014 at the 50th International Society of City and Regional Planners congress in Gdynia, Poland. Needless to say, this is the kind of enthusiasm expected for something as positively transformational as the River of Life.

Scott Dunn, ArchTam director of development, vice president, South East Asia, directs multidisciplinary teams on the design of mixed-use, new communities and high-density master plan developments across Asia. He is an advocate of sustainable land development and high-density urban environmental design and believes that in order to create great places, one should be sensitive to both the environment and the society that lives in it.
LinkedIn: Scott Dunn

The post Excellence Awards: River of Life project brings together a diverse team appeared first on Blog.

Our multi-disciplinary team partnered with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore to provide a sustainable development framework and plan for Marina Bay and the adjacent Greater Southern Waterfront.

Features of the  long-term conceptual study include the addition of unique waterfront districts, incorporating a network of walkable public space, a new reservoir for rainwater harvesting, a continuous 30-kilometer waterfront pathway for walking and cycling, and an ecological corridor for people and wildlife.

We used our propriety Sustainable Systems Integration Model (SSIM) model to assemble and assess various development scenarios, so as to find the most optimal scheme for the project in terms of sustainability and cost.

Watch this video to learn more about this project to contribute to Singapore’s growth  as a major financial hub for Asia.

Scott Dunn (scott.dunn@archtam.com) leads ArchTam’s operations in Malaysia.

The post Singapore’s centrepiece for urban transformation appeared first on Blog.