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Building with Nature

The first edition of the Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge challenged young talent to apply the main principles of Building with Nature to develop innovation solutions in different contexts as presented by the Lead Partners:

1. Building with Nature & Adaptation to Climate Change and Sea Level Rise (supported by Deltares).

2. Building with Nature & Maritime Construction Projects (supported by Royal Boskalis Westminster)

3. Integrated Water Management in Cities and Deltas (supported by Royal Haskoning)

4. Water-Energy-Temperature Nexus in Sustainable Cities (supported by Singapore-Delft Water Alliance & PUB Singapore)


Grand Final @ Singapore Water Industry Nite

The winners of the Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge were presented with their award during the Grand Final on the 19th of April 2012 in Singapore.

Thanks to a successful cooperation between Singapore-Delft Water Alliance, Singapore Water Association, Netherlands Embassy and DutchCham/Netherlands Water House, the event was featured as part of the 14th Singapore Water Industry Nite, attracting more than 150 attendants from across the Singaporean and Dutch water sectors.

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They witnessed the inaugural Singapore-Netherlands Sustainability Award to be presented to two ambitious young water students: Victor Sim from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (photo second right) and Anne Belski from Swinburne University, Australia (photo first right).

The winners received their Award from the hands of Dutch Ambassador Johannes W.G. Jansing and PUB Chief Executive Chew Men Leong. Among the many distinguished guests were Prof. Barry Halliwell, Deputy President (Research & Technology) at NUS, Prof. Chan Eng Soon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at NUS and senior representatives from the sponsors: Royal Boskalis Westminster, Deltares, Royal Haskoning, Surbana, Hydronav, YJP Surveyors, Fugro, DutchCham and Singapore-Delft Water Alliance.

The event was hosted at the Aquatic Science Centre by Singapore-Delft Water Alliance, Singapore Water Association and Holland Water Challenge from the Netherlands.

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“When asked if I’d like to develop my idea - of course I said “YES!”. I’d never been to Europe, or worked with smartphone applications, or worked with a Dutch company – I was terrified! Fortunately, everyone was very welcoming. I was amazed at the effort they put into making me feel welcome”
Kevin Loh, Winner Australia 2011
Kevin Loh, Winner Australia 2011
“It was a great experience for us, as Indonesia's young generation, to contribute our ideas for the development of Jakarta Bay. We learn a lot from the Dutch companies and how they think about solutions, which is much more than only engineering. It brought us to a better understanding about Indonesia, our beloved country.”
Aldea Permatasari Firdhaus, Amalia Handini Astari, Mochammad Imron & Aulia Fatwa Farizqa, Winners Indonesia 2014
Aldea Permatasari Firdhaus, Amalia Handini Astari, Mochammad Imron & Aulia Fatwa Farizqa, Winners Indonesia 2014
“The Holland Water Challenge brought me confidence and belief that an innovative idea is more important than gold. When preparing for the final, I spent days and nights to scheme a novel living-style with less carbon and safe water. So Many Thanks to my Dutch Friends, and Wish Our Friendship Forever!”
Li Xiang, Winner China 2010
Li Xiang, Winner China 2010
“An idea is like a projectile. Without a suitable catapult, it is just any ordinary stone incapable of making serious impact. In my case, the Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge was the perfect platform to launch my idea.”
Victor Sim, Winner Singapore 2012
Victor Sim, Winner Singapore 2012
"We're looking forward to making the most of the opportunity to take our idea to the next level and implement what we believe will be a valuable tool for the water industry and emergency services, both in Australia and internationally. Thanks to Holland Water Challenge for organising and supporting the program!"
Dan Peade & Paul Munro, Winners Australia 2013
Dan Peade & Paul Munro, Winners Australia 2013
"The Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge really helped us use our knowledge to make a little difference on the issues of water reclamation. The award ceremony was great. The trip to Singapore was also very vauable. We would like to let other students know such a good competition!"
Leng Ling, Fan Jingyu, Wu Junhao & Lu Ka Kit, Winners Singapore 2013
Leng Ling, Fan Jingyu, Wu Junhao & Lu Ka Kit, Winners Singapore 2013
"The Australia-Netherlands Water Challenge offers a great opportunity for young people to make an impact in the area of climate change and disaster resilience. We are thankful to have had this wonderful experience."
Tracey Lloyd & Tom Perfrement, Winners Australia 2015
Tracey Lloyd & Tom Perfrement, Winners Australia 2015
"We love every second of the program and always remember the time being with the program as one of the greatest memories through student life. I hope to see you again with another challenges and programs. We have the youth and capabilities and what we need is a chance to prove it."
Pann Ei Ei Phyoe, Winning Team Myanmar 2016
Pann Ei Ei Phyoe, Winning Team Myanmar 2016