Launched in 2008 to honour outstanding contributions by individuals or organisations towards solving the world's water problems by applying innovative technologies or implementing policies and programmes which benefit humanity, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is the highlight of the Singapore International Week held annually in Singapore. The award is named after the founding father of modern Singapore, who is the first Prime Minister and presently Minister Mentor.
Michael Toh, managing director for the Singapore International Water Week, said: “We are very heartened by the increase in nominations as it is a reflection of the importance and momentum the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is gaining on the world stage. This year's nominees, while diverse geographically, are all high quality submissions which have achieved significant impact in their real life application.”
Nominations for the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2011 closed on 31 Oct 2010. The nominations covered a wide range of solutions including application of innovative technologies for water and used water collection and treatment as well as water recycling, implementation of revolutionary water policies and programmes, management of agriculture waters and rainwater, as well as the administration of humanitarian aid. The nominations also include several exceptional research projects conducted in the fields of limnology, microbial pathogens, novel desalination and membrane processes. All nominees showed a strong understanding of the ever-evolving needs for today's urban environment and presented sustainable solutions to combat these challenges.
Nominations for the 2011 Water Prize will undergo two rounds of selection and the winner will be decided by the prize council comprising individuals from academia, multi-national corporations and government bodies. The recipient of the 2011 award will be announced in March 2011 and the winner will be honoured at a ceremony held at the Singapore International Water Week in July. The recipient will receive S$300,000, as well as an award certificate and a gold medallion in recognition of its contributions to the water industry. The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is sponsored by the Singapore Millennium Foundation (SMF).
